This candied fruit fruitcake is known as tutti frutti cake. Packed with lots of candied fruit peel and mixed nuts. Baked in a bundt pan with cream cheese and buttermilk batter for a moist and tender crumb. Perfect edible gift for the holidays too.
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Have you ever heard of tutti frutti cake? Perhaps not. It actually candied fruit peels that are called tutti frutti
I love this cake very much but you have to love candied fruit peels to appreciate this cake. The fruit peels have a slightly bitter taste to them which when candied tend to mellow down but still have a unique taste to them. The cake is not bitter in any way but candied fruit peel does not taste like regular dried fruits.
Personally, I think you either love it or hate it. I know friends who will eat candied fruit peel for a snack and then there are those that don't even like the smell. My husband won't touch it. I love it.
About this cake
Now, this is not one of those fruitcake recipes you make with alcohol. Well, you could add alcohol if you wanted. Just replace half of the buttermilk with rum or brandy.
This one has cream cheese and buttermilk in there which means it's a cake to be eaten fresh not the one you feed for weeks until Christmas.
Sometimes you can buy candied peel as a mixed pack which means the proportions of different fruit peels are not a choice. Back when my mom made it she would choose the colors well so she'd get a good mix of yellow, red, green. Often she'd pick more red and green during Christmas. So the proportion and colors of candied peels you use will determine the color or look of your fruitcake.
Today I'm using a mix that has more yellow, green, and a few reds. I wish I had more red pieces in there to make it look Christmasy.
Ingredients and substitutes
- All-purpose flour - Just plain old all-purpose flour works just as well. If self-raising flour is all you have, use it but reduce the baking powder and baking soda by half.
- Butter - You do need butter in this recipe to hold the fruit together, oil won't give you that firm texture.
- Cream cheese - gives the cake that soft moist texture as well as a soft tender crumb on the outside.
- Eggs - always use large eggs when baking. A large egg should be around 50 to 60 grams in weight.
- Glace fruits - I'm using fruit peels that's what we call glace fruits or sometimes also known as tutti frutti. These are the candied fruit peels that are chopped finely.
- Mixed nuts - today I am using a mixture of cashews, almonds, and pecans but any nuts would work just as well.
Step by step instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170 C / 340 F.
- Grease and dust with flour an (8-inch) or 6-cup bundt pan.
Alternatively, you can also use an 8 x 3-inch round pan or 9 x 4-inch loaf pan. - Candied fruit - Add 2 tbsp flour to the chopped candied fruit - set aside
- Dry ingredients - In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices- set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment cream the butter, cream cheese, and sugar until light and fluffy.
Tip - make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature so it creams well and not get lumpy - Add the vanilla extract followed by the eggs one at a time.
Tip - adding room temperature eggs one at a time will prevent the batter from curdling. - Add the flour and buttermilk in three additions.
- Then add the candied fruit and the chopped nuts. Combine well.
Tip - do not overmix at this point. The flour coating the fruit works as the glue holding on to the batter. Overmixing will cause the flour to blend into the batter and therefore sink to the bottom. - Pour into the prepared baking pan. Bake in the preheated oven on the middle rack for 60 to 70 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center comes clean
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then invert onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
- Dust with powdered sugar (optional). Enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
This fruitcake is like a coffee cake and made with cream cheese for a tender crumb. Unlike traditional fruitcakes, this one will keep for about 3 to 4 days at room temperature or 6 to 8 days well wrapped in the fridge. You can even freeze it for up to three months.
No, unlike traditional fruitcake there is no need to soak the fruits for this fruitcake. The cream cheese helps keeps the cake moist.
Yes, you can add 2 tbsp brandy, dark rum or Cognac. Sherry, whiskey, orange-flavored liqueur such as Cointreau work too. If you want a boozier cake I highly recommend my recipe for boozy Christmas fruitcake
No, this recipe works best with eggs. If you want an eggless fruitcake please try this eggless fruitcake recipe.
Yes you can add 1 tbsp of treacle to make this a dark tutti frutti cake just as I have done in my dark fruitcake recipe
Absolutely, like traditional fruitcake you can cover this tutti frutti cake with marzipan as well as fondant or royal icing.
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Candied Fruit Fruitcake
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Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups (310 g) All-Purpose Flour
- 1 ½ tsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- 4 oz (113 g) Butter unsalted, room temperature
- 4 oz (113 g) Cream cheese
- 1 cup (200 g) Sugar granulated
- 3 Eggs large
- ¾ cup (180 ml) Buttermilk
- 1 lb (450 g) Candied fruit glace mixed fruit chopped finely
- 6 oz (170 g) Mixed nuts cashews, almond, pecans, chopped finely
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 tsp Almond extract optional
- ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg optional
- ½ tsp mixed spices allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170 C / 340 F
- Grease and dust with flour an (8-inch) or 6-cup bundt pan. Alternatively, you can also use an 8 x 3-inch round pan or 9 x 4-inch loaf pan.
- Candied fruit - Add 2 tbsp flour to the chopped candied fruit - set aside
- Dry ingredients - In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices- set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment cream the butter, cream cheese, and sugar until light and fluffy. Tip - make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature so it creams well and not get lumpy
- Add the vanilla extract followed by the eggs one at a time. Tip - adding room temperature eggs one at a time will prevent the batter from curdling.
- Add the flour and buttermilk in three additions.
- Then add the candied fruit and the chopped nuts. Combine well.Tip - do not overmix at this point. The flour coating the fruit works as the glue holding on to the batter. Overmixing will cause the flour to blend into the batter and therefore sink to the bottom.
- Pour into the prepared baking pan. Bake in the preheated oven on the middle rack for 60 to 70 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center comes clean
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then invert onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
- Dust with powdered sugar (optional). Enjoy!
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
Johnny
I love this recipe. I made it last year and it was a big hit. Everyone kept asking how I made it.
This year I plan to make them part of my Christmas Hamper. I'm going to make small loaves and put them in the Christmas Basket.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Johnny. So happy you enjoyed my recipe. Ah, a fruitcake is the perfect Christmas hamper treat because it has a longer shelflife. Thanks for coming back to write this feedback.
Asjori
I made this cake last year and it was a big hit. Definitely going to make this again this year. Love your recipes. Thanks
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Asjori. So happy you are enjoying my recipes. Thanks for coming back to write this feedback.
Ruchika
Hi Veena! Can you pls help me with an alternative to cream cheese as it may not be available most of the time at home.
Veena Azmanov
Hey Radhika you can actually use Greek yogurt successfully with this recipe. Greek yogurt is hung yogurt with all the water removed. Let me know how it was. Thanks
Sonia
Can’t wait to try it!! Can i bake this in a 10inch pan ?? Cause i don’t have an 8inch pan
Veena Azmanov
Hey Sonia. Yes, you can make it in a 10-inch pan but it will have less height. Alternatively, you can make 1 1/2 recipe for a 10-inch pan (just adjust the serving size in the recipe card below and it will calculate the recipe for you)
pridhi madan
I love all your recipes. It's treat to eyes to watch the videos. Do you think eggs can be replaced with anything in this recipe? Just curious as I get lot of times to bake eggless cake
Veena Azmanov
Hey Pridhi. Thank you, glad you like my recipes. You can use my eggless fruitcake recipe instead of this one. You will find it on my other blog. You can add any fruit mixes you want to this recipe. just keep the amounts the same. Enjoy