Healthy Fruit Cake Traybake with Nuts

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

This easy healthy fruit cake traybake combines traditional festive flavours and is a much simplified, quicker version of  traditional fruit cake.  And even though it is made with lots of sweet dried fruit and brandy (quite a bit of it too!) it is still light and fluffy.  Ideal to enjoy with Christmas coffee.

Dairy free healthy fruit cake recipe

I might have mentioned before that when it comes to baking I usually have a dilemma whether to use butter or oil in a dessert 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:)

Other healthy cake recipes made with oil

Cranberry Loaf Cake with Rooibos (Dairy Free)

Healthy Dark Chocolate Cherry Cake with Coconut

How to make quick and easy healthy fruit cake with nuts

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 overnight in brandy and orange juice but the cake itself takes about 45 minutes to make.  And that’s both preparation and baking time!

Start by beating the eggs with sugar and oil until fluffy.  Then pour in the fruit, the remaining orange juice, nuts and stir.  Combine with the dry ingredients, stir and pour the batter into your cake tin.  Bake for 30 minutes.

How to make quick icing

Whist the cake is in the oven make the quick and simple zesty icing by combining the icing (powdered) sugar with either lemon or orange juice.  Then once the cake has cooled drizzle over the icing and serve!

You might also like this Polish Gingerbread Loaf Cake (Piernik) Recipe, where I’ve used the same icing (as well as oil instead of butter).  Easy blueberry cake is another oil based cake using a similar simple icing.

Can I adapt this everyday fruit cake recipe

Yes, you can! 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.

Try to soak the fruit for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.  They’ll be soft and moist and practically melt in your mouth (especially if you serve this cake when it’s still a little warm).

More festive dessert ideas

Vegan Dark Chocolate Truffles with Chestnuts

Mincemeat Banana Tartlets with Walnuts

Festive Fruit Crescent Rolls

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

Print 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.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time45 mins

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: International

Keyword: fruit cake

Servings: 9 people

Author: Monika Dabrowski

Ingredients

• 100 g sultanas
• 100 g dried cranberries
• 100 g prunes finely chopped
• 60 ml cherry brandy or ordinary brandy
• 100 g walnuts/pecans/almonds chopped
• 100 ml orange juice and zest of 1 orange
• 70 ml vegetable oil plus a little more for greasing the pan
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 150 g flour
• 1.5 teaspoons each baking powder and mixed spice
• For the icing: 30g icing sugar 1 tablespoon orange/lemon juice

Instructions

• Combine the sultanas, cranberries and prunes with the brandy and 50ml of the orange juice, stir and soak for at least 4 hours (overnight if possible).
• Preheat the oven to 375F /190 C/ gas mark 5. Grease a 23 cm square (or equivalent) baking dish and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Combine the flour, baking powder and mixed spice and stir using a whisk. Set aside.
• Beat the sugar and eggs for 2 minutes, then gradually add the oil and continue beating for 2 more minutes. Add the remaining orange juice (50ml), nuts, fruit mixture and orange zest. Stir well to combine. Add the flour mixture and stir to just combine (do not overstir).
• Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Lift the cake out with the paper and place on a cooling rack. 
• Make the icing by combining the icing (powdered) sugar with 1 tablespoon of either orange or lemon juice and stirring until smooth. Remove the paper from the cake, drizzle the icing over the cake, scatter some lemon/orange zest and serve!

Notes

Preparation time does Not include the time needed to soak the fruit.

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RECIPE LINK PARTIES

I am bringing this everyday fruit cake traybake recipe to #CookBlogShare, hosted this week by Jacqui@Recipes Made Easy.  If you are looking for delicious Christmas recipe ideas there’ll be plenty to choose from this week!  Also sharing with Fiesta Friday and Recipe of the Week.