This is an easy and delicious recipe for a non-alcoholic Christmas cake, a traditional fruit cake made with dried fruit but without the alcohol. You can whip it up in 15 minutes (plus baking time).
Put together this quick and easy non-alcoholic Christmas fruit cake in just 15 minutes! It’s made with an abundance of dried fruits for a festive flavor and without any alcohol. Still, it has a perfectly delicious and moist texture. Perfect for your holiday celebrations!
Embracing the tradition of a classic English-style Christmas fruit cake is undeniably delightful during the holiday season. However, the elaborate process of preparing it well in advance, continuous brandy soaking, soaking of fruits, and its unsuitability for children can be quite a hassle.
I wanted to come up with a lighter version of the classic fruit cake, lighter in any sense: lighter in texture, lighter in sugar, lighter in alcohol, and lighter for the purse as well.
So I am glad for this delicious and easy-to-make alcohol-free fruit cake recipe, using no alcohol at all and needing no soaking times or wrapping paper. Something I can bake for my family every year. Soft, sweet, and spicy, the perfect easy Christmas cake.
Check out more delicious Christmas cakes, this Last-Minute Mincemeat Cake or the Pumpkin Fruitcake. Or make a traditional boozy fruitcake.
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📋Recipe ingredients and substitutions
Dried fruit: A mixture of cranberries, currants, and raisins or sultanas. Keep the raisins or sultanas no matter what; they are mandatory and the cheapest dried fruit you could buy for this rich fruit cake recipe.
- While raisins or sultanas are necessary, you can experiment with other dried fruits like apricots, prunes, or cherries to suit your preferences. If using larger pieces of fruit, chop them before adding them to the batter; the pieces should be about as large as the raisins.
- Some like to include candied citrus peel, although I don’t favor it personally. However, if you enjoy it, feel free to add candied peel. In that case, decrease the amount of glace cherries or substitute them entirely with the candied peel of your choice.
- You can also add a bit of lemon zest or orange zest.
- You can substitute a small handful of the dried fruit with chopped nuts, such as walnuts or pecans.
Sugar: I used muscovado sugar to make this Christmas fruit cake. However, muscovado sugar is not easily found outside the UK (you can find it online).
- I substitute it with regular brown sugar when I run out of it. I adjust the batter by using one tablespoon less brown sugar and adding one tablespoon of molasses instead.
- Do you have an open bag of muscovado? Try other recipes: Toffee Apple Cake, Butterbeer Potted Cream, Mirror Glaze Chocolate Cake, and Rock Cakes.
Warm spices: All-spice, cardamom powder, cinnamon powder, and grated nutmeg. You can also add a bit of ginger powder, a tiny amount of ground cloves, apple pie, or pumpkin pie spice mix.
Butter: Unsalted butter with 82% fat content (European-style). Don’t use light butter.
Other ingredients: Four large eggs at room temperature, all-purpose flour, baking powder, a pinch of salt, and icing sugar/ confectioner’s sugar to sprinkle over the non-alcoholic fruit cake.
🥣Equipment needed
A small springform (the Amazon link opens in a new tab) or round cake pan of 8 inches/ 20 cm diameter. Although small, this is enough for a regular family and a few guests. Butter it and line its bottom with parchment paper.
You can also bake this alcohol-free fruit cake in a slightly larger tin of about 8 ½ - 9 inches/ 22 cm. In this case, reduce the baking time slightly; check after about 1 hour and 50 minutes so the cake doesn’t get dry. A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean.
👩🏻🍳How to make a Christmas cake without alcohol?
This recipe is so much easier to make than the classic Christmas fruit cake. All it takes is to mix the ingredients, pour them into the baking dish, and bake.
- Preheat the oven and prepare the springform.
Mix soft butter, sugar, eggs, flour, and spices in a large bowl.
Add dried fruit to the cake batter.
Bake for 2 to 2 ¼ hours.
The cake is firm to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Check the cake after one hour or so, and loosely cover the top with aluminum foil to prevent it from getting too dark.
- Let cool completely in the tin.
⏳How do you know when the fruit cake is baked?
- Color: It should have a golden brown color.
- Shrinkage: The sides of the cake may start to shrink slightly from the pan when it's fully baked.
- Touch: Press the cake’s center gently; it should feel firm when fully baked. If it leaves an indentation, it needs more time.
- Toothpick test: Insert a clean toothpick or cake tester into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean or with a few crumbs (not wet batter), the cake is done.
🔊Expert Tips
Always use a digital kitchen scale in baking; it guarantees the best results (the Amazon affiliate link opens in a new tab).
Make it in advance: Once cool, wrap it in aluminum foil and keep it at room temperature.
Room temperature: Ensure that the ingredients (butter and eggs) are at room temperature. The beaten eggs and sugar will create an emulsion that traps the air in the batter.
Cover it with fondant: When completely cool, glaze it with a little warmed apricot jam. Cover it with rolled marzipan (about 400 g) and rolled white fondant (about 250 g).
