Easy Fruitcake Bundt Cake is the best fruity sweet concoction that you will be proud to serve. Make copies of the recipe – people will be asking for it.
Another huge factor for the season is the food.
Everyone’s best recipes come out this time of year and seasonal treats are baked for ourselves and for others. Every winter must-have is Fruitcake with a capital F.
Not dry and hard fruitcake from ages past but the best fruity sweet concoction that you will be proud to serve. This Easy Fruitcake Bundt Cake has all of those qualities and more.
You know some of those candied fruit varieties that are very questionable? Ones like those green candied cherries? I know their pretty and festive and all but they’re kind of scary.
Well, I left the candied cherries out of this recipe. There are still wonderful sweet treats inside and one of them is dried pineapple. For that lovely ingredient, a little goes a long way!
The fruit mixture is from fresh citrus and many different varieties of dried fruit. There are also so many healthy ingredients that it will blow your mind.
Does Fruitcake Need a Topping?
Nope. No icing, frosting or fruit topping. But isn’t this little bit of drizzle on the top pretty?
Just a little bit of melted apple jelly drizzled back and forth here and there over the fruitcake and it glistens.
Let it drip down as you go around the top and it is done.
Easy Fruitcake Bundt Cake Special Features
Six fruits are used in this recipe and pecans are added too. There are some really nice and healthy ingredients inside the recipe too. Check it out.
Use a smaller 6 cup bundt pan is used for this recipe. The fruitcake stands taller and looks really pretty.
All the slices are smaller anyway because fruitcake is so rich that you don’t need much. There are 14 generous slices.
The smaller size for this Easy Fruitcake Bundt Cake is also handy because it makes fantastic holiday gifts. Add a little card with the recipe printed and tie it on the cellophane wrapper.
Make extra copies of the recipe because one thing for sure is that people will be asking for it.
Another fruity Christmas recipe is a healthier cookie is Dairy-Free Oatmeal Cranberry Cookie. Besides cranberries, there are lots of other flavorful and fiber-full ingredients.
I don’t know if you ever noticed that there is kind of a competition out there in the world about who makes the best fruitcake.
Once I even got cornered by a lady, right in front of mom, and she pretty much demanded that I say which fruitcake was best.
Hers or moms. I just couldn’t say because I actually really liked moms best and I think this lady would have taken my head off if I didn’t say hers.
Well, now is your chance to win the ultimate contest. This recipe really is the best one!
Traditional Fruitcake vs this Healthy Fruitcake
Traditional fruitcake recipes include dried nuts, dried fruit, and “candied” fruit or peel. Candied fruit has been soaked in sugar syrup and also dried for preservation.
It is usually finished in a loaf pan. That way it looks more like a cake than bars.
This healthy fruitcake has no candied fruit but very sweet dried fruit that makes the dessert very much more palatable. Check out the ingredients below. There is even flax seed meal.
It is also made with some whole wheat flour as to turn it into more like an actual cake although you wouldn’t actually realize it when finished. This way the Christmas treat can be baked in a gorgeous bundt pan.
You choose the shape of the pan and be proud of your delicious and gorgeous fruitcake. A new tradition that I think you’ll want to carry on for years.
Easy Fruitcake Bundt Cake
Ingredients
- 3 oranges
- 1/4 cup cranberry juice
- 1/2 cup Dried Cranberries
- 1/2 cup Golden Raisins
- 1 cup Pitted Dates, chopped smaller
- 1 cup Dried Pineapple, chopped smaller
- 1 cup chopped Pecans
- 2 tablespoons Flax Seed Meal and 6 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 tablespoon Maple Syrup
- 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- For the Glaze:
- 1/2 cup apple jelly
Instructions
- What a beautiful bunch of ingredients.
- I used the smaller Bundt Pan (it measures 6 cups) because I wanted a taller cake. Mine came from Target and there are many colors to choose from. The cake turned out beautiful and you can slice thinner slices.
- You can certainly use any bundt pan that you have - A larger size will turn out lower height but it will still be really pretty.
- Oil the bundt pan - I used coconut oil.
- Mix the flax seed meal and water together and set aside so that it can gel. It only takes a few minutes.
- Squeeze all of the juice from the oranges to get close to 1/2 cup of juice. It can be a bit under 1/2 cup but you need more than 1/4 cup.
