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Grandma's Light Fruitcake Recipe: Buttery, Tender, and Full of Fruit

Grandma's Light Fruitcake Recipe

A tender, buttery fruitcake filled with candied cherries, pineapple, golden raisins or dates, and nuts, then gently spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Resting the wrapped cake for 1–3 days gives the flavors time to blend and the crumb extra moisture.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 minutes
Total Time 3 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cake Batter
  • 1 cup Unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups Granulated sugar
  • 4 Large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 cup Whole milk
Dry Ingredients
  • 3 cups All-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon Baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon Ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon Ground cloves
Fruit and Nuts
  • 1 cup Candied cherries, halved or chopped
  • 1 cup Candied pineapple, chopped
  • 1 cup Golden raisins or chopped dates
  • 1 cup Chopped pecans or walnuts

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Grease and line a 9-inch or 10-inch tube pan, or two standard loaf pans, with parchment. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
  2. Toss the cherries, pineapple, raisins or dates, and chopped nuts with 2–3 tablespoons of the measured flour. This light coating helps prevent the fruit and nuts from sinking or clumping.
  3. Cream the softened butter and granulated sugar for 3–5 minutes, until the mixture is noticeably light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.
  4. Whisk the remaining flour with the baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, and mix only until combined.
  5. Fold in the flour-coated fruit and nuts with a spatula, using gentle strokes so the batter stays light. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
  6. Bake for 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes, checking the cake with a skewer. It is ready when the top is golden and the skewer comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs; loaf pans may finish sooner than a deep tube pan.
  7. Cool the cake in the pan for 15–20 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack. Let it cool completely, which takes at least 1 hour, before wrapping or slicing.

Notes

For the best flavor and moisture, wrap the completely cooled fruitcake tightly and let it rest for 1–3 days before serving. Traditional versions may be brushed occasionally with brandy, rum, or fruit juice, while a light non-alcoholic version can simply remain wrapped at room temperature.