Festive and flavorful homemade Eggless Fruit Cake is bursting with cheerful holiday spices and delicious rum-soaked fruits and nuts. It’s a classic Christmas recipe that makes a light, crumbly, and perfectly moist Christmas Cake that you’ll love to enjoy and share all season. No eggs needed!
About Eggless Fruit Cake Recipe
Traditional Christmas fruit cake is a yummy treat made by soaking dried fruits and nuts in rum or wine, and mixing with fragrant spices in a simple from-scratch batter.
To make my eggless version I use a blend of whole wheat flour (atta) and all-purpose flour (maida). This helps to create a wonderfully tender and fluffy cake every time!
Although most of the alcohol will bake out of the cake, it’s easy to adapt this as an alcohol-free recipe if you choose. Substitute rum with Orange Juice or clear apple juice.
I soak the dry fruits and nuts in rum for 3 days at room temperature before using to bake. However, if you want you can soak in rum for as little as 12 hours or 24 hours, or for even as long as one full year in the fridge.
Table of Contents
Place the dried fruit and rum in an airtight container with a secure lid. If soaking in apple juice or orange juice, then soak in the fridge for 1 to 2 days.
Here are two other Christmas cakes you should try after you make this easy fruit cake recipe:
- Plum Cake (made with whole wheat flour, apple juice and caramel)
- Wine Cake (made with red wine and mix of dried fruits and nuts)
Fruit cakes take more time to bake. The exact time will vary from oven to oven, but it took my eggless fruit cake about 1 hour to bake at 180 degrees Celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit).
I use my favorite dried fruits and nuts in this recipe, but feel free to substitute or add whatever you like for your Christmas cake!
How to Make Eggless Fruit Cake
Prep & Soak Dry Fruits In Rum
1: In a large bowl combine the following nuts and dried fruits:
- ¼ cup of golden raisins
- ¼ cup black raisins (seedless)
- ¼ cup cashews
- 2 tablespoons of dried cherries
- 8 apricots
- 8 to 9 dates, small to medium-sized
Rinse them well and drain thoroughly.
2: Finely chop everything with a knife, or use a food processor to roughly chop.
Keep in mind to finely chop the nuts and dried fruits as larger chunks will cause the cake to crumble while cutting it.
3: Transfer the chopped dried fruits and nuts to a bowl.
4. Now add ¼ cup of tutti frutti and ¼ cup chopped candied orange peel.
You can skip these ingredients if you don’t have them. But candied orange peels, gives a lovely citrusy, bitter-sweet notes in the cake.
5: Pour in one cup of rum, wine, or apple juice. I have used rum.
6. Mix very well and let the dried fruits and nuts soak in the rum for at least 12 hours, or for 2 to 3 days. You can keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Tip 1: If soaking in rum for more than 3 days then transfer to a sealed container and keep in the fridge for up to one year.
Tip 2: If soaking in apple or orange juice, then refrigerate for 1 to 2 days.
7. Here is what the mixture will look like after soaking for 3 days.
Prepare Spice Mix
8: The spice blend in this fruit cake smells and tastes just like the holidays.
For this recipe you need to gather 2 inches of cinnamon, 2 green cardamoms, 2 allspice, ⅛ teaspoon of grated nutmeg or ground nutmeg powder.
You can also add 2 cloves for an extra festive boost of flavor.
9: Add the spices in a spice grinder or a small grinder jar.
10: Grind the spices to a fine powder, and set aside.
11. At this point you want to go ahead and prepare your Christmas cake pan. To do so grease a 7 to 8.5 inches round pan very well with a neutral oil.
Since this is a moist cake, you can also line the cake pan with butter paper or parchment paper.
Also preheat oven at 180 degrees Celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit) for 20 minutes to get perfectly hot.
Sift Dry Ingredients
12: To make the batter, combine 1.5 cups of all-purpose flour and 1 cup of whole wheat flour in a sieve over a large bowl.
13: Then add the ground spice powder and ½ teaspoon of baking powder.
14: Sift the ingredients together into the bowl.
Make Fruit Cake Batter
15: Next add the soaked dried fruits and nuts – including the leftover rum – to the sifted dry ingredients.
16: Add 1.5 cups of demerara sugar. You can also use powdered sugar, brown sugar, raw sugar, palm or coconut sugar – whatever you prefer!
17: Then add 1 cup of oil and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
18: Gently mix together the ingredients until just combined, making sure to not over-mix.
19: Next, in the same bowl in which dried fruits and nuts were soaked, add 1 cup of soy milk.
Feel free to use dairy milk – or almond milk, cashew milk, lite coconut milk, to make an eggless fruitcake that’s also vegan-friendly.
20: Add 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar) to the milk.
21: Mix well. Do not worry if the milk curdles a bit.
