Light and lemony, this fruit and nut cake will be welcomed by fruitcake haters and lovers alike!

It’s not too late to make fruitcake. Join me on Day Two of the 12 Days of Baking Challenge.

Day Two of the 12 Days of Baking Challenge brings us these delightful mini fruitcakes. No, it’s not too late to make scrumptious fruitcake. In fact, you can bake these cakes Christmas morning and serve them Christmas afternoon. They will be delicious. Yes, fruitcake is “better” when made ahead and allowed to soak in spirits or juice. But that doesn’t mean it’s inedible when made at the last minute. The flavor is different, but still tasty. This particular recipe lends itself to a quick bake-and-serve.

The key to a perfect fruitcake is to use mostly dried fruit, with a little bit of candied fruit. Many fruitcakes use only candied fruit; thus the end result is a heavy, overly sweet mess.

I soak both the fruit and the cake in Limoncello, but you could use brandy or light rum or even Chardonnay. For a non-alcoholic version, soak the fruit and/or cake in orange or pineapple juice.

If you do plan to soak the cakes until Christmas, you will need cheesecloth and aluminum foil.

12 Days of Baking Challenge

I may have bitten off more than I can chew – or bake – but please join me; for one day, three days, or all 12 days! We are baking something different each day between now and December 24^th. It can be anything you want; sweet or savoy. You can try today’s recipe, or something else. Get more details here.

Please send along a picture of your creation, along with a link to the recipe if you like, and I will post as many photos as I can. Or, post your own on Instagram with the hashtag #STPbakingchallenge. Happy baking!

White Fruitcake

Light and lemony, this fruit and nut cake will be welcomed by fruitcake haters and lovers alike!

It’s not too late to make fruitcake. Join me on Day Two of the 12 Days of Baking.

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Ingredients

  

• 3 cups chopped, mixed, dried and candied fruit I used a combination of candied: lemon peel, orange peel, ginger, and citron. And a combination of dried apricots, peaches, and cranberries.
• 3 Tablespoons Limoncello
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2` cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

 

• Combine the mixed fruit and Limoncello and let sit at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease 6 mini Bundt-style or large muffin cups.
• Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the milk.
• Fold in the flour. Add the mixed fruit mixture and nuts.
• Divide batter between the pans, and bake for about 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Wrap each cake in cheesecloth soaked in juice or brandy.Wrap in foil and keep in refrigerator or other cool place for up to 2 months. Cheesecloth may need additional liquid added each week.

Looking for more fruitcake recipes? Check out these other favorites:

Light and Lemony Fruitcake

Chocolate Hazelnut Fruitcake

Spiced Orange Fruitcake