- In a medium bowl add the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Mix together.
- In a large bowl add the orange juice, cranberry juice, cranberries, dates, raisins, pineapple, pecans, vanilla extract, maple syrup and the thickened flax seed meal mixture.
- Mix all together.
- Add the flour mixture to the fruit mixture and blend well.
- Pour into the prepared bundt pan and flatten it down, as well as you can, on the top.
- Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.
- Cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 30 minutes.
- Remove from the pan and let cool completely.
- Melt the apple jelly in the microwave and drizzle over the top of the cake.
Nutrition
Wonderful fresh but it also freezes really well.
If you choose to freeze please use one of my methods as described in my article How to Prepare Food for the Freezer.
Ginny McMeans says
Yes, the ingredients add all of the sweetness you’d ever want. You just buy cranberry juice just like you would if you wanted to drink it. The dried fruit will be packaged one way and that’s how you buy it. Dried cranberries aren’t super sweet but dates and dried pineapple are. It won’t be overly sweet like some fruitcakes but it will be plenty sweet. In fact, I drizzled melted apple jelly over the top just to make it prettier for the photos not so much for the sweetness. But it’s still really good with the jelly. I think it’s wonderful of you to think of your new office member. I really think the bundtcake will be perfect and everyone will enjoy it.
Sonja Knoerdel says
I notice that other than the maple syrup, there’s no sugar. Does that mean that the dried fruit and cranberry juice should be sweetened? I’m making this for an office holiday party, and we have a new member who is vegan (and probably gets left out of a lot of office food parties) so I want it to be perfect. Thanks!!
Ginny McMeans says
That is fantastic Lindsay! I am so glad you took the step and made it because so many times things look hard and they really aren’t. Thanks for giving this recipe a chance. I know what you mean about the icing. It really doesn’t need anything. The jelly was even for looks more than to add more sweetness and that’s why I just drizzled it a little.
Lindsay L Manly says
I made this recipe this past weekend and it came out great. I’ve never made a fruitcake before so i was kind of intimidated, but it was super easy. I had everything but the jelly so I made a quick royal icing and it came out great. Honestly, i don’t think it really needs the icing.
Samantha says
I cant wait to try this. Thank you for the recipe.
Shashi at Savory Spin says
You sure are right – Christmas does bring out the best in us – and that’s pretty darn amazing – just like this vegan bundt fruitcake! I so love a good fruitcake but never have I had a vegan one before. So delicious!
Helen of Fuss Free Flavours says
Fruit cake is one of those delicious treats reminds me of Christmas. Making a bundt cake version is lovely, I imagine would be yummy with some icing drizzled over the top.
Shumaila says
Love this time of the year, and baking fruit cake is a big part of it! This looks delicious, thank you so much for sharing the recipe
Sandi Gaertner says
This bundt cake would be perfect to serve over the holidays!
Valentina says
This looks yummy! Whenever I make a cake for my husabnd’s birthday, he requests it be a bundt cake. Perfect. 🙂
Fiona says
It’s right there in the front! 🙂
Ginny McMeans says
Thanks Mel! Bundt pans really do make cakes more festive. Have a great Christmas!
Mel |avirtualvegan.com says
This looks so lovely Ginny. I know a lot of people don’t like fruit cake but I love it and make one every Christmas. I really need to invest in a bundt tin. I have never had one but they make cakes look so pretty!
Ginny McMeans says
Hahaha Fiona! I had to go check 🙂
Fiona says
I love fruit cake! Some can be stored indefinitely.
Can’t help but notice, there’s a SMILEY on your cake 🙂
Ginny McMeans says
Me too Sarah! I love the small ones too.
Ginny McMeans says
hahaha Melissa! She was serious 🙂 Thanks so much and it really looks good on the dessert table too.
Melissa Huggins says
Wow, fruitcake is serious business! I can’t believe that lady backed you in a corner. I haven’t had fruitcake in years. Your bundt cake version looks out-of-this-world delicious! Perfect for the holiday table 🙂
Sarah says
I love using bundt pans—they make cakes look so elegant!
Ginny McMeans says
Hahaha! You are so funny Mary Ellen. You must try this one and then if anyone ever asks if you have a good recipe – well then 🙂
Mary Ellen @ VNutrition says
I was thinking about it and I don’t think I’ve never had fruit cake before. I love the looks of this one! I think you should win for best fruitcake!
