Non Alcoholic Christmas Fruit Cake

A Christmas fruit cake on a red cake pedestal with a sprinkle of sugar above.

5 from 1 vote

Non Alcoholic Christmas Fruit Cake

Perfect for the Holidays; this Christmas Fruit Cake is full of fruits and nuts, all soaked in a non-alcoholic liquid and baked to perfection.

Every slice is yummy and the cake makes a great egg-free treat for kids and adults alike. Plus, the recipe is an instant one.

Prep Time30

Cook Time45

Resting Time30

Total Time1 15

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 245kcal

Author: Smruti

Ingredients

For the Soaking

4 dried apricots
4 dates
5-6 cashews
5-6 almonds
5-6 walnuts
10 black grapes
10 raisins
4 maraschino cherries
¼ cup tutti frutti
½ cup sparkling cider

For the cake

1½ cup all purpose flour
¾ cup brown sugar
¾ cup milk
1 teaspoon vinegar
½ cup oil
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon orange extract
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions

Chop the nuts to small bits. Also chop the dates, cherries and apricots.
4 dried apricots, 4 dates, 5-6 cashews, 5-6 almonds, 5-6 walnuts, 10 black grapes, 4 maraschino cherries, 10 raisins
In a glass bowl add all the nuts and fruits.
¼ cup tutti frutti
Mix them well.
Pour in the cider as required to soak all the nuts and other ingredients.
½ cup sparkling cider
Let the mixture soak for at least 30 minutes to a day or two.
Once soaked, drain the mixture and collect the soaking fluid. Set it aside.
In a bowl add the milk and vinegar. Mix well and let stand for 5-10 minutes. In another bowl add flour, baking soda, spices and salt.
¾ cup milk, 1 teaspoon vinegar
Mix everything well and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 F/ 180 C. Add the milk vinegar mix and oil in a large bowl. Mix well.
½ cup oil
Then add the orange extract and the soaking fluid to the bowl. Whip till combined.
½ teaspoon orange extract
Then add the sugar and mix it in. Also, line a 6 inch round pan or a bread loaf with cooking spray or parchment paper. Set aside.
¾ cup brown sugar
Transfer the dry ingredients to the bowl.
1½ cup all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder, ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Whip till just combined.
Finally fold in all the soaked ingredients.
Mix till they are incorporated. Do not over whip.
Transfer the mixture to the pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes till a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Once baked, remove from the oven and set aside to cool for a while. Then open the springform pan and cool the cake on a cooling rack.
Serve topped with powdered sugar (optional) and maraschino cherries/ cranberries. I love it with a side of hot chocolate with whipping cream!

Video

Notes

Dice all the fruits and nuts in to same size pieces. That way they blend well and do not sink to the bottom of the cake.
Cut everything right before soaking. That way the edges are soft and soak up the liquid better than the ones with dry edges.
Use a glass bowl or jar to soak everything. The ingredients react with a metal bowl and so that should not be used.
The soaking liquid for the recipe varies on what you like. Sparkling cider, grape juice, cranberry juice, apple juice, orange juice or even rum is great. Mix and match as per your liking.
Soak for anywhere between 30 minutes to 1-2 days. If soaking for more than a couple of hours, refrigerate the soaked nuts and fruits. Juices tend to start fermenting quickly.
Replace orange extract with equal amount of vanilla extract and some orange or lemon zest.
I like to bake the cake in a springform pan. It is simpler to get the cake out rather than a plain cake mold.
Do not over mix the batter. Simply stir till the dry ingredients are incorporated.
The same batter can be used to make a tall 6 inch cake or a flatter 8 inch cake. Plus, the same mix can give us 16 muffins too.
The cake is dense and high. So it does require a couple of hours to cool. Sprinkle sugar and slice it only after it has cooled completely. That way, the sugar does not melt into the cake and neither does the cake crumble.

Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates using an automated calculator. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition