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Super Moist Old Fashioned Fruit Cake Recipe

Close-up of a dense, moist slice of fruit cake packed with dried fruits and nuts, sitting on a white plate.
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You need a fruit cake that stays moist. This old fashioned recipe delivers rich, classic holiday flavor and a tender crumb without months of soaking time. Follow these simple steps for a no-fail Christmas baking classic.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (225g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200g) packed dark brown sugar
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (240ml) strong brewed black tea or orange juice, warm
  • 1 pound (450g) mixed dried fruit (raisins, currants, candied peel)
  • 1/2 cup (75g) chopped pecans or walnuts
  • 1/4 cup dark rum or brandy (optional, for soaking)

Instructions

  1. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan or a standard loaf pan. Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C).
  2. If using alcohol, combine the mixed dried fruit and nuts in a bowl. Pour the rum or brandy over the fruit and let it soak for at least 30 minutes while you prepare the batter. If not using alcohol, skip this step and proceed to step 3.
  3. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. This step helps create a moist texture.
  4. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
  5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, and salt.
  6. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
  7. Drain any excess liquid from the soaked fruit and nuts, then gently fold the fruit and nut mixture into the batter.
  8. Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
  9. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Baking time varies based on pan size.
  10. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes before inverting it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  11. For extra moisture, you can brush the top of the warm cake with 2 tablespoons of reserved warm tea or juice.

Notes

  • To keep this fruit cake moist for weeks, wrap the cooled cake tightly in cheesecloth soaked in a small amount of brandy or fruit juice, then wrap again in foil. Store in an airtight container.
  • You can substitute the tea or juice with a dark fruit juice like grape or cranberry juice for a non-alcoholic soak.
  • For a darker cake, use a higher ratio of dark raisins and currants, and consider using molasses instead of some of the brown sugar.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cheffinity.com/moist-traditional-fruit-cake-recipe/