Decorate it with royal icing: When cold, cover it with about 250 g of royal icing.
❓Recipe FAQ
Muscovado sugar is sometimes known as Barbados sugar, so you might also want to check that. It is an unrefined brown sugar known for its rich, sticky texture and strong molasses taste. It retains more natural molasses compared to other brown sugars. It comes in light or dark brown.
You can replace it with 1:1 unrefined, molasses-containing sugar like jaggery, panela, or Sucanat.
The next best thing is dark brown sugar. Use almost the same amount, replacing one tablespoon of sugar with 1 tablespoon of molasses if available.
Keep it in an airtight container at room temperature; it will last 3-4 days, probably a bit longer.
Freeze it for up to 6 months. I prefer to freeze individual slices well-wrapped in cling film and then foil. However, you can freeze the whole cake as well. Defrost in the fridge and let it come to room temperature before serving.
🍽️How to serve?
- Dust the top of the cake with icing sugar (confectioner's sugar) before serving.
- With whipped cream, clotted cream, ice cream, or a drizzle of honey or (unwhipped) double cream.
You can also serve it with cheese, for instance, Cheddar or Brie. - You can serve it immediately once it is cooled, but I prefer to make it one day in advance, wrap it in aluminum foil once cooled, and serve it the next day with a cup of coffee or tea.
🎅🏻More festive Christmas recipes
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Non-Alcoholic Christmas Fruit Cake
Equipment
- Springform or round cake pan 8 inch/ 20 cm, Note 1
Ingredients
- 250 g unsalted butter 9 oz/ 1 cup + 1½ tablespoon, soft, Note 2
- 200 g muscovado sugar 7 oz/ 1 cup, Note 3
- 4 eggs
- 250 g all-purpose flour 9 oz/ 2 cups + 1 tablespoon
- 1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder
- pinch of salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground all-spice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- a few gratings of fresh nutmeg
- 100 g dried cranberries 3.5 oz/ ½ cup
- 150 g dried currants 5.5 oz/ ¾ cup
- 250 g sultanas or raisins 9 oz/ 1 ¼ cups
- 100 g chopped glacé cherries 3.5 oz/ ½ cup, Note 4
- icing sugar optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 280°F/ 140°C. Butter the springform and line its bottom with parchment paper.
- Batter: Place the soft butter, muscovado sugar, eggs, flour, salt, all-spice, cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Mix well.250 g unsalted butter/ 1 cup +1 tablespoon butter + 200 g muscovado sugar/ 1 cup + 4 eggs + 250 g all-purpose flour/ 2 cups + 1 tablespoon flour + 1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder + pinch of salt + ¼ teaspoon ground all-spice + ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom + ¼ teaspoon cinnamon + a few gratings of fresh nutmeg
- Add cranberries, currants, sultanas or raisins, and glace cherries.100 g dried cranberries/ ½ cup + 150 g dried currants/ ¾ cup + 250 g sultanas or raisins/ 1¼ cup + 100 g chopped glacé cherries/ ½ cup
- Bake: Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake for 2 to 2 ¼ hours or until the cake is firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Check the cake after one hour or so and loosely cover the top with a piece of aluminum foil to prevent it from getting too dark.
- Let the cake cool in the baking dish, then turn it out.
- Serve: You can serve the Christmas fruit cake immediately, but it is even better if served the next day. Sprinkle with icing sugar before serving, if desired.
- Make in advance: If you make it one day in advance, let it cool completely, wrap it in aluminum foil, and leave it at room temperature until the next day.
Notes
- Cake pan: Alternatively, use an 8 ½ - 9 / 22 cm cake tin or springform, but reduce the baking time slightly. Start checking after 1 hour and 50 minutes already.
- Always use a digital kitchen scale (the Amazon link opens in a new tab) in baking; it guarantees the best results.
- Sugar: You can replace the muscovado sugar with the same amount of brown sugar minus one tablespoon. Add one tablespoon of molasses instead of the missing tablespoon of sugar if available.
- Substitutions: You can replace one-third or half the glace cherries with the candied peel of your choice. You can also replace a small handful of dried fruit with chopped nuts such as walnuts or pecans.
Courtney says
I noticed that the ingredient list includes baking powder but there's no instruction as to when to add it. I assume it's added with the flour etc?
Mines currently in the oven baking so we'll see how it turns out!
Adina says
Sorry that I missed that. But you did everything right.
Susan says
Such an easy cake to make. I made it for my art club as a number of artists were painting outside at a lovely old manor house here in Dorset, UK, the feedback was that it was delicious. Sadly, I didn't feel I could cut a slice out of it to try it myself before it was delivered whole - they would have noticed! And I have been asked for the recipe, so you will have new visitors to your site I hope. Thank you 🙂
Adina says
Hi Susan. Thank you so much for the feedback, it made me very happy!
Thana says
Hi, Can this cake 2 days before?
Adina says
Yes, you can make it 2 days before.
