Christmas Fruit Cake with Brandy

Jump to Recipe

This Christmas Fruit Cake with brandy is a moist and sweet treat for the holiday season, and it makes a great gift too! Enjoy this classic cake with brandy-plumped fruit and a zesty and sweet cake base. This delightful cake is sure to be a new family favorite!

fruit cake side view of the baked inside on a wooden charcuterie board with a rosemary sprig on the side.

Table of Contents

Why I Love This Recipe For Fruit Cake with Brandy

There are so many different types of fruit breads, but for some reason fruit cake seems to get a bad rap. Well, I can assure you that this fruit cake recipe is not the one of your childhood – it’s new and improved!

The sweet cake base has orange zest and holiday flavor with the textured mix-ins of brandy soaked dried fruit and nuts. There’s no chance of this cake getting dry because the sour cream in the batter keeps everything moist, and balances the flavor with a little bit of a tang.

And we certainly can’t forget everyone’s favorite part: the brandy! It contributes an additional moisture and accompanies the sweetness to balanced everything perfectly. Serve this cake up to your guests fresh, or save and thaw it when you get a craving.

Key Ingredients For Nut and Fruit Cake

fruit cake ingredients in a different bowls on white background.

Dry ingredients

Flour: all-purpose flour works best for this fruit cake.
You will need both baking soda and baking powder for this cake recipe, and a little bit of fine sea salt.

Wet Ingredients

Sour cream: make sure it’s at room temperature.
Butter: unsalted butter at room temperature.
Egg: one large egg at room temperature.

Sugar: You will need both white and brown sugar. Both are added with wet ingredients.
Orange zest: Zest a fresh orange, any variety.

Mix-ins

You can add or substitute for whatever mix-ins you would like. I use walnuts, raisins, glazed cherries, dried apricots, and cranberries.

And then, arguably the most important ingredient: Brandy.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

How to Make Christmas Fruit Cake

Step 1: Prepare Dried Fruits

The day before you make your fruit cake, wash, chop, and drain the dried fruits. Then, soak them in brandy overnight so they plump up.

Step 2: Prepare Pan and Oven

When you’re ready to make your fruit cake, line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper and then preheat your oven to 325F.

Step 3: Mix Wet Cake Ingredients

Using a mixer, beat the room-temperature butter with both types of sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the sour cream, egg, and orange zest. Mix until all of the ingredients are well combined.

wet ingredients in a glass bowl with a wooden spoon.

Step 4: Mix Dry Cake Ingredients

In a separate bowl, mix the flour with the baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

flour and other dry ingredients in a wooden bowl with a wooden spoon in the bowl.

Step 5: Combine Wet and Dry Cake Ingredients

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix them until they’re combined.

Step 6: Add the Mix-ins

Add the previously soaked dried fruits to the batter along with the chopped nuts. Mix until homogenous.

clear bowl with wet and dry ingredients mixed together with dried fruit.

Step 7 and 8: Bake

Transfer the batter to your prepared pan and bake it for 1.5-2 hours, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let your fruit cake cool for about 20 minutes before taking it out of the pan. Enjoy!

baked Christmas fruit cake in a bread pan.

How To Enjoy Fruit Cake

As an hors’ devours. Fruit cake makes a great addition to a charcuterie board!
Enjoy fruit cake as a dessert because it’s sweet and delicious.
Serve a small square of fruit cake with an aperitif.
I’m always a fan of cake for breakfast and fruit cake is no exception.
Have fruit cake as a snack with a mug of fresh coffee, tea, hot cocoa, or cider on a chilly day!

Recipe FAQs

What kind of alcohol is in fruit cake?

In this recipe we use brandy, but many other recipes call for everything from sherry, to rum, to whiskey, to flavored liqueur. It depends on your preferences and you can feel free to try a few different options to see what you like best! Here is a guide on choosing the best brandy for fruitcake.

When should I start baking a fruit cake in preparation for serving it?

At least a day in advance so that the dried fruit can soak and plump up!

Do I need to age this fruit cake?

No, you do not need to age it! This fruit cake is enjoyed fresh in my house. But if you’d like to age it, you can wrap it in brandy-soaked cheesecloth, then wrap it again in some plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Store it in an airtight container in the dark. If you intend to age it for several months, you’ll have to rewrap the cake in freshly soaked cheesecloth every so often.

Can I use different kinds of dried fruits?

You can explore using different types of dried fruits. Be sure to remember they will yield different flavors. You may have to practice trial and error to find the perfect combo. If you’d like to customize your fruit cake further, you can also add in touches of different ingredients. These could be cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and nutmeg.

Can I make muffins with this fruit cake batter instead of a loaf?

Yes, you can in theory, but keep in mind that the baking times will differ.

How do I make sure the fruit and nuts don’t sink to the bottom?

This recipe doesn’t have this issue. If you like, you can always toss your fruit and nuts in a light coating of flour before mixing them into the batter.

How do I store my fruit cake?

You can store it at room temperature in an air-tight container for about a month. If you want to refrigerate it, you can store it in the fridge for about 6 months. Or, you can freeze it for about a year. If you store it in the fridge or the freezer, be sure to allow the cake to cool to room temperature before storing it.

top view of a sliced fruit cake with toppings on top of the cake and more on the side including cranberries rosemary sprigs and some slices of candied orange.

Additional Fruit Recipes To Try

Fruit is so versatile and can be used in any season. For on-the-go or a healthy pick-me-up snack my gluten-free dried fruit bars with nuts and dates.
Start the weekend with fresh, warm fruit muffins, it’s an easy recipe. If you are looking for a fruit recipe, other than bread make sure to try a sweet fall dessert fruit salad.

More Tasty Bread Recipes

If you tried this Chili Garlic Shrimp Stir Fry or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and leave your 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!