Ginny McMeans says
You have got to, got to, got to try it Amy 🙂
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day says
I have to say, I’ve always avoided fruit cake, but this one looks really good!
Ginny McMeans says
Oh, I hope you get to Cadry! Remember I used the smallish bundt pan so it is more like fruitcake size. P.S. Your mom will love it 🙂
Ginny McMeans says
Thanks Dianne! They do have a bad rap! I must admit some are as heavy as a brick 🙂 Glad you like this one and if you get to make it you won’t be sorry!
Cadry says
My mom loves fruitcake something fierce, but I’ve personally never tried it! I’m going to need to buy a bundt pan, so that I can make yours and give it to her. Then I can finally try it too!
Dianne's Vegan Kitchen says
It’s been a very long time since I’ve had fruitcake, but I remember liking it! I know it has a bad rap, but I think it’s great, and I love your version!
Ginny McMeans says
You have to make it Jenn! I am not just talking 🙂 Your father in law will love it. Thanks so much!
Jenn says
My father in law would love this! He’s a huge fan of fruit cake. This looks so good…I think I could definitely get on board too! Love the idea of melting apple jelly as a glaze!
Ginny McMeans says
Thumbs up Dennis!
dennis doyle says
look great will make later
Laura O @PetiteAllergyTreats says
Fruit cake is something that I’ve always wanted to try. This looks great and easy to make too!
Kim says
Guess I should have paid more attention to recipe instead of the yummy picture! I see that the recipe calls for salt & baking soda!!!
Kim says
if substituting all purpose flour for wheat do you recommend adding baking powder, baking soda or salt?
Ashlyn @ Belle of the Kitchen says
This looks like my kind of fruitcake. Fresh and full of good ingredients. I’ve actually never eaten fruitcake before because it’s always scared me, but this is one I actually want to get my hands on! And I LOVE your little heart shaped bowl, by the way!
Kim Beaulieu says
This is so gorgeous. My dad used to make fruitcake every year. I love it.
Dionne Baldwin says
I haven’t had fruitcake in years and I’ve never made one! I want to try this.
Cate @ Chez CateyLou says
This looks so moist and flavorful – much better than traditional fruitcake! What a fun recipe for the holiday season!
Erin @ Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts says
What a great idea to turn it into a bundt cake – looks great!
Beth @ The First Year says
My mother in law makes like 18 loaves of fruit cake each Christmas. She soaks hers in booze rags for weeks. I guess I didn’t know you could make fruit cake without alcohol haha 🙂
Michelle @ The Complete Savorist says
This looks great. Nothing like I am accustomed to seeing. I would like a slice and cup of coffee please. I cannot lie, fruit cake was never something I have understood. It’s around every holiday, harder than a hockey puck with a sticky glaze over it and fruit pieces in such bright hues that are not naturally occurring. It’s never looked appetizing. But not this one – this looks great!
[email protected] says
This is the tastiest fruit cake I have ever seen, I would totally eat this!
Ginny McMeans says
Thanks Sheena! You have got to try this recipe! 🙂
Melanie | Melanie Makes says
An absolutely beautiful cake!
Annie @Maebells says
How fun?! I love that the glaze is as simple as apple jelly!
Sheena @ Hot Eats and Cool Reads says
I don’t think I’ve ever tried fruitcake before! Yours looks fantastic, especially made in the bundt pan!
Ginny McMeans says
Thank you so much Lisa!
Lisa says
This looks so good! Fruitcake is my holiday weakness. I love that the ingredients are so nutritious for this recipe. That always equals less guilt:)
Ginny McMeans says
Yes, the flax seed meal is actually a substitute for 2 eggs. You could also use chia seed meal and water as egg substitutes. A mashed banana would work also. All purpose flour would work very well.
Jan says
Do you have an alternative for the flax seed meal? Also instead of whole wheat flour can you substitute all purpose flour? Thanks
Ginny McMeans says
Hi Elyna, I don’t have an organic link for apple jelly. I just used the one that was at the grocery store. I think it was Smucker’s.
Elyna says
Hi, this looks interesting. I just have a question, can you provide the website for where I can purchase the apple jelly?
Thanks,
Elyna