Jenette says
I just purchased a 6 inch round 3 inches deep cake tin how long would it have to bake.
Adina says
Hi Jenette. It will take longer because the batter layer will be higher/thicker, but I cannot say how much longer as I've never baked this cake in such a small tin. Bake it until it is firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. I would instead scale down the recipe and use only 3/4 of the ingredients.
Wilmaru says
Hi! Can you please help me. In the beginning of the recipe it says 250g unsalted butter equals 1 cup. But then it says 250g flour equals 2 cups and 1 tablespoon. Is it suppose to be 500g flour or 250g flour? Thanks a lot!
Adina says
Hi. Yes, it's right. Cup measuring is about volume, so 1 cup butter is not the same as 1 cup flour. You will need 1 cup butter and 2 cups flour. However, I strongly recommend using a scale to measure the ingredients; it's the only right way when baking. Depending on how you stuff the butter in the cup or fill the cup with flour, the quantity will be slightly different every time. For me baking with cups is like the lottery; you might get lucky, but you probably won't.
Denise Hill says
Hi I want to try this recipe for Christmas this year 2021. Can I ice it and if so what icing would be best?
Thanks
Adina says
Hi Denise. Traditionally, you would brush it with apricot jam, cover it in marzipan, and then fondant. Other options would be buttercream or cream cheese icing.
Archana Bala says
Absolutely delicious. Best fruit cake ever. Thank you so much. Baked it for my friend's birthday. They loved it.
Adina says
So happy to hear it! Thank you very much for your nice comment.
Ray says
My family loved this cake, thank you Adina! Does a slice of this fruit cake actually contain 781 calories or is that a typo?
Adina says
I use a nutrition calculator included in the Recipe, I never think it is completely accurate, just more or less. I could check with a different calculator to see if there is a big difference. But I am glad you liked the cake. Actually, when it comes to cakes I never bother to count the calories myself, there are way too many anyway, I just feel bad about it, so I just ignore it. 🙂
Kirst says
Is this cake freezable so u can make it in advance?
Adina says
Hi Kirst. Yes, you can freeze the cake. But if you make it towards the end of the week, it will keep in the fridge as well. Just wrap it well.
Mike says
Hi. I made this recipe as a test run ahead of doing it at Christmas. It was fantastic. I’ve subsequently been asked by a couple of family members to make it for them - but they each want one about half the size of this. If I was to divide this recipe into two 2lb loaf tins (the one I made in my 8” cake tin weighed nearly 3.5lb), can you advise what this would do to the oven time?
Adina says
Hi Mike, I am so happy you liked it. I think the baking time will not change considerably, if you divide the batter I suppose it will still have about the same thickness in the tin. Start checking with the toothpick after about 1 3/4 hours and keep checking until the toothpick inserted in the middle is clean. If the cakes are much flatter, then you should definitely bake them for a shorter time, start checking after about 1 hour. It is the thickness that matters most. Happy baking!
Mike says
Thanks. I did a bit of an experiment on volumes of tins, and discovered that the 8” round tin, filled to about where the cake comes to, is pretty much the same volume as a 9x5” 2lb loaf tin. So I’ve got a full recipe in an 7” tin in the oven at the moment. I’ll cut it in half before decorating. Any tips on getting a clean cut?
Adina says
Thank you for the feedback, Mike. Cutting goes well normally. Whenever I don't manage to cut something properly, I use an electric knife. I didn't try it on this fruitcake though. 🙂
salome wanjiku says
This is awesome i intend to try it with my junior baking class
Adina says
I am glad to hear it! 🙂
Lynda Arnold says
I found the cake a little dry, how much apple sauce would you add to the recipe? I really loved the combination of cherries, raisins, sultanas and cranberries all my favorites. My 4 year old grandson who is quite fussy also ate it. Would definitely try it again if I could make the cake more moist. I did use brown sugar with treacle as I could not find muscovado sugar could this have been the reason that the cake was a little dry?
Adina says
Hi Lynda, that can be it. Muscovado has quite a "wet" appearance. Also, measuring the ingredients can be tricky if you measure with cups, too much flour can be the cause of a drier cake. Or maybe the oven temperature was too high, ovens have their own will sometimes. It is hard to say from afar. I have never added apple sauce, so I cannot say anything about that before trying myself. But I am glad you liked the taste.
pat says
very easy, I added applesauce to make it a little moister
Adina says
Thank you for your feedback, Pat. I am so glad you liked it! 🙂
Kelly | Foodtasia says
Adina, this fruit cake looks lovely! I love how you've lightened it up and taken out the alcohol. Perfect for the holidays!
Danielle Sawyer says
Hi, how long does the cake last for? I want to make for Christmas but if I make it now will it go stale?
Thanks
Danielle
Adina says
Hi Danielle, if you make it today it will be great tomorrow and all through the Christmas days. Keep it wrapped at room temperature.
angiesrecipes says
I love this alcohol free version...less complicated and time-consuming and looks divine all the same!