22: Now sprinkle 1 teaspoon of baking soda all over the milk.
23: Stir gently. The mixture will rise a bit.
24: Pour this milk mixture into the fruit cake batter.
25: Working quickly, use a spatula to combine the mixtures together.
26: It should form a wet batter that is smooth except for the lumps of dried fruits and nuts.
27: Pour the eggless fruit cake batter into the greased pan.
28: Give the pan a gentle shake and tap to level out the batter, using a spatula if necessary to even the top of the cake.
29: As you do not want the batter to reach the very top of the pan, you might need a second pan, like I used here. This is like an extra mini cake for you to enjoy!
Bake Traditional Christmas Cake
30: Now bake the fruit cake in a preheated oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour, depending on oven size.
31: The eggless fruit cake will have a beautiful golden brown color. Test the doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center – it should come out clean.
Allow the cake pan to cool completely on a wired rack or stand before flipping the cake out onto a plate.
Storage
32: Wrap the fruit cake in a cling film or store in an air-tight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.
The flavors mature over a period of time and this eggless fruit cake tastes very good after some days. If you stay in a warm climate then keep Christmas fruit cake in the fridge.
Serving Suggestions
33: Once cool to the touch, slice and serve the eggless fruit cake with a glass of dairy or plant-based milk, or a cup of Hot Chocolate. You can also serve the fruit cake as a sweet snack.
Expert Tips
- Baking: Remember to preheat the oven for 20 minutes before you bake. The baking time will vary with the type of oven, size and pans you use. Open the oven door after ¾ of the cake is baked. Opening it many times may cause the cake to sunk. If the top of the cake browns quickly, then cover the top with a parchment paper or aluminium foil.
- Milk and fats: I have used soy milk in the recipe. But you can sub it with almond milk, cashew milk, lite coconut milk or dairy milk. Instead of oil you can use butter.
- Candied orange peels: Do add the candied peels (orange or lemon) as they really add some bitter notes to the cake which is otherwise sweet and this is what makes the Christmas fruit cake different from a regular fruit cake. Candied ginger peels also taste good.
- Nuts: Almonds, pistachios, walnuts, pecans are some nuts you can include instead of cashews. You can also use a mix of these nuts.
- Alcohol: The nuts and dry fruits mixture can be soaked in apple juice, orange juice instead of rum. You can also use equal proportions of rum and wine if you want. For orange juice and apple juice keep the bowl in the fridge. If kept outside even for a few hours in a warm climate like that of India, the juices will get spoiled.
- Flour: You can make this eggless fruit cake entirely with whole wheat flour or with all-purpose flour or pastry flour. You can also use whole wheat pastry flour.
FAQs
Yes, you can do that. So, add 1 cup + 1 tablespoon of buttermilk along with 1 teaspoon vinegar and 1 teaspoon baking soda.
Vinegar is important as in combination with the baking soda, it helps in leavening the cake and makes it softer.
For a 1 kg pan, an 8.5 to 9 inches square or round pan should be good enough.
Yes, it is absolutely possible to make this Fruit Cake entirely with all-purpose flour (maida).
Usually, the baking soda is added to the dry mixture. However, in this recipe, I have added it in the milk mixture as vinegar is also added.
Vinegar reacts with baking soda and forms carbon dioxide which aerates the batter. The reaction is profound and effective this way, than the baking soda being added in the dry ingredients mixture.
You can use milk, if making a vegetarian cake. For more vegan options, you can use plant based ingredients like cashew milk, almond milk or even lite coconut milk. But remember, with each of these, there will be a change in the taste.
More Eggless Cake Recipes To Try!
Cake Recipes
Cake Recipes
Cake Recipes
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Eggless Fruit Cake Recipe | Traditional Christmas Cake
Ingredients
For soaking
- ¼ cup golden raisins
- ¼ cup black raisins (seedless)
- ¼ cup cashews
- ¼ cup chopped candied orange peels or candied citrus peels
- 8 dried apricots
- 8 to 9 dates – small to medium-sized
- ¼ cup tutti frutti – optional
- 2 tablespoons dried cherries or glazed cherries
- 1 cup rum or 1 cup fresh orange juice or apple juice
For cake batter
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour – 187 grams
- 1 cup whole wheat flour – 120 grams
- 1.5 cups demerara sugar – 250 grams – can also add instead 250 grams brown sugar or 250 grams white sugar or 250 grams powdered sugar/confectioner's sugar
- 1 cup oil or melted butter, use any neutral flavored oil
- 1 cup soy milk or any nut milk or dairy milk
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or regular white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon vanilla essence
For ground spice mix
- 2 inches cinnamon
- 2 green cardamoms
- 2 allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon grated nutmeg or nutmeg powder, about 2 to 3 pinches of nutmeg powder
- 2 cloves – optional
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger (ginger powder) – optional
Instructions
Soaking nuts and dry fruits
- Firstly chop all the nuts and dry fruits and take them in a bowl or a jar. Pour rum in the bowl or jar.
- Cover and let the dry fruits soak for 12 or 24 hours or for 3 days. If you have used apple juice or orange juice to soak the dry fruits, then cover the bowl with an air-tight lid or a tightly with a clingfilm wrap and keep in the refrigerator.
- After some hours or every day stir or shake the bowl or jar, so that all the nuts and dry fruits get soaked properly.
Other preparations
- In a spice-grinder or dry grinder, grind the spices listed above, under the heading "for ground spice mix" except for ginger powder. Set aside.
- Prepare a loaf pan or a round cake pan by greasing it very well with oil. You can also line the cake pan with butter paper.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit)for 20 minutes.
Making cake batter
- Sieve the flours, baking powder and the the ground powdered spice mix. You can also add ginger powder at this step. Note that ginger powder is optional.
- Add the soaked dry fruits together with the leftover rum or apple juice/orange juice.
- Add the oil and demerara sugar or your choice of brown sugar or regular white sugar. Also add vanilla extract. Gently mix together the ingredients until just combined, making sure to not over-mix.
- In a bowl or mug add soy milk. Now add apple cider vinegar and stir gently.
- Add baking soda and stir thoroughly. Add this frothing mixture to the cake batter.
- Stir and mix quickly but evenly.
Baking
- Pour in the cake pan.
- Shake the pan lightly so that the cake batter is spread evenly throughout the whole pan.
- Use a spatula to even the top of the cake.
- Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 180 degrees celsius (356 degrees Fahrenheit) for 50 minutes to 60 minutes or more or less depending on your type of oven.
- The eggless fruit cake will have a lovely golden brown color. Test the doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center and it should come out clean.
- Let the cake pan cool completely on a wired rack or stand before flipping the cake out onto a plate.
Storage
- Wrap the Christmas fruit cake in a cling film or store in an air-tight container at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.
- The flavors mature over a period of time and thus the eggless fruit cake tastes very good after some days. If you stay in a warm climate then keep Christmas fruit cake in the fridge.
Serving suggestions
- Later, slice and serve the eggless fruit cake with a glass of dairy or plant-based milk, or a hot cup of cocoa. You can also serve it as a sweet snack.
Notes
- Baking: If the top of the cake browns quickly, then cover the top with parchment paper or aluminium foil.
- Milk and fats: Instead of soy milk you can use dairy milk or almond milk, cashew milk or lite coconut milk. Instead of oil you can use butter.
- Nuts: Feel free to add nuts like almonds, pecans, walnuts, pistachios instead of cashews. You can also opt to add a mix of these nuts. Also, make sure that these nuts are not salted.
- Candied peels: Do add the candied peels as they really add some bitter notes to the cake which is otherwise sweet and this is what makes the Christmas fruit cake different from a regular fruit cake.
- Soaking: The nuts and dry fruits can be soaked in orange juice or apple juice instead of rum. You can also use equal proportions of rum and wine if you want. If soaking in apple or orange juice then keep the bowl in the fridge. If kept outside even for a few hours in a warm climate like that of India, the juices will get spoiled.
- Flours: This christmas cake can also be entirely made with whole wheat flour (atta) or all purpose flour (maida). You can also use pastry flour or whole wheat pastry flour.
- The approximate nutrition info is per slice of eggless fruit cake.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Eggless Fruit Cake recipe from the archives was first published in December 2012. It has been updated on December 2024.
Hi. I m cooking in conv. Mode in micro. And now I have removed foil also. Shall I inc. the temp. To 200?
okay. no issues. you can easily increase the temperature to 200 degrees C.
Hi Dassana. My cake is in the oven from last one and a half hour but it’s not getting cooked from top. It’s sticky. Please suggest. The temp. Is 180 rite now.
which rack you have kept the cake. keep on middle rack and use both the heating elements i.e top and bottom. you can increase the temperature to 200 degrees celsius.
hey…wonderful recipe..cake seems extremely tempting and i am eagerly waiting for christmas to make this cake…:) please lemme know where can i get candied citrus peels from?
moreover will normal milk and ordinary vinegar help in curdling milk?
hi akarshi, i got the candied citrus peels from a dry fruits shop. usually shops selling dry fruits and spices have candied fruits, citrus peels and tutti frutti. with normal milk also the vinegar will curdle the milk. you can easily use normal milk in this recipe.
Hi Dassana. I have an 8 inch pan (2 inches deep). Should I pour in the entire batter in the same pan or shud I use 2 different pans? And, how much each pan needs to be filled with the batter. Also can I bake this cake for 20 minutes,at 180 degree Celsius and then at 160 deg C and cover with foil and bake for another 30 min or till a skewer comes out clean. Thank you. Waiting for ur reply…..
hi shally, you can use the 8 inch pan. the batter can be filled till 2/3 or 3/4th of the pan. yes, you can bake at two different temperatures. but remember to cover with foil in the latter part of baking.
