Apricot Fruitcake
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Apricot Fruitcake. This light apricot fruitcake recipe takes our very popular Apricot Raisin Cake and turns it into a moist and delicious Christmas fruitcake.
Originally published Nov 18, 2009.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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 ½ cups water
- 1 ½ cups light raisins or sultana raisins
- 2 cup dried apricots chopped
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 cup butter
- ½ cup cream cheese
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 pound glace cherries, chopped
- 1 pound mixed dried fruit
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan combine the water, apricots, ¼ 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
This is my go-to Christmas Fruitcake. I sent 2 of these off to Alberta to our sons living there & I know it will be a little of being home for the holiday-great recipe!
P.S. I had to put another 1 in the freezer for hubby.
Very popular here on the Rock at Christmas for sure.
Hi Barry! This recipe sounds awesome! Could you please let me know if you use salted or unsalted butter? Thanks so much.
I generally bake with salted butter then omit any salt in the recipe if called for but you can use unsalted if you choose.
I just made this WONDERFUL cake for the first time this year. Thank you for the recipe. Everyone who has tried it loves it! Highly recommended for something a little bit different, but very tasty.
I'll be trying some other recipes here for sure.
I'm actually making this today! Glad you enjoyed it.
This looks like a delicious cake but I am wondering if it is really sweet. Can you use a little les sugar and it would still be ok?
I think so.
After simmering the Apricots, do you ad the liquid left over too or drain it. I love all your ideas and fab recipes.. thank you
There should not be a lot of liquid but you do add it.
Could I make this cake without cooking the fruit ? Ifollowed your recipe .The cake turned out very soggy .
Sounds like you din't cook it enough and retained too much of the liquid.
Hi Barry, when they say mixed dry fruit what does that really mean. Just the ordinary mix fruit?
Thanks
Yes.
Love your site. Just thought I'd pass this along that I tried your apricot light fruitcake for Christmas and was disappointed in the result. I baked it in 1 large and 1 smaller bread pans but it did not cook in the middle of either. I had them in the oven for nearly 2 hours and the middles were still not cooked, but the edges were hard, because of the time in the oven. It tasted good but I had to discard the middle of each as was still doughy. I think I may have used too much fruit as I had trouble converting the pounds to cups and wonder if the 325 degrees was too low. Perhaps I should have used a tube pan. I would welcome your feedback. Thanks
It really does sound like too much fruit and liquid ingredients.
Do you mind telling me what size you consider to be a " small " loaf pan? Also would you advise baking in a tinfoil loaf pan or is metal better. Thankyou
I see a lot of green fruit, what type is that
Green glacé cherries. I usually buy red and green to keep it more colourful.
Can you soak cake in liquor
I wouldn't recommend it for this particular cake. It is one of the moistest I have ever tried.
as with the original recipe do you let the fruit soak overnight after boiling to keep the fruits moist? or do you just let them come to room temperature after boiling and add it to the batter thereafter?
Made three loaves of this recipe this afternoon and it is definitely a keeper! The slow steady simmer is so important in tenderizing the fruit, and I spread the reduced syrup and fruit out on a baking sheet to help it cool faster to room temperature. I made this so we wouldn't be tempted to cut the traditional dark fruitcake I just made three days ago -- so glad I found this recipe!
Great cake, easy to make, very tasty! Is the 325 oven regular or convection? In able to get mine com clean on the toothpick test it was browner on the outside than yours looked in the photo.
I use regular heat but you can use convection. Just be sure to test it early it may bake faster.
I love the way it looks. I have many friends that are single, would love to make for Christmas gifts. Can I make mini loafs? How long would you bake mini loafs.? I have never made Christmas cakes before, but yours look great & the reviews are awesome. Thanks you. Katt
Totally depends on the size of your pans. Just watch them closely and trust the toothpick test to be your guide.
Thank you, Can't wait to try these!