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.
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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
I would like to try this as I have an unsulphured dried fruit mix that I think would be lovely. After simmering the fruit, about how much liquid is left? 2 1/2 cups becomes? 1/2 cup or 1 cup syrup?
Thank you.
The least the better because it means that the moisture is absorbed in the fruit, where it will keep the cake moist over time.
I am going to be trying this recipe, But first I was wondering if you have to put the raisins in?
You can just add some additional apricots if you like
Hi Loving the sound ofvthis. Cant wait to ty it. your recipe states sugar. Can I ask what type of sugar is it granulated or castor sugar. Many thanks.
The term caster sugar isn't used in North America. Sugar, unless specified differently, will generally mean regular granulated sugar.
I'm going to make this but was wondering if I can use less sugar and if it would be just as moist and taste the same.
I can't seem to get this cake baked in teh moddle.. I weighed my mixed fruit and 1lb equalled about 3 cups..and the cherries were about 2 cups.. Do you think I put too much fruit?
Perhaps your fruit mixture was too wet. It should be thick and jammy. I like to make the apricot part a day ahead for maximum absorption of the liquid in the mix.
When you say mixed "dry fruit" what do you use besides the raisins and apricots?
Glacé fruits like cherries and pineapple or a mix and candid mixed citrus peel too. Whatever you like.
I made this cake with the apricots raisins and cherries in a bundt pan but after 1 hr and half it was still doughy i put it in for another half hour i dont think 1 hr is long enough at 325 ,
Your wet mixture was maybe a bit on the wetter side. I always just bake until it passes the toothpick test.
This has been our family's favorite fruit cake recipe for many years.
I bake it in a tube pan & find it takes about 1 1/2 hours to completely cook.
Served best with an old fashioned fruit cake icing such as a boiled icing.
Love this recipe.Great taste. Send to our Alberta son. Cooking times a bit wonky in my oven.
I just made this recipe and when the apricots and golden raisins were simmered for 30mins there was still a lot of fluid in the so I drained most of it off before adding the dry ingredients .hooefully they will turn out good as the batter was still quite moist !
I made the Apricot fruitcake yesterday and it was beautiful, but I had to bake it for about one and a half hrs. Thank you for that wonderful recipe.
Absolutely amazing. First try at this and wow! I am super impressed. Bht Barry is right, keep testing with a toothpick (I actually prefer a small butter knife.) I baked in two 9" loaf pans at 325, but after an hour they were nowhere near done.
At 90 minutes in, stijll doughy. So I increased the temp to 350, went another 15 minutes, and then another 15 before my butter knife came out clean. I'm not complaining, this recipe is marvelous, such a great colour and amazing flavour. This will be a Christmas go-to from here on in. Thanks so much Barry!
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.
If there is a lot of syrup, then yes. If not, okay to add.
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!)
This cake is really good I made them last Christmas and I had to make two, my husband inhaled the first one.