Forget everything you think you know about fruitcake. This Southern-style Blonde Fruitcake Recipe is light, buttery, and absolutely packed with candied fruits and pecans. I’ve been making this same cake every Christmas since the early ‘90s, and it’s one of those traditions that just sticks. It’s rich, festive, and a beautiful addition to the holiday table.
Fruitcake. That most maligned of holiday desserts. The butt of hundreds of holiday jokes.
Theories abound about fruitcake. Some people say there’s really only one, and it gets passed from person to person. Other people swear it’s best used as the filler for potholes. And, honestly, there are some fruitcake recipes that are deserving of that treatment.
Still others adore fruitcakes with a rich, dark, candied texture. People seem to be of two minds about fruitcake; they either love it or they don’t. Not much ambivalence about fruitcake.
— This post was originally published on December 21, 2010. It has been updated with new photos and additional information.
Recipe Snapshot
Cuisine: American
Cooking Method: Oven
Total Time: 3 Hours
Servings: 16
Primary Ingredient(s): Pecans, various candied fruits, flour, butter, sugar, eggs
Skill Level: Moderate
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING …
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“This is a wonderful cake for the holidays! It is so much better than a traditional fruit cake!”
— Shelly
“It turned out beyond all expectations! I served this after a family get together dinner, and all said this is excellent! My Dad had the best comment, he stated “I could eat this every day instead of regular cake.” Thank you Lana for the wonderful recipe, and it will be a regular.”
— Lee
What You’ll Like About This Recipe
- It has a light, golden texture that’s quite different from traditional dense fruitcakes.
- There’s a perfect balance of candied fruits and crunchy pecans.
- Its buttery richness is sure to please everyone.
Fruitcake Has a Long, Long History
Did you know that fruitcake has been around for hundreds of years? In the Middle Ages, honey, spices, and dried fruits were added to bread dough for special occasions. Fruitcake was once even protected by laws that restricted its consumption to celebrations such as Christmas and weddings.
Most traditional recipes that have come down to modern cooks contain loads of candied citron, raisins, and either dark brown sugar or molasses, with a healthy dose of rum or brandy. They’re dense, heavy, dark, and rich. They’re also loaded with booze. Maybe that’s part of the appeal for those in the fruitcake lovers camp.
My Blonde Fruitcake Recipe
This fruitcake has many of the same ingredients as the traditional holiday cake, but instead of dark and dense, it’s light in color and taste. It’s what Southerners call a “blonde fruitcake.” You may know it as “golden fruit cake” or “light fruitcake.” It’s loaded with candied pineapple, candied cherries, orange peel (no citron or raisins!), and pecans. And the cake is light golden in color–rich and buttery.
I’ve been making this fruitcake (with my own personal tweaks and additions) every year since I first saw the recipe in the November 1991 issue of Bon Appétit. I really need to re-write that recipe card before I forget what it says in all the places that are spattered with butter and vanilla.
This is one of the treats that BeeBop looks forward to at Christmas, and every crumb is consumed by the end of the holidays. For several years, I sent one to work with him near Christmas, and it became a standing request from the guys he worked with starting about November first of each year. It’s really that good.
If you haven’t made a fruitcake for the holidays yet, I highly recommend this one.
Ingredient Notes
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- Candied Pineapple, Candied Cherries, and Candied OrangePeel — You may notice that there is no candied citron or raisins in this recipe. That’s one of the reasons why it has a lighter taste than dark fruitcakes, where those ingredients play a major role. There are two primary suppliers of candied fruits in the U.S. – Sunripe and Paradise – and both have excellent products.
- Pecans — In my opinion, they’re essential to this cake. I couldn’t recommend substituting with anything else.
- Butter — You’ll find that most Southern home cooks use salted butter for everything — even baking — and I do, too. If you prefer to use unsalted butter, that’s perfectly fine.
- The remaining ingredients are fairly common pantry items.
The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Blonde Fruitcake
Prepare the Pan and Fruits
- Position an oven rack in the lowest third of your oven and preheat to 250°.
- Grease and flour a bundt or tube pan and set it aside.
- Chop the candied pineapple into about 1/3-inch pieces. Cut the cherries in half.
- In a large bowl, mix the pecans and fruit with 3 tablespoons of flour.
Pro Tip
Mixing the fruit and nuts with flour helps them stay suspended in the batter. Otherwise, they all sink to the bottom of the cake while baking.
Mix the Batter
- In another large bowl, cream the butter with sugar with a hand or stand mixer until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.
- Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Sift 1 ¾ cups flour with baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and stir until blended.
- Stir the fruit and nut mixture into the batter.
Pro Tip
At this point, the batter becomes heavy weightwise. It gets pretty hard to turn it all around and mix it well, but just keep pulling the wet batter up from the bottom of your bowl and mixing until everything is well combined.
- Put the batter into the prepared pan.
Pro Tip
This is simply not a pourable batter. I use a wooden spoon to put big blobs of batter into the pan. When all of the batter is in the pan, smooth the top.
Bake Until Golden Brown
- Bake until golden brown and a tester inserted halfway between the outside and tube of the pan comes out clean, about 2 ½ hours.
- Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes.
- Turn out onto a rack and cool completely.
