Best 5 Not Your Grandmothers Fruitcake Recipes

Indulge in a unique culinary journey with our exquisite collection of fruitcake recipes, crafted to redefine the classic holiday treat. Say goodbye to the dense, overly sweet fruitcakes of the past and embrace a symphony of flavors and textures that will tantalize your taste buds. From a moist and aromatic Spiced Cranberry Fruitcake to a decadent Chocolate Stout Fruitcake infused with rich coffee notes, our recipes offer a modern twist on this traditional dessert.

For those seeking a healthier option, our Gluten-Free Orange Ginger Fruitcake is a delightful choice, combining tangy citrus and warming ginger flavors. If you prefer a tropical twist, the Pineapple Coconut Fruitcake transports you to paradise with its vibrant pineapple chunks and sweet coconut flakes. And for a truly unique creation, try our savory Bacon Cheddar Fruitcake, a delightful blend of sweet and savory flavors that is sure to surprise and delight your guests.

Each recipe is meticulously crafted to ensure a perfect balance of flavors and textures. Step-by-step instructions guide you through the process, ensuring success even for novice bakers. Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting your baking journey, our recipes will help you create a fruitcake that is not only delicious but also a feast for the eyes. So, gather your ingredients, preheat your oven, and prepare to embark on a culinary adventure that will redefine your perception of fruitcake forever.

Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!

NOT YOUR GRANDMOTHER'S FRUITCAKE

Not Your Grandmother's Fruitcake image

Fruit cake gets a bad rap. And normally, rightfully so. Most fruitcakes are best suited as doorstops, or substitutes for dumbbells. The only bicep curl you will do with this recipe is bringing another piece to your mouth. The combination of dried fruits, bourbon and spice results in a delectable cake that also makes a great holiday present.

Provided by Zac Young

Categories Dessert

Time 1h20m

Yield 12 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 21

Ingredients

1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup dried blueberries
1 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup golden raisin
1/2 cup dried peaches, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup dried strawberries
1 1/4 cups Bourbon
1 cup dark brown sugar (or turbinado sugar)
5 ounces unsalted butter (1 1/4 sticks)
1 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs large eggs
extra Bourbon, for basting
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons Bourbon
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 tablespoon honey

Steps:

FOR THE CAKE:.
Heat oven to 350°F.
In a medium pot, cook the dried fruits, bourbon and orange juice just until the fruits are plump - about four to five minutes. There will be some liquid left.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time. On low speed, add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Add the orange juice bourbon and fruit mixture. Stir to combine.
Pour batter into a bundt pan sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake at 350F for about 45 minutes until a tooth pick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let cool.
When cake is completely cooled, seal in an airtight container. Every two to three days, feel the cake and if dry, brush with more bourbon. Continue to baste for two weeks for maximum flavor, or eat whenever you want.
FOR THE GLAZE:.
Mix all glaze ingredients together and drizzle over the top of the cake.
OPTIONAL:.
Feel Free to use any and all dried fruits in this: chopped dried peaches, dried apples, dried pears, dates - if it's dried, it will work!
For a chocolatey twist, add ¾ cup chopped semisweet chocolate to the batter.
Get nutty: add pecans or hazelnuts to the batter or the top of the cake for a nutty, crunchy variation.
Garnish the top of the cake in festive holiday style. Dried fruit slices, cinnamon sticks, red and green cherries are all seasonally appropriate.
Traditionally, fruitcake is boozy, but feel free to use apple cider in place of the bourbon.
I like to use a bundt pan for this but you can use a loaf pan, a 9-inch cake pan or even make fruit cake cupcakes!

GRANDMA'S MOLASSES FRUITCAKE

Grandma's Molasses Fruitcake image

This dense, dark, moist fruitcake was my grandmother's recipe. The flavor just gets better and better as it sits in the fridge, so be sure to make it ahead! -Debbie Harmon, Lavina, Montana

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories Desserts

Time 1h40m

Yield 3 loaves (16 slices each).

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

3-1/4 cups dried currants
2-2/3 cups raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts
2/3 cup chopped candied citron or candied lemon peel
4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups packed brown sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup molasses
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon each ground cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves
1 cup strong brewed coffee

Steps:

Preheat oven to 300°. Grease and flour three 9x5-in. loaf pans. Line bottoms with waxed paper; grease and flour the paper. Combine currants, raisins, walnuts, candied citron and 1/4 cup flour. Toss to coat; set aside., Cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in molasses. In another bowl, whisk baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and remaining flour; add to creamed mixture alternately with coffee. Stir into currant mixture and mix well., Transfer to prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Wrap tightly and store in the refrigerator for at least 2 days to blend flavors. Slice and bring to room temperature before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 210 calories, Fat 6g fat (3g saturated fat), Cholesterol 26mg cholesterol, Sodium 79mg sodium, Carbohydrate 39g carbohydrate (28g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 3g protein.

