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Apricot Fruitcake

Apricot Fruitcake. This light apricot fruitcake recipe takes our very popular Apricot Raisin Cake and turns it into a moist and delicious Christmas fruitcake.

Apricot Fruitcake close up square cropped featured image

Apricot Fruitcake.

As promised to my followers on the Rock Recipes Facebook Page, here is my latest light fruitcake that I have been working on. It’s based upon the Apricot Raisin Cake that is so popular here in Newfoundland, especially during the holiday season.

Dried apricots for Apricot Coconut Cookie Bars shown in white ramekin.

Dried apricots.

I’ve always liked the texture of that cake, so I bumped up the amount of fruit in it. I added some glacé cherries and mixed fruit as well.

Apricot Fruitcake shown on a white background with candles in background

Apricot Fruitcake

I’ve added no nuts here but if you are so inclined, add your favourite chopped toasted variety to this recipe. This just may destined to be a new family favourite for the holiday season.

Close up stock photo of golden raisins for butter tarts

I like golden raisins in this recipe but any other raisin or even currents work well.

The recipe upon which this light fruitcake is based is very popular here in Newfoundland, especially around Christmas. Find the original moist, rich Apricot Raisin Cake here.

Apricot Raisin Cake

Apricot Raisin Cake

Originally published Nov 18, 2009. Updated Photos December 18, 2015.

Like this Apricot Fruitcake recipe?
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Best Newfoundland Christmas Cake Recipes

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Apricot Fruitcake close up square cropped featured image
Yield: 48 servings

Apricot Fruitcake

Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 3 hours

This moist, spice-less fruitcake is one of our family favorites. It is not nearly as heavily flavored as dark fruitcake. Since no spices or molasses are used this cake relies purely on the flavor of the dried fruits.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups water
  • 1 1/2 cups light raisins or sultana raisins
  • 2 cup dried apricots chopped
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup cream cheese
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 pound glace cherries, chopped
  • 1 pound mixed dried fruit
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. In a medium saucepan combine the water, apricots, 1/4 cup sugar and raisins and simmer slowly for 30 minutes. Set aside to cool completely to room temperature.
  2. Cream the butter, cream cheese, vanilla extract and 1 cup of sugar until light and fluffy.
  3. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  4. Sift together the flour and baking powder.
  5. Fold half of the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture.
  6. Fold in the cooled boiled apricot mixture.
  7. Fold in the remaining dry ingredients.
  8. Fold in the cherries and dried fruit.
  9. Bake in a greased and floured tube pan or 2 greased and parchment lined small loaf pans at 325 degrees F for about an hour or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  10. A tube pan will probably take over an hour depending on size. My small aluminum loaf pans took about 55 minutes. The toothpick test is the most reliable way to test if the cake is baked.
  11. Cool in the pan/s for a 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  12. Store in a cake tin or other airtight container. Freezes well too.

Notes

The prep time here includes cooling time for the boiled raisin base.
I recommend using light raisins in this recipe if you want to keep the golden color of the cake crumb. Using darker raisins can affect the color but not the flavour of the cake.

Recommended Products

Rock Recipes a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Our product recommendations are almost exclusively for those we currently use or have used in the past.

Nutrition Information

Yield

48

Serving Size

48 servings

Amount Per Serving Calories 171Saturated Fat 3gCholesterol 26mgSodium 50mgCarbohydrates 30gFiber 2gSugar 17gProtein 2g

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Zito Evelina

Tuesday 26th of October 2021

I will definitely make it for Christmas

misty white

Wednesday 4th of November 2020

Can this cake be made without the apricots? I don't like them but this cake looks perfect as a fruitcake.

Barry C. Parsons

Friday 6th of November 2020

Sure. We actually have used this recipe as the base for a fruitcake that turned out amazing!

Rona Moores

Saturday 28th of September 2019

This cake is really good I made them last Christmas and I had to make two, my husband inhaled the first one.

Julie Burgin

Saturday 22nd of December 2018

I made this cake , it's the best ever! I don't like raisins so I used dried cranberries instead. Also used glace fruits (papaya, pineapple,citron peel) that I bring from Greece. I couldn't find green cherries so to make for a bit more colour I added chopped pistachios - unsalted of course! I found that they did take longer to cook through than the recipe states so when the tops were a good colour I covered them with foil until the centres were cooked (toothpick test) Whilst leaving them to cool my cat discovered the cakes and decided to have a nibble ! He approves of them too ! Needless to say the air was blue!!! This is now my go to Christmas cake recipe ,the cake is easily as good as those bought ones (the ones with the hole in the middle!)

Shelley

Saturday 8th of December 2018

Hi Barry Before adding the glace cherries & fruit should the syrup be rinsed off? Made this cake last year & it was delicious but a bit on the sticky side. Love all your recipes. Thanks for sharing them with us.

Barry C. Parsons

Friday 14th of December 2018

If there is a lot of syrup, then yes. If not, okay to add.

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