Christmas cakes are traditionally rich in flavor and dense in texture, often containing heavy fruits, nuts and a lot of sugar. However, if you are looking for a lighter option that still packs a flavorful punch, there are plenty of light fruit Christmas cake recipes available. These cakes often use less sugar, butter, and dried fruits, and may incorporate lighter ingredients such as yogurt, applesauce, or whole wheat flour. The result is a cake that is still moist and flavorful, but with a lighter texture and a healthier nutritional profile.
Let's cook with our recipes!
GRANDMA BETTIE'S LIGHT FRUIT CAKE
An easy light fruit cake that my mother made most years. Try substituting fruits that you like! To me it's the taste and smell of Christmas.
Provided by Leanne Mentz
Categories Desserts Fruit Dessert Recipes Cherry Dessert Recipes
Time P14DT1h45m
Yield 20
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line two loaf pans with parchment paper.
- Coat cherries, raisins, almonds, and pineapple with 1 cup flour.
- Beat sugar, butter, and eggs together until creamy. Sift remaining flour with baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture; stir in vanilla and almond extracts. Fold in the fruit and almond mixture. Spoon batter into the prepared pans and spread evenly.
- Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Wrap cakes tightly and let age in a cool place for 2 to 4 weeks.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 429.2 calories, Carbohydrate 59.4 g, Cholesterol 92.4 mg, Fat 19.4 g, Fiber 1.6 g, Protein 6.3 g, SaturatedFat 9.5 g, Sodium 187.2 mg, Sugar 33.2 g
LIGHT FRUITCAKE
A wonderful jewel-toned light fruitcake full of flavor and mixed fruit. (Cake is nut-free)
Yield 1 - 6 lb, 6½ oz cake
Number Of Ingredients 24
Steps:
- In large bowl, combine the raisins, cherries, glazed pineapple, mixed glazed fruit, and citron. Mix well. Stir in the brandy to coat the fruit. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let stand for about 24 hours to macerate the fruit, stirring occasionally. When ready to mix up the cake, add the coconut and lemon and orange rind. Stir well.
- Prepare 8-inch square fruitcake pan that is 3 inches deep and has a removable bottom: Lightly spray the bottom and sides of the pan with cooking spray. Line the pan (bottom and sides), with brown paper or double thickness of parchment paper. Lightly spray the paper.
- Preheat oven to 275°F.
- In large bowl of stand mixer and using the paddle attachment, beat the butter until creamy. Gradually add the sugar and beat until mixture is light and creamy. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula to ensure ingredients are all incorporated. Beat 1 additional minute. Beat in the vanilla, almond, and lemon flavorings. Stir in the drained crushed pineapple.
- Sift together 2¾ cups of the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In measuring cup or small bowl, combine the orange and lemon juices along with the reserved ¼ cup of pineapple juice.
- Add the dry and wet ingredients to the beaten butter and sugar mixture in three additions, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Transfer batter to a very large bowl.
- Sprinkle reserved cup of flour over the macerated fruit and toss ingredients lightly and quickly. Gently fold the fruit mixture into the batter.
- In clean bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter.
- Transfer batter by large spoonfuls into the prepared baking pan. Use a knife to evenly spread the batter in the pan, smoothing the top. Add a few cherries as decorations to the top of the cake, if desired.
- Place small pan of hot water on the lower rack in the oven. Place fruitcake in center of middle rack and bake for approximately 5 - 5¼ hours or until cake is firm to the touch and cake tester inserted into centre of cake comes out clean. After about an hour or so of baking, loosely tent cake with tin foil to prevent it from browning too much. Remove cake from oven and place on rack. Let cake cool in pan for about 40 minutes before carefully removing from pan by inverting it on a tea towel and removing the paper. Carefully turn the cake top side up on to a wire cooling rack.
- Let cake cool completely before brushing well with brandy and wrapping in brandy-soaked cheesecloth, followed by plastic wrap and tin foil. Store in a sealed plastic bag in a cool, dry area. Remove wrapping and brush cake top and sides with brandy once a week for 2-3 weeks as the cake "ages" before cutting and serving.
LIGHT FRUIT/CHRISTMAS CAKE
A lighter version of a rich dark fruit cake, ideal if you prefer lighter texture. Can be used as a celebration cake as it can still be iced. My Grandma's recipe with a twist, I add a good glug of Baily's Irish cream (at least 1 tablespoon, added to the eggs), very Moorish. Soak the dried fruits in the Brandy, 24 hours before you plan to make your cake, this way they take on the full flavour.
Provided by Enigma 1
Categories Dessert
Time 3h40m
Yield 1 large or 2 small, 8-10 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 150c/300f/gas 2. Grease a deep 8 inch round or 7 inch square tin. Line the base & sides with a double thickness of greaseproof paper & then grease this as well. Make sure the paper lining the sides are taller than the tin.
- Beat the eggs & Baily's together in a jug or bowl. Sift the flour, sugar & spices into the fruit mixture. Add the beaten egg mixture to the other ingredients. Beat together thoroughly with a wooden spoon for 2-3 minutes, until completely combined. DO NOT USE A FOOD PROCESSOR.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin. Level with the back of a spoon.
