Orange Brandy Fruitcake. A rich cream cheese batter serves as the base for this simple but delicious citrus infused fruitcake that will be the absolute star of your Christmas baking.
Orange Brandy Fruitcake
This orange brandy fruitcake recipe is a reminder to try something new whether you are baking for the Holidays or making it as a special celebration cake.
Preserving family recipes at Christmas is important but I’ve come to believe that creating new ones is equally so.
Use mixed glacé fruit or candied citrus peel; your choice.
I could never do without my decades old recipe for Old English Fruitcake for example, but I always try to bake one new fruitcake at Christmas that could become a new family favourite.
Old English Fruitcake
With this new orange brandy fruitcake, I think I nailed it! This was undeniably one of the best fruitcakes I’ve ever tasted.
Orange Brandy Fruitcake
It was easy to know where I wanted to start with this cake.
I wanted a rich batter that would add a great creamy flavour which goes so well with the citrus in the recipe. My answer was to use the base of another old family recipe for Cherry Pecan Cake.
I like to use both red and green glacé cherries for a more festive look.
To that base batter, I added a good amount of finely minced citrus zest along with the fruit in the cake. When it was baked and cooled, I then soaked it twice in orange brandy for extra flavour and to keep it super moist. I could not have been more pleased with the result!
Orange Brandy Fruitcake
If I am going to recommend one new thing to bake for this Holiday season, this Orange Brandy Fruitcake is it. It is just that delicious, and all your friends and family will be clamouring for the recipe, I guarantee it.
If you like this recipe, be sure to check out our entire collection of Favourite Newfoundland Christmas Cakes here.
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Orange Brandy Fruitcake
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Orange Brandy Fruitcake
Orange Brandy Fruitcake - a rich cream cheese batter serves as the base for this simple but delicious citrus infused fruitcake that will be the absolute star of your Christmas baking.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 cup cream cheese 8 oz
- 1 cup butter
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract optional
- 4 eggs
- zest of 2 oranges finely minced
- 2 ¼ cups flour reserve ¼ cup to dust the fruit at the end
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 2 1/2 cups glacé cherries chopped in half (or drained maraschino cherries)
- 3/4 cup sultana raisins
- 3/4 cup golden raisins
- 1 cup mixed candied citrus peel or mixed glacé fruit
- 8 ounces Up to 8 ounces of orange brandy or other orange liqueur 35-40% alcohol
Instructions
- This cake can bake in a large bundt pan, or in 2 regular loaf pans. If using a bundt pan, grease it very well and lightly dust with flour. If using loaf pans, lightly grease them and line with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Chop the cherries in half and toss them together in a bowl along with the raisins and mixed peel. Set aside.
- Sift together 2 cups of the flour with the baking powder and set aside.
- Cream together the sugar, cream cheese, butter, vanilla and almond extracts for several minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl a couple of times during this process.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating for a minute or so between additions. Stir in the orange zest.
- Gently fold the flour and baking powder into the creamed mixture until the flour is almost fully incorporated.
- At that point toss the cherries and other fruit in the ¼ cup reserved flour and add them to the batter. Any flour that doesn't stick to the fruit gets added too. Fold until the flour is fully incorporated and the fruits are evenly dispersed throughout the batter.
- Bake for about an hour in the loaf pans or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. The bundt pan may take several minutes more, mine took 1 hr 20 minutes; the loaf pans may need a little less, depending on your oven and the type of pans you are using. ALWAYS check your cakes a few minutes ahead of time and then every five minutes thereafter to make sure they do not over bake.
- When fully baked, let the cakes rest in the pans for 10-15 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely.
- When cooled completely, take a large wooden skewer and pierce the bottom of the cake in a couple of dozen places, pushing the sewer about half way through the cake.
- I use a pointy nozzle squeeze bottle to soak the orange brandy into the cake. Add 2 ounces of brandy to the bottle and screw the nozzle on. Slowly disperse the orange brandy over the bottom of the cake, taking care that it soaks into the holes that you created with the skewer. Let the brandy soak in for 30-60 minutes, then turn the cake over and repeat the same process on the other side.
- Wrap the cake in plastic wrap or in a sealed container and leave for a couple of days.
- After a couple of days, you can repeat the entire soaking procedure again. Let the cake rest after the second soaking for a couple of days if you plan on freezing this cake. If not, then baking it a couple of weeks in advance of Christmas is enough.
However you plan to store it, wrap it in several layers of plastic wrap before freezing or storing in an airtight tin or other container.
Nutrition Information
Yield
24Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 465Total Fat 12gSaturated Fat 7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 61mgSodium 136mgCarbohydrates 51gFiber 2gSugar 35gProtein 4g
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.
Addie
Sunday 16th of November 2025
can i use orange juice in this orange brandyfruit cakeinstead of the orange liquor
Barry C. Parsons
Tuesday 18th of November 2025
Just ignore the liquor soak.
Marion arsensult
Friday 27th of September 2019
Where is the recipe for this Xmas cake?
Barry C. Parsons
Saturday 5th of October 2019
You passed the recipe to make this comment.
Teresa
Thursday 14th of February 2019
This recipe is fantastic. It is my new fruitcake substitute (sorry, not fond of traditional fruitcake). I made it twice during the holidays. Auntie Crae's Plantation Chews have become part of my Christmas cookie repertoire and I also started making Newfoundland Raisin Buns for tea. I see many more recipes I want to make. I love Canada! Thank you from a fan in Seattle.
J
Monday 12th of November 2018
Hi. I'm looking for a nice moist light (as in colour) fruit cake and came across your Orange Brandy one. I'm hoping you can help me with one that doesn't contain cream cheese...? I'm just looking for a nice light fruity fruit cake with 'norma'l ingredients that doesn't have to sit for months before eating. Can you please help me with a nice moist fruit cake? Thanks
Barry C. Parsons
Thursday 20th of December 2018
Search the site, for Christmas Cakes. Plenty of options there.
Caren
Sunday 18th of February 2018
Hello. Was reading recipe. When you had pour brandy on cake and wrapped is it stored on counter or put in fridge. I see you pour more on. I just need to know if it is refrigerated.
Barry C. Parsons
Tuesday 13th of March 2018
Not necessarily. As long as it is well sealed and in a cool place.