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Old-Fashioned Moist Fruitcake Recipe (Never Fail)

Close-up of a moist slice of fruit cake recipe packed with colorful candied and dried fruits.
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Follow this reliable, old-fashioned fruitcake recipe to create a dense, moist cake packed with dried fruit and nuts. This recipe is designed to be foolproof and perfect for holiday baking or gifting.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 pound mixed dried fruit (raisins, currants, candied cherries, citron), chopped if large
  • 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
  • 1/2 cup brandy or dark rum (optional, for soaking fruit or feeding cake later)

Instructions

  1. If using alcohol to soak the fruit, combine the dried fruit and nuts in a bowl with the brandy or rum. Cover and let stand for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight. If skipping the alcohol soak, proceed to step 2.
  2. Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C). Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan or two 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom with parchment paper.
  3. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
  4. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract and orange juice.
  5. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and baking soda.
  6. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
  7. Fold in the soaked and drained fruit and nuts using a spatula. If you skipped the alcohol soak, ensure the fruit is evenly distributed throughout the batter.
  8. Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared pan(s). Smooth the top.
  9. Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours for a tube pan, or 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes for round pans. A wooden skewer inserted into the center should come out clean or with moist crumbs attached.
  10. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto the rack, remove the pan, and let it cool completely.
  11. For an extra moist, traditional cake, wrap the cooled cake tightly in cheesecloth soaked in a small amount of brandy or orange juice. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for several weeks before serving. Feed the cake with 1-2 tablespoons of liquid every week or two if desired.

Notes

  • To ensure a truly moist fruit cake, use high-quality dried fruits. Soaking them, even in orange juice, helps prevent them from drying out the cake batter during baking.
  • If you are not using alcohol, substitute the brandy/rum soak with extra orange juice or apple juice.
  • This cake improves significantly in flavor and texture after several days of resting, making it an excellent make-ahead dessert.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://delishcraze.com/moist-fruit-cake-recipe-old-fashioned/