MY GRANDMA'S FRUITCAKE COOKIES

My Grandma's Fruitcake Cookies image

My grandmother called them Merry Christmas Cookies. This recipe is her own take on fruitcake cookies.

Provided by minky410

Categories Desserts Cookies Drop Cookie Recipes

Time 1h30m

Yield 144

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar, packed
3 eggs
½ cup milk
2 tablespoons vanilla-flavored cream sherry
7 cups chopped mixed nuts
2 cups chopped raisins
2 cups pitted chopped dates
1 pound candied pineapple, coarsely chopped
1 pound red and green candied cherries, chopped

Steps:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease several baking sheets. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, and baking soda in a bowl; set aside.
Beat together the butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Gradually beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture, alternating each addition with about 2 tablespoons of milk until all the milk is incorporated and the dough is soft. Beat in the sherry, and mix in the nuts, raisins, dates, pineapple, and cherries until thoroughly mixed. Drop the dough by rounded teaspoons onto the prepared baking sheets.
Bake in the preheated oven until the cookies are set and the bottoms are very lightly browned, 20 to 30 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 99.6 calories, Carbohydrate 12.4 g, Cholesterol 7.3 mg, Fat 5.3 g, Fiber 1 g, Protein 1.7 g, SaturatedFat 1.5 g, Sodium 20.9 mg, Sugar 8.1 g

GRANDMA'S OLD FASHIONED NO BAKE FRUITCAKE

Grandma's Old Fashioned No Bake Fruitcake image

Provided by My Food and Family

Categories Recipes

Number Of Ingredients 8

Ingredients

1 pounds candied pineapple
3 cups pecans
11.5 pounds candied cherries
2 pounds vanilla wafers
1 bags coconut
1 pounds dates
1 pounds butter
1 pounds marshmallows

Steps:

Cut pineapple and pecans; leave cherries as they are. Crush the vanilla wafers until fine and add the (thawed) coconut. Add the pineapple, pecans,and cherries to this; also add the chopped dates.
Next, melt the butter and marshmallows, then pour over the fruit and vanilla wafer mixture. This will need to be in a large bowl. Mix with a large spoon at first, but then you will need to mix it good using your (clean) hands.
After mixing and kneading well, pack it tight in a greased (or non-stick sprayed) bundt pan. It needs to be chilled in the refrigerator for a day, at least. This will keep for a long time. Store in refrigerator.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 0 g, Fat 0 g, SaturatedFat 0 g, TransFat 0 g, Cholesterol 0 g, Sodium 0 g, Carbohydrate 0 g, Fiber 0 g, Sugar 0 g, Protein 0 g

NOT YOUR MOTHER'S FRUITCAKE

Not Your Mother's Fruitcake image

I came up with this recipe because I didn't like candied fruit in my fruitcake. This a very moist cake and is a favorite of my elderly aunts. If making for adults only you can add 1/2 cup of rum to the recipe when mixing or baste over loafs as they cool.

Provided by MaryAnn Whitbeck @madmaw

Categories Cakes

Number Of Ingredients 9

Ingredients

1 package(s) yellow cake mix
1 can(s) sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup(s) pineapple juice
1/3 cup(s) canola oil
3 - eggs
1 can(s) pineapple chunk, drained
1 jar(s) maraschino cherries, drained
1 cup(s) pecans, halves
1 cup(s) dates, chopped

Steps:

Combine all ingredients except the fruits and nuts in a large bowl. Beat on low for 1 minute to combine the ingredients. Then beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Fold in fruit and nuts. Pour into greased floured loaf pans (3).
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Allow to cool in pans for 20-30 minutes, then turn out on a wir rack and cool completely.

Tips:

Use a variety of fruits and nuts: This will give your fruitcake a more complex flavor and texture. Consider using a combination of dried fruits, such as raisins, cranberries, cherries, and apricots, and chopped nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, and almonds.
Soak the dried fruits in alcohol: This will help to plump them up and add extra flavor to the fruitcake. You can use any type of alcohol you like, such as rum, brandy, or whiskey.
Use fresh citrus zest: This will help to brighten the flavor of the fruitcake. Be sure to use the zest of unwaxed citrus fruits.
Don't overmix the batter: Overmixing will make the fruitcake tough. Mix the batter just until the ingredients are combined.
Bake the fruitcake at a low temperature: This will help to prevent the fruitcake from drying out. Bake the fruitcake at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for 2-3 hours, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Wrap the fruitcake tightly in plastic wrap: This will help to keep the fruitcake moist. You can store the fruitcake at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, or in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Conclusion:

This fruitcake is a delicious and festive treat that is perfect for any occasion. It is easy to make and can be customized to your own liking. So next time you are looking for a special dessert, give this fruitcake a try. You won't be disappointed!