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.
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.
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
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.

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.
Originally published Nov 18, 2009. Updated Photos December 18, 2015.
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Apricot Fruitcake
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
- 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.
- Cream the butter, cream cheese, vanilla extract and 1 cup of sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Sift together the flour and baking powder.
- Fold half of the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture.
- Fold in the cooled boiled apricot mixture.
- Fold in the remaining dry ingredients.
- Fold in the cherries and dried fruit.
- 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.
- 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.
- Cool in the pan/s for a 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- 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
48Serving Size
48 servingsAmount Per Serving Calories 171Saturated Fat 3gCholesterol 26mgSodium 50mgCarbohydrates 30gFiber 2gSugar 17gProtein 2g
Marilyn
Sunday 4th of December 2022
I am very disappointed. I baked in a tube pan for an hour and fifteen minutes. After it cooled I cut into a raw cake! All that that fruit to end up in the garbage! Will not be making this again!
Liz
Thursday 1st of December 2022
This recipe sounds lovely, and I want to try it for my dad and mother in law who love fruit cake. Do you think this would bake well in a Bundt to make it a little bit fancier for a center piece dish at Christmas?
Marcia
Tuesday 22nd of November 2022
Made this yesterday and tasted it today! Wow! Delicious! It filled two loaf pans as stated and I cut each into four. I froze seven pieces and we gobbled up the last one as tax lol. It was my first time making Christmas cake and I was so happy they turned out so well. It would have been sad to waste so many pricey ingredients. This is going into my yearly baking roster. Now that I know, I can be on the lookout for sales on the pricier ingredients leading up to November.
Karen Didier
Sunday 6th of November 2022
Recipe says two small loaf pans, does that mean 8X4 inch loaf pan? It looks so colourful, going to put this on my Christmas baking list! Thanks for posting!
Beverly Marriott
Tuesday 1st of November 2022
How long will this fruit cake last in the freezer?