- Make a slight indentation in the centre of the mixture so it will rise evenly.
- Bake in the centre of the oven 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 hours. Test the cake after 2 1/2 hours by inserting a clean metal skewer into the centre of the cake. If it is cooked, the skewer will come out clean & the centre will be firm when pressed lightly. If it is not cooked, return to the oven, but test at intervals. If the top is browning too quickly, place a disc of foil or brown paper over it to reduce burning.
- Once cooked, remove from the oven & allow to cool completely in the tin. Turn the cake out onto a wire wrack, leaving the lining paper on. Using a clean skewer, prick the top of the cake in places. Spoon over a dessert spoon of Brandy. Wrap the cake in foil or muslin, if available. Place in an airtight tin.
- Feed the cake with Brandy at intervals (once very two weeks) until required.
- If using as Christmas cake, the cake can be iced as usual, or you can decorate with just a dusting of icing sugar & ribbon.
ELEGANT LIGHT FRUIT CAKE
This fruit cake does not need a ripening period, and is very lovely to look at and eat.
Provided by Carol
Categories Desserts Specialty Dessert Recipes Liqueur Dessert Recipes Brandy
Yield 36
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Place a pan of water in oven. Grease thoroughly and line with heavy brown paper one set of tier pans (one 9 inch, one 7 inch, and one 5 inch).
- In a large bowl combine ground almonds and fruits. Dredge with one cup flour.
- In a large bowl, cream together 1 cup flour and shortening. Gradually blend in white sugar. Beat in egg yolks and almond flavoring; beat until very light and fluffy. Mix together brandy and milk; add alternately with 4 1/2 cups flour to creamed mixture. Make 3 dry and 2 liquid additions, combining lightly after each.
- In another bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar to form stiff but moist peaks. Fold into batter. Fold in floured fruit mixture.
- Bake for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours, depending on size of pan. Bake each cake until it tests done with a toothpick. Remove from pans, and lift off paper. Cool.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 429.7 calories, Carbohydrate 75.9 g, Cholesterol 45.9 mg, Fat 11.1 g, Fiber 2.7 g, Protein 6.4 g, SaturatedFat 2.2 g, Sodium 55 mg, Sugar 44.6 g
EXTRA-FRUITY CHRISTMAS CAKE
Make this beautifully rich Christmas cake a month ahead of the big day. With brandy-soaked fruit in every bite, it's a taste of the season
Provided by Benjamina Ebuehi
Categories Dessert
Time 2h50m
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- Put all the dried fruit, the mixed peel and citrus zests in a large bowl, the pour over the brandy. Stir, cover and leave to soak overnight.
- The next day, heat the oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Line the base and side of a deep 23cm cake tin with a double layer of baking parchment, so it comes a few centimetres above the rim.
- Beat the butter, sugar and treacle together in a large bowl using an electric whisk, until pale and creamy. Alternatively, use a stand mixer. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl every so often. Sift the flour, baking powder and spices into a separate bowl, then stir this into the wet ingredients along with the ground almonds until combined.
- Stir in the rehydrated fruit along with the soaking liquid, then spoon the batter into the prepared tin and level the surface with the back of a spoon. Bake for 2 hrs 25 mins-2 hrs 30 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.If the cake starts to darken too quickly, cover with foil.
- Leave to cool completely in the tin, then prick small holes all over the surface using a cocktail stick or skewer and brush over a little brandy. Wrap the cake in baking parchment, then a sheet of foil. Store in an airtight container and feed the cake with 1-2 tbsp brandy each week for three or four weeks, stopping the week before you want to ice it. Will keep in a cool, dry place for six months.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 411 calories, Fat 13 grams fat, SaturatedFat 6 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 61 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 50 grams sugar, Fiber 3 grams fiber, Protein 5 grams protein, Sodium 0.2 milligram of sodium
Tips:
- Mise en Place: Before you start baking, ensure all your ingredients are measured, and your equipment is ready. This will help you stay organized and prevent any scrambling during the baking process.
- Fresh Ingredients: Use fresh, ripe fruits for the best flavor. If using frozen fruits, thaw them completely before adding them to the cake batter.
- Properly Cream Butter and Sugar: Creaming butter and sugar together until light and fluffy is essential for a successful cake. This process incorporates air into the mixture, which helps the cake rise and gives it a tender crumb.
- Gently Fold in the Dry Ingredients: When adding the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, do so gently with a spatula. Overmixing can result in a tough, dense cake.
- Don't Overbake: Keep a close eye on the cake while it's baking. Overbaking can dry out the cake and make it crumbly.
- Let the Cake Cool Completely: Before frosting or decorating the cake, let it cool completely on a wire rack. This will help prevent the frosting from melting and the cake from falling apart.
Conclusion:
With careful preparation and attention to detail, you can create a moist, flavorful, and visually stunning light fruit Christmas cake that will be the star of your holiday table. Remember to use fresh ingredients, cream the butter and sugar properly, gently fold in the dry ingredients, and avoid overbaking. With a little practice, you'll be able to impress your friends and family with this delicious and festive treat.
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