A Fruitcake Recipe Everyone Will Actually Love (2024)

Baked GoodsDessertsHoliday Treats!

This Fruitcake recipe from Rachel Dunston makes simple, delicious individual fruitcakes that are easier than the traditional version. Using fruit (including a fresh apple) and nuts in a simple spice cake batter makes a treat you'll get requests for!

Make this fruitcake recipe with either conventional AP flour or gluten-free with your favorite GF flour blend.

A fruitcake recipe you'll actually get requests for.

These individual fruitcakes - call them mini fruitcakes, fruit cake cupcakes, whatever you choose - skip the scary dyed-green cherries and use fresh apple, prunes, nuts and few chocolate chips to win hearts.

Seriously. This fruitcake can change minds.

Can you make fruitcake gluten-free?

Yes, you can make gluten-free fruitcake! For this easy recipe, all you need to do is swap conventional AP flour for gluten-free flour. If you want a more traditional cake, check out our friend Meg's aged gluten-free fruitcake recipe here.

King Arthur Measure for MeasureorPamela’s Gluten-Free Artisan Blendblend both make fabulous gluten-free cakes.

A bit if fruitcake history:

Many people think of England when it comes to the notorious fruit cake, but the cake actually dates all the way back to ancient Egypt. Fruitcake was made with pine nuts, honeyed wine, pomegranate, raisins, barley and other dried fruits. Many speculate that the first fruitcakes were made as a way to preserve fruit. By soaking dry fruit in alcohol the shelf life can be greatly extended. This preservation method has done such a good job that the oldest fruit cake is more than 4,000 years old. SERIOUSLY: A record holding fruitcake was discovered in an ancient Egyptian tomb and dated to 4,000 years old. I’m willing to bet that the now famous fruitcake was given to that mummified person by some loving great aunt.

Fruitcake is a lot better when it isn’t 4,000 years old, and when you make it with quality fruits and good rum. What could be better than fruit soaked in rum? Baking that fruit into adorable Individual Fruit Cakes, that’s what.

I know you want to get into this Christmas cliché, so let’s get baking.

Here are the ingredients you need for this fruitcake recipe:

• flour or gluten-free flour
• brown sugar
• eggs
• granny smith apple
• orange juice
• cinnamon
• ground ginger
• nutmeg
• semi sweet chocolate chips
• lemon zest
• orange zest
• butter
• salt
• baking powder
• prunes
• dried cranberries
• pecans
• walnuts

Sugar Plums dancing in your head? Try these next:

Once your love sugar plum everything, you'll be ready for more. Here's my recipe for traditionalSugar Plum candy- it's next level delicious, and full of Christmas cheer.

See Also

Steam Rice Cakes Recipe (Banh Bo)

Rachel Dunston is one of our favorite master bakers! Try her Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp, Sticky Gingerbread Cake, S'mores Chocolate Banana Bread and Chocolate Orange Cake too.

Photos byAlycia Moreno

Love this fruitcake recipe? Here are more holiday favorites:

Individual Eggnog Bread Pudding

Thisgluten free Eggnog Bread Puddingis easy to make and chock full of holiday flavor. Pop a pecan or two on top of each pudding before baking for an attractive presentation.

Meg's Aged Gluten-Free Fruitcake Recipe

Meg's traditional Aged Gluten-Free Fruitcake recipe is not as dense as other fruitcakes. Plus, it's heavy on the citrus, and full of booze. Yum.

Gluten-Free Mini Sticky Toffee Puddings

Thisgluten-free Sticky Toffee Puddingis a great option for those who want to celebrate the holidays (or anytime) with an indulgently sweet treat that everyone can enjoy.

Rachel's Sticky Gingerbread Cake

Rachel's Sticky Gingerbread Cakeis a riff on Nigella Lawson’sfamous recipe. It’s a delicious treat during the holidays with its warm spices and tender crumb. Bonus: it has less refined sugar, is lower in fat,and egg free thanks to the addition of prune puree.