You are going to love this delicious and beautifully moist 3 ingredient fruit cake! It is such an easy recipe you will want to make it again and again!
I have known that there was a recipe going around for a 3 ingredient fruit cake for a while but I haven’t got around to trying it until now. I copied this one down from the radio last year! So it has been in my ‘to do’ pile for a while! It’s very similar to this recipe from Annabel Langbein.
I think that I will definitely be making this fruit cake again though because it’s just delicious! Plus the recipe couldn’t be easier. You soak the fruit in chocolate milk overnight then mix in the flour and bake – so simple!
I wish I had tried it earlier because it is such a wonderful fruit cake recipe. The cake is packed with fruit and really moist! It also slices very well and isn’t crumbly. If you want a cake to take to a picnic or gathering this one would be perfect!
Using My Fitness Pal to calculate the calories it works out as 150 calories per serve.
The original recipe states that this fruit cake will freeze for up to 6 months but I haven’t tried to freeze it yet. It didn’t last long enough to freeze any!
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3 Ingredient Fruit Cake
- Yield: 30
Description
You are going to love this delicious and beautifully moist 3 ingredient fruit cake! It is such an easy recipe you will want to make it again and again!
Ingredients
- 1kg of mixed dried fruit
- 600ml chocolate milk
- 2 cups self-raising flour
Instructions
- Place the mixed fruit into a large mixing bowl, add the chocolate milk and stir to combine.
- Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate overnight.
- Line a 20 cm (8 inch) square cake tin with baking paper and preheat oven to 160 °C (320 °F) or 150 °C (300 °F) if fan forced.
- Fold the flour through the fruit mixture and then transfer it to the cake tin.
- Bake for 2 hours then turn off the oven and leave the cake in the oven for a further 30 minutes.
- After removing from oven, allow the cake to cool completely before cutting and serving.
Hi, I'm Kaylene, and I'm a keen gardener,budding baker and wannabe DIYer!
I can’t believe there are only three ingredients in this cake! It looks so moist and I love that it makes a healthy snack!
It is moist and delicious Kathy! The recipe seems to good to be true but I know I will be making this cake again!
Can any one tell me are the cup English or American.Thank you
I’m in Australian and I understand that our cups are just slightly bigger than an american cup. Here one cup is equal to 250 ml. This recipe is very forgiving though Yvonne, so even if your cup is a slightly different size it should be still ok. Happy baking! 🙂
3 ingredient cake I dont know why the cake was hard as a rock l cooked for stated time the outside sides and bottom were so hard l think it was overcooked 2 hours seems a long time l never cooked fanbake just normal bake the middle of the cake was moist please advise what l did wrong please
Hi Colleen, so sorry to hear that your cake turned out hard on the bottom and sides. If you used the correct amount of ingredients and right temperature, I’m not sure why it overcooked on the bottom and sides. Could your oven have been too hot – did you cook at 150 Celsius? Did you use the same size baking tin as stated in the recipe? If you used a larger tin it would probably effect the baking time.
Hi , in this recipe there isn’t any egg
No Sea, there are no need for any eggs in this recipe!
Hi Kaylene
Thanks for sharing. However I’m disappointed cos my cake turns chewy.
Did I do anything wrong during the process?
Also my SR flour was kept in the cupboard for many months. Does this also affect the cake?
Thank you
Hi Michelle, sorry for the late reply.
What a shame your caked turned out chewy! If your SR flour has been in the cupboard for many months the raising agent in the flour might not be active anymore. If the SR flour is out of date then the cake would not rise properly making it more dense and chewy. Perhap you could try making the cake again with fresh SR flour.
it is amazing, so yummy, i dont use choc milk, i used iced coffee, just the coffee no milk in it, and it still tastes amazing, may try with the chocolate milk or even coffee milk
Great to hear that it works with iced coffee Sylvia, another great variation to try!
Hi how much coffee obviously 600ml but how many spoonfuls if instant coffee. I don’t have a coffee maker other that dolca custo. No good for cake
Fruit juice is good also ,like apricot nectar
If u use chocolate milk to soak the fruit does that give it a chocolate taste?
Hi Judy, no the chocolate in the milk doesn’t seem to give any chocolate taste. It just tastes like a regular fruit cake.
There’s no sugar and no butter …
Wanderful I want recipient pleese
Can I substitute rum instead of chocolate milk
Also an I add other fruit
Thank you
Hi Margaret, I’m sure you could swap out some of the chocolate milk for rum to give it a boozy kick! I use mostly sultanas, raisins, and currents, but you could use any type of dried fruit. I’m sure you could include dried apricots or some dates, or even dried figs. As long as it is dried fruit you should be okay!
Too simple to be truly delicious.
I was skeptical at first too Oamen but it really is a very nice fruit cake!
Has anyone tried this with gluten free SR flour? My husband is coeliac and really misses being able to eat fruit cake so wondering if I could make this for him?
Hi Heather, I haven’t tried making this with gluten free SR flour myself but I have read other similar recipes and they say that you can use gluten free SR flour! Let me know how you get on if you do try it!
I have been making this cake for my diabetic mother
Therefor I used unsweetened orange juice
Thanks for the tip Bev!
YES AND IT IS JUST AS DELICIOUS – YOU MUST TRY IT
Thanks for letting us know Vicki!
Yes. I use one that bakes up like normal SR flour on a one to one ratio.
Thanks for letting us know Bronwyn!
What brand did you use please ?
I am in NZ, I used Edmonds GF SR flour.
