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Christmas fruit cake (whole wheat, non alcoholic version)

healthy whole wheat non alcoholic christmas fruit cake

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With less than a month to go until Christmas, it’s time to start preparing for the festivities. Start shopping, buying gifts and baking your home-made Christmas fruit cake. Why not bake a healthy, rich and delicious Christmas fruit cake and gift your loved ones, rather than buying from a bakery. Try this simple non alcoholic Christmas fruit cake which will impress everyone.

Christmas fruit cake

Christmas fruit cake

How I made Christmas fruit cake

If you haven’t soaked your fruits yet their’s still time. You can soak your fruits for 24 hours and bake your cake or you can soak them for 2-3 hours and also bake your cake. This recipe gives great results either ways. If you are like me, who ends up with last-minute preparations then this recipe would be perfect to try out. I feel this is the closest to the authentic Christmas fruit cake recipe that I have tried. I hope you would like it too.

I prefer to soak my fruits for at least 24 hours. This recipe is otherwise pretty easy to follow. I have adapted the recipe from Nigella Lawson’s chocolate fruit cake.

You can have a look at another Christmas dessert apple raisin walnut muffins, carrot dates muffins, fruit and nut Christmas tree

Recipe of Christmas fruit cake

Ingredients

  • 200 g of mixed dry fruits
  • 50 g of nuts
  • Fresh orange juice 3/4 cup
  • Orange marmalade 2 tablespoon dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water
  • Orange zest 1 teaspoon
  • Whole-wheat flour 1/2 cup
  • Almond meal 1/4 cup
  • Cocoa powder 1 tablespoon
  • Organic cane sugar or brown sugar 1/3 cup
  • Eggs 2
  • Mixed spices 1 teaspoon (mix of nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, clove)
  • Baking powder 1 teaspoon
  • Salt a pinch
  • Butter 1/4 cup

Method

  1. Chop the mixed dry fruits ( raisins, apricots, dark raisins, dried cranberries, tutti frutti, cherries, dried figs, dates) and place them in a jar.
  2. Add fresh orange juice, orange marmalade mixture and orange zest Mix everything well. Keep them soaked for 24-48 hours in refrigerator. You can soak them for 2-5 hours and use them as well if you are in a hurry. If you are baking the cake on the same day you don’t have to refrigerate the fruits.
  3. After 24 hours take a non stick pan, add the soaked dry fruits along with the juice, sugar, spices, butter and cocoa powder.
  4. Stir and bring it to boil. Simmer for 5 to 10 mins with occasional stirring.
  5. Turn off the flame and use it when it comes to room temperature.
  6. Sieve the wheat flour, almond meal, with baking powder, and salt for 5-6 times.
  7. Beat the eggs and add them to the fruit mixture, mix them well.
  8. Fold the flour into the wet ingredients in batches, mix everything well until well combined.
  9. Add the nuts(cashew nuts, almonds, walnuts) and give it a stir.
  10. Scoop the batter in parchment lined baking tin, this cake gets baked for a longer time so there are chances of it to stick to the bottom. Hence it’s better to use parchment paper to line the tin.
  11. Bake at 150 degrees for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until done.

Notes

  • You can use any dry fruits of your choice. The above mentioned were used by me. I used tutti frutti in lesser quantity than the other fruits. Traditionally tutti frutti weren’t used, so you can do without it.
  • Since we aren’t soaking the fruits for months here we need to boil it. Heating gives similar results to aging the nuts in wine, rum or fruit juice.
  • Use less of cinnamon as that tends to over power the other flavors.
  • You can use orange crush as well instead of orange marmalade.
  • To adjust the batter consistency use orange juice or water.
  • For the above mentioned quantity that’s the time for baking. If you increase the quantity of the ingredients the baking time will also increase.
  • 6.5-7 inch round, square or a medium sized loaf pan can be used for the mentioned quantity.
  • Keep the cake in the oven for 15 minutes after turning it off and then in the baking tin for another half an hour before demoulding.

I would love to see your creations. If you try my recipe tag me on Instagram, facebook and Pinterest.

Christmas fruit cake

Shop for products

Orange marmalade

Cane sugar

Bundt pan

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18 thoughts on “Christmas fruit cake (whole wheat, non alcoholic version)”

  1. Dear…
    Surely i will try this recipe….i never used almond flour in cakes before …can you please tell me why u r using almond flour??
    Also nuts are not soaking??i made a plum cake last week….in that recipe telling to soak both nuts and dry fruits…..pls clarify my doubt….thanks sooo mucj

    1. Hi Fathima, the recipe I followed had used almond flour, you can skip it if you want to. Generally fruit cakes have only the dried fruits which are soaked in alcohol or fruit juices.. It’s aging the fruits in alcohol which gives the flavor to the cake.. Nuts don’t play a role here.. But nowadays there are so many varieties where we use nuts also, nuts add a nice bite so I use them. If you wish to soak them you can, it’s up-to you but soaking the nuts don’t give any flavor to the cake.
      Hopefully you’ll like the recipe Fathima, would be looking forward to your feedback ????

    1. Thank you Hal, I’ve tried to make it healthy as much as possible with less sugar and used whole wheat flour. This is definitely better than the negative reputed fruit cake.

    1. What is Christmas without a fruit cake? The calorie count would be less than the tradional fruit cake, this is made with whole wheat flour and organic raw sugar making it a healthier alternative. Calorie conscious folks can have a slice or two ????

    1. Thank you Patricia, I guess you can sun dry or oven dry them. I’ve not done it myself.. Seemed like a tedious process to me but it can be done I guess.

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