- Dust with powdered sugar (optional).
Troubleshooting Tips
- To Prevent Sticking: To stop your golden fruitcake from sticking to the pan, make sure to thoroughly grease and flour the bundt or tube pan. You can also use parchment paper to line the bottom (if it’s flat) for extra insurance against sticking.
- Even Mixing: As mentioned earlier, the batter can become quite heavy due to the fruit and nuts. To ensure even mixing, use a sturdy wooden spoon or spatula and pay special attention to scraping the bottom of the bowl. This will help incorporate all the ingredients evenly and avoid pockets of dry or over-mixed areas in the cake.
- Checking for Doneness: To check whether the fruitcake is done, insert a toothpick or cake tester halfway between the outside wall and the tube of the pan. It should come out clean when the cake is fully baked. If there’s batter or moist crumbs clinging to it, the cake needs more time in the oven.
- Cooling Time: Set the pan on a wire rack and allow the cake to cool for the specified 15 minutes initially. This rest period helps the cake set and release from the pan more easily. After cooling for 15 minutes, gently turn the cake onto the rack and allow it to cool completely before storing.
- Dusting with Powdered Sugar: The dusting of powdered sugar is optional. If you choose to dust, wait until the cake has completely cooled to avoid the sugar melting into the cake’s surface.
- Overbaking: Avoid overbaking, as this can result in a dry cake. Keep a close watch on the cake during the last stages of baking, as ovens may vary in temperature accuracy.
How to Serve
- Slice the cake into wedges and enjoy it with a hot cup of tea or coffee.
- Serve it as a delightful dessert at holiday gatherings.
- Add a dollop of whipped cream (with a splash of bourbon in the cream!) for an extravagant treat.
How to Store
- Store in a plastic cake container or cake tin at cool room temperature. It should stay fresh for about 10 days.
- To freeze, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil, then freeze it for up to three months. Thaw the cake in the refrigerator before serving.
Questions About Blonde Fruitcake
I’m going to be honest and say that if you don’t like candied fruit, then this recipe is probably not for you. The purpose of a recipe for “fruitcake” is to highlight the “fruit.” It might be better to look for another sort of cake recipe.
No, fresh or canned fruits won’t work in this recipe. They contain too much moisture, which will cause the cake to bake unevenly or be soggy. They also lack the firm texture of candied fruits so they would break down during baking. For a true fruitcake with the right texture, sweetness, and stability, candied fruit is essential.
It’s really common for people to douse fruitcakes (especially the dark ones) with rum or bourbon and let them sit for weeks to mellow. However, my opinion is that this particular recipe is better without any added liquor.
To keep the fruitcake nice and moist, be sure to store it in an airtight container and only open the container when you’re cutting and serving the cake. Mine usually stays moist for at least a week. For added insurance, you can place a piece of cut apple in the container with the cake.
More Cake Recipes You’ll Like
If you like this recipe, you’ll also want to try these!
Have a question or thought to share?
If you have a question about the recipe or if you’ve made it and want to share how it turned out, I would truly enjoy hearing from you. Just scroll down to leave a comment or add your star rating.
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Recipe
Blonde Fruitcake Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 ounces candied pineapple chopped
- 8 ounces candied cherries halved
- 4 ounces candied orange peel
- 3 cups chopped pecans
- 1 ¾ cups plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup butter room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 5 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- Powdered sugar optional
Instructions
- Position an oven rack in the lowest third of your oven and preheat to 250°.
- Grease and flour a bundt or tube pan and set it aside.
- Chop the candied pineapple into about 1/3 inch pieces. Cut the cherries in half. The candied orange peel should be in about 1/4-inch dice.16 ounces candied pineapple, 8 ounces candied cherries, 4 ounces candied orange peel
- In a large bowl, mix the pecans and fruit with 3 tablespoons of flour.3 tablespoons flour3 cups chopped pecans
- In another large bowl, cream the butter with sugar with a hand or stand mixer until light and fluffy.1 cup butter, 1 cup sugar
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.5 eggs
- Stir in the vanilla extract.1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Sift 1 ¾ cups flour with baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and stir until blended.1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour½ teaspoon baking powder, Pinch of salt
- Stir the fruit and nut mixture into the batter.
- Put the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake until golden brown and a tester inserted halfway between the outside and tube of the pan comes out clean, about 2 ½ hours.
- Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes.
- Turn out onto a rack and cool completely.
- Dust with powdered sugar (optional).Powdered sugar
Notes
- Before storing, cool the fruitcake completely. Keep in a covered cake container at room temperature for about 10 days.
- To freeze, wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil. Freeze for up to three months.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
Really good cake. I added more fruit and used walnuts instead of pecans but that’s all personal preference. The cake itself was delicious and complimented the nuts and candied fruits without overwhelming the flavors. I doubled the recipe to make one bundt and two loaves and my family devoured the two loaf cakes! I froze the bundt but my kids are hinting for it to be defrosted. I might need to make some more.
This will now be my go to fruitcake recipe.
Thank you for letting me know your family enjoyed the fruitcake!
I have a mini bundt pan, and would like to know how long to bake the light fruitcake in them.
I’ve never tested this recipe in mini bundt pans, so I don’t have baking times for them.