Fresh Fruit Cake Recipe BBC Good Food | Perfect Holiday Dessert

Looking for a festive yet approachable fresh fruit cake recipe BBC Good Food trusts? This seasonal masterpiece blends dried apricots, cranberries, and cinnamon in a rich sponge, delivering moist perfection with minimal effort.

This BBC Good Food-inspired fresh fruit cake combines dried fruits, ground almonds, and warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg in a tender fruitcake batter. It’s baked until golden and moist, perfect for holiday tables. The secret lies in balancing sweetness with subtle tartness, ensuring every bite is richly flavored yet light, ideal for both traditional and modern celebrations.

Start by prepping dried fruits—soak cranberries and apricots overnight to plump them. Mix flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt, then fold in almond meal and spices. Whisk eggs, oil, and honey into the dry ingredients, gradually adding warm milk. Fold in soaked fruits gently. Pour into a greased tin and bake at 160°C (325°F) for 2.5 to 3 hours, brushing with simple syrup between intervals for extra moisture. Let cool completely before serving.

Serve sliced atop a scoop of vanilla ice cream or with a dollop of whipped cream for a luxurious touch. Store in an airtight container lined with parchment; fresh fruit cake stays moist for up to two weeks. For extended freshness, wrap tightly and refrigerate after opening—though it’s best enjoyed at room temperature for optimal texture.

This fresh fruit cake recipe from BBC Good Food proves holiday baking need not be complicated. With seasonal ingredients and time-tested simplicity, it delivers a decadent, moist dessert that impresses guests and honors tradition—perfect for your next festive gathering.

Bake one of our fabulous fruitcake recipes to enjoy with your afternoon cuppa. Try a traditional, classic fruitcake, a twist or a show. Fruit cakes are heavy, dense cakes that have a relatively low flour content and contain lots of mixed dried fruit.

Rustle up this easy boiled fruitcake for your cake tin. Packed with juicy raisins, sultanas, currants and mixed peel, it's perfect for afternoon tea with a cuppa. Mary Berry has created the perfect Christmas fruit cake recip, but it's also great for special occasions.

It's a bit boozy and full of apricots and raisins. Place all the ingredients for the fruit mix in a large saucepan bring to the boil and allow to cool for about 30 minutes Preheat oven to 160C / Gas 3 Add the cherries and nuts stir through then add eggs and mix well, add the flour and fold through the mix. Place the mixture in a greased and floured 8'.

Super-simple fruitcake This easy fruit cake by one of our younger readers, Bree Hamilton, is simple, uses storecupboard ingredients and is perfect for a quick winter pick. Make a cake bursting with fruity seasonal flavours. Try a simple apple cake, a stunning raspberry sponge or a lemon meringue cake for a special occasion.

Dan Lepard's cake is very easy to make with a moist crumb and no need to soak the fruit - it's ideal for wedding cakes or christening cakes. Using a large metal spoon, gently fold in the fruit until evenly combined. Spoon the batter into the tin and bake for 50 mins-1 hr or until the cake is dark golden, springy to the touch and has shrunk away from the tin slightly.

Try this lighter version of a classic Christmas fruitcake, bursting with festive spice and juicy fruit. Decorate with candied fruit and glacé cherries.