Thank you so much for your prompt reply Dassana. It really saves time. I have soaked all the ingredients in apple juice and tomorrow I wil b baking this cake. Wil again get back to u if in case I have any queries.
welcome shally. let me know if there is any query.
Hi. I am trying this cake for the very first time. So wanted to clear few things. Firstly, can I use canned apple juice readily available in the market. Since it’s winter time so do I need to refrigerate the soaked nuts.
yes you can use the ready apple juice. no need to refrigerate as it already cold outside 🙂
Dear,
Awsem recipe i simply loved it many thanks to you
Merry Christmas
Best Regards,
R.Sneha Gupta.
thanks and wish you too a merry christmas.
Should candied peels be used or just orange peel in this recipe
candied orange peels. they are sweet as well as bitter. just orange peels will ruin the taste and will be very bitter.
Hi I tried this recipe last night I followed it to the T but fond that he batter was a little runny I usualy make cakes so I new this was not right but still left it as is the cake turned out different from yours the top is little crisp and I do find this cake very sweet even though I only used 1 cup sugar. can u help I am not sure why the texture of my cake turned out different and also what do you do to get the cake a darker colour
if you observe the pics, you can see the batter is not runny. its thick. did the dry fruits soak up all the rum. i had just a tsp of rum left as the dry fruits has soaked everything. so possible this is the reason why the batter must have become runny. the dark color is due to the demerara sugar. even brown sugar will give a dark color. the cake is not very sweet. so am not sure what made the cake sweet.
Hi Dassana,
Thanks for the step by step procedure. Just a clarification, how long does the eggless fruit cake last after being baked in the fridge before use.
Thanks
Irene
hi irene. when i had made the cake, i distributed it to family members. so the whole batch got over. but i think its should stay good for 10-12 days.
The cake in the fridge state will last a long time if you refrigerate it or keep it in an air tight container.
thanks for the response.
Thank you very much for your prompt reply Dassana! I made this cake. It is very tasty. As per receipe instruction I baked it for 1:40 minutes . It seems like little over baked. Next time I will reduce the baking time. For Christmas I am going to make this.
welcome yoga. the baking time varies from oven to oven. so next time you can bake for a lesser time than mentioned here.
Hi Dassana,
I want to try your receipe. I have a question for you. Could you pls let me know whether we can keep this cake for some period of time or have to use it within couple of days? If we can keep it for a while, how do we keep? Either in the fridge or wrap it with foil and keep it outside.
Thanks for your eggless version receipe!
hi yoga…. firstly you have a beautiful name. better to keep the cake in a fridge. you can also wrap the cake and keep in the fridge. or keep in an air tight box or container in the fridge. usually all the cakes and breads that i make, i keep them in air tight containers. you can easily store the cake for more about 10-12 days in the fridge.
Excellent. Today is Dewali & for change I made the fruit cake. I followed the instructions as it is and believe me the step by step texture came out as it is. However I baked it in Convection 40 mts. & further 10 mts with foil cover. The final result was awsome. Only problem was demoulding because it got little sticki in the bottom. Anyways I could manage it. Next time I shall use nonstick mould. But the taste was awesome. Thanks Dassana.
thats great reena and thanks. you can also use a butter paper at the bottom of the pan. removing the cake is better.
Hi Dassana
I love your website so much, that I have become addicted to your food blogs. Everytime I make your recipes confidently when I have parties and get to gathers in my house. Thank you so much. I request you to post the original black forest cake if you have made any time.
ansuya
Hi Ansuya
thanks for this sweet comment.
i have black forest recipe and probably i will post it around christmas time.
Regards
Dassana
Hi Dassana,
Thanks for this lovely recipe.Yesterday I made this eggless christmas fruit cake for my house party and it was appreciated by all. In fact the guest asked me to pack the left over cakes for their home. It was excellent since all of us were vegetarians, eating a cake without eggs was so nice for all of us.
I have a small clarification. Can we reduce the amount of oil which is 1 cup as mentioned by you in the recipe.As we are all above 50 years and having cholesterol, diabetics. If we reduce the oil, what can we substitute in its place for making the cake spongy and soft.
Thanks once again for the lovely cake recipe.
thanks a lot ansuya for the feedback. felt good after reading it.
you can reduce the oil. however in its place you have to add something else which will make the cake soft. usually fruit purees work very well. i suggest using apple puree – so you can use 1/2 cup of oil and 1/2 cup of apple puree. banana puree is also good, but the cake will have the taste of the bananas in it. you can also add pumpkin puree. i have made cakes with both pumpkin and apple puree and they become soft and light.