Healthy Fruit Cake Tray Bake with Nuts

This healthy fruit cake tray bake is a lighter alternative to traditional fruit cake. It comes together very quickly and is bursting with festive flavours we all love during this time of the year.

Why this recipe works

This easy healthy fruit cake tray bake combines traditional festive flavours and is a simplified, quicker version of  traditional fruit cake.  And even though it is made with lots of sweet dried fruit and brandy it is still light and fluffy.  Ideal to enjoy with Christmas coffee.

If you love fruit cake but have never made one because it takes ages to make then you will love this easy version of the fruit cake recipe.

You will need to soak the fruit in brandy and orange juice but the cake itself takes about 45 minutes to make.  And that's both preparation and baking time!

Why is this healthy fruit cake dairy free

I might have mentioned before that when it comes to baking I usually have a dilemma whether to use butter or oil in a cake recipe.  More often than not I choose oil.

This time I actually tried both and made 2 cakes: one with butter and one with oil.  If you've had a glance at the list of ingredients at the bottom of this post you will have guessed which cake I preferred - the one made with oil!  It was lighter and fluffier than the other cake and it tasted better too!  Which is why my easy, everyday fruit cake recipe ended up being dairy free:)

Ingredients

I used a mixture of sultanas, prunes and cranberries which I presoaked in brandy and orange juice before adding into the cake batter. I also added chopped nuts for crunch and orange zest for more flavour.  The dry ingredients include flour, baking powder, mixed spice and some salt.  The wet mixture consists of oil, 2 eggs and a little sugar (only 3 tablespoons!).

Step-by-step recipe instructions

1.In a medium bowl combine the dried fruit, pour in the brandy and orange juice, stir and set aside to soak for 4 hours. Stir the mixture occasionally.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 F/ 190 C/ gas mark 5, lightly grease your cake pan and line with parchment paper. In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, mixed spice and salt and stir using a whisk.

3. In another bowl beat together the eggs, sugar and oil for about 2 minutes.

4. Pour in the fruit mixture, nuts, add the orange zest and stir.

5. Add in the dry mixture and stir just to combine. Do not overstir.

6. Pour the batter into your cake pan and bake in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes.

7. Remove from the oven, leave in the pan for 10 minutes then lift out with the paper and place on a rack to cool completely. 

8. Meanwhile make the icing by combining the powdered sugar with the orange/lemon juice and stirring until smooth.  Drizzle over the cake (once completely cooled) and serve.

Substitutions

• Dried fruit: I used sultanas, cranberries and prunes, but you can use a different combination of dried fruits as well as adjust the proportions to suit your preference.
• Nuts: I used a combination of walnuts and brasil nuts but pecans, almonds or macadamia nuts would work well too. 
• Brandy: If you prefer to make this fruit cake alcohol free simply add a little more orange juice into the fruit mixture.

Top tips 

• Soaking the fruit: Try to soak the fruit for at about 4 hours or leave to soak overnight.
• Batter: Do not overstir the batter. Once you've combined all the ingredients stir only until the flour is no longer visible.
• Spice: I used mixed spice but pumpkin spice would be a good alternative.
• Cool the cake completely before drizzling over the icing.
• Storing: Store in a plastic container for up to 3 days.
• Freeze for up to 3 months.

You might also like

• Vegan Dark Chocolate Truffles with Chestnuts
• Rooibos Tea Loaf Cake
• Polish Gingerbread Loaf Cake (Piernik)
• Simple Chocolate Coconut Cake (Dairy Free)
• Marzipan Cake with Chocolate Chips

Check out also this collection of 27 everyday healthy cacao recipes.

Keep in touch!

If you make this easy fruit and nut cake I'd love to know how it turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

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Recipe

Healthy Fruit Cake Traybake with Nuts

This healthy fruit cake traybake comes together very quickly and is bursting with festive flavours we all love during this time of the year.

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: Low fat, vegetarian

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Soaking the fruit: 4 hours hours

Total Time: 4 hours hours 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 squares

Calories: 269kcal

Author: Monika Dabrowski

Equipment

• ▢
  23 cm (9.5'') pan
• ▢
  Electric mixer

Ingredients

• ▢ ⅔ cup (100 g) sultanas/raisins
• ▢ ⅔ cup (100 g) dried cranberries
• ▢ ⅔ cup (100 g) prunes pitted, finely chopped
• ▢ 4 tablespoons (60 ml) brandy/cherry brandy
• ▢ ¾ cup (100 g) walnuts/pecans/almonds chopped
• ▢ ⅓ cup+1½tbsp (100 ml) orange juice plus zest of 1 orange
• ▢ ⅓ cup less 2tsp (70 ml) vegetable oil plus 1 teaspoon for greasing the pan
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ 3 tablespoons sugar
• ▢ 1¼ cups (150 g) all-purpose/plain flour
• ▢ 1½ teaspoons baking powder and mixed spice each
• ▢ Pinch of fine sea salt

For the icing

• ▢ 4 tablespoons (30 g) confectioners' sugar/icing sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon orange/lemon juice

Instructions

• Combine the sultanas, cranberries and prunes with the brandy and orange juice, stir and soak for 4 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 375F /190 C/ gas mark 5. Grease a 23 cm square baking pan and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder, mixed spice and salt and stir using a whisk. Set aside.
• In another bowl beat together the eggs, sugar and oil for about 2 minutes until fluffy. Add the nuts, fruit mixture and orange zest and stir. Add the flour mixture and stir just to combine (do not overstir).
• Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, smooth out the top and bake in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean). Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Lift the cake out with the paper and place on a cooling rack to cool completely.
• Make the icing by combining the icing (powdered) sugar with 1 tablespoon of either orange or lemon juice and stirring until smooth. Drizzle the icing over the cake, scatter some lemon/orange zest and serve!

Notes

• Substitutions: I used sultanas, cranberries and prunes, but you can use a different combination of dried fruits as well as adjust the proportions to suit your preference. I used a combination of walnuts and brasil nuts but pecans, almonds or macadamia nuts would work well too.  If you prefer to make this fruit cake alcohol free simply add a little more orange juice into the fruit mixture.
• Soaking the fruit: Try to soak the fruit for at about 4 hours or leave to soak overnight.
• Batter: Do not overstir the batter. Once you've combined all the ingredients stir only until the flour is no longer visible. 
• Spice: I used mixed spice but pumpkin spice would be a good alternative. 
• Storing: Store in a plastic container for up to 3 days.
• Preparation time does not include the time needed to soak the fruit.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 269kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 12mg | Potassium: 203mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 121IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg

*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.

**A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.

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