Can we add all the dry fruits like almonds, pistachios, cashewnut,raisins,dates etc
Hi Sharada, the mixed dried fruit that I use usually consists of raisins, sultanas, currents, and mixed peel. I’m sure that you could use some dates as part of your mixture though. I have also made this recipe and included some almonds in the mixture so I’m sure it would be ok to include some other nuts like pistachios and/or cashews. I hope this helps and I hope you enjoy the cake!
I really love that it has no added sugar.
Yes it’s great that the fruit seems to provide plenty of sweetness! You do get some sugar from the chocolate milk, but that can be reduced if you really want to by using homemade chocolate milk or just regular milk.
I make this cake very often. It is great. However, I use orange juice instead of the milk. Am looking forward to trying this version. Ruth
I’ll have to give it a try using orange juice! I hope you enjoy the chocolate milk version!
Hi ruth how much orange juice
Hi Tikki, Kaylene here! I’m not sure how much orange juice Ruth uses but I have seen this recipe where the juice directly replaces the chocolate milk. So for this recipe you would need 600ml of orange juice. I hope this helps!
I use 1 cup of orange juice.
What are the measurements in english
thanks
you can also do it with fruit juice such as orange or orange and mango i havent done it with apple so not sure of that but use the juice instead of the choc milk
Yes another reader also mentioned using fruit juice! I will definitely give that a try next time Corina!
You can also do it with cold tea ( any kind a guess). I have done it with a few different flavours and they’ve all been very tasty
Thanks for the suggestion Sara, I’ll have to try making it with tea!
I v e just made this cake it’s cooling at mo looks good , just wondering how long it will last is it like a Christmas cake that can be iced and long lasting?
Hi Tina, when I make this cake it is usually all gone within a week or so. However I have read that this type of cake will keep for up to one month. When I am storing a fruit cake I usually wrap it up in foil and put it in an airtight container. I found that this cake tastes better with age so I’m sure that it would store for a few weeks like a Christmas cake!
Not foil first, but baking parchment or grease proof paper. THEN foil.
Thanks for pointing out my mistake Jennifer, I do use a layer of baking paper and then a couple of layers of foil!
Please cups or pounds instead of kg and ml.
Thanks
Hi Linda, in Australia we use grams and kilograms rather than ounces and pounds. For this recipe you would need 2 pounds 3 ounces of mixed fruit and 2.5 cups of chocolate milk. I hope this helps!
I find a lot of these recipes sound delicious but have not been able to try as confused over the weights
I am in Wales UK and need imperial measurements I also do not know how much you mean by a cup of something need fluid ounces.Could somebody please help out as would love to make this recipe.
Thanks
Hi Susanne for this recipe you would need 2 pounds 3 ounces of mixed fruit, 10.5 ounces of flour, and 21 fluid ounces of chocolate milk!
By the way, I find that if you type the conversion that you want into google it is quite easy to find. For example when you type ‘cups to fluid ounces’ into google a box comes up that lets you input the amount of cups and then tells you how many fluid ounces you need! I hope this helps!:)
You can buy the plastic measuring cups from a supermarket like Tesco or Morrison’s which also show the ml measure for liquids. I bought a set of plastic measuring spoons which helped instead of dithering or guessing the quantities for bKing powder or spices!
How many Syns in this cake.?
Hi Elaine, I don’t use Syns myself but I did a quick conversion after checking online. This recipe has about 150 calories per serve so that would be 7.5 Syns I think. I hope this helps!
Made this Bikers Cake and it’s delicious
You can also freeze it for late if it lasts that long
Mine have never made it to the freezer Roy, maybe I should make two next time and freeze one!
Thank you so much for this recipe. I’ve made it with exact ingredients as I bought the cups , in my local Asda as I live in U.K. it looks delish. I’ve soaked some rum over it and frozen it for Christmas xx
I hope you enjoy it for Christmas Barb!
I am definitely making this cake soon xx
You really should Linell it is delicious! 🙂
I made this cake and it was just chewy. I was really disappointed at the result.
Thank you for helping those in America who are not quick at conversions. I am definitely going to try this! I live at a high elevation so it will be interesting to see how the cake turns out!
I hope the cake works out okay and that you enjoy it Sharon!
This cake has such good reviews that I want to make it for my granddaughter’s birthday cake, it mentions a 20cm square tin but would it be OK to do it in a round tin and what size? I will then marzipan and ice it.
Hi Denise, I’m sure that this recipe would be fine to do in a round cake tin. You will just have to increase the size of the tin slightly. I found this great link (see below) on Nigella Lawson’s website. You will need a 23cm (9 inch) round tin so that it is equivalent to the 20cm (8 inch) square tin.
https://www.nigella.com/ask/convert-a-recipe-from-round-to-square-cake-tin
I hope this helps and I hope your granddaughter has a wonderful birthday!
This sounds like such a great fruit cake. BUT, I have to give up because I live in the USA and the recipe measurements are so conflicting and different in each comment. It would just be a guessing game at best. Surely I’m not the only one who found this problem. If anyone has USA equivalent measurements and has success, please reply.
Thank you
Hi Randi, here in Australia we often use a mixture of grams, cups, and millilitres in our recipes, so I can sometimes forget that others don’t! In my more recent recipes I have tried to include measurement alternatives for those that don’t use grams and mls – I’ll have to update this recipe!
If you want to use cups for this recipe 1kg of mixed dried fruit is equal to 6 cups, or you could use 2.2 pounds, or 36 ounces. For the milk you will need 2.5 cups, and you need 2 cups of flour.
I hope this helps Randi and that you enjoy the cake!
Hi. I live in the UK and I halved the recipe because I live alone. I have 500g of fruit soaking in 300ml of chocolate milk in my fridge, ready for me to add the flour tomorrow. Can you confirm how many grams are in 1 cup of flour please?. Thanks
Hi Tracey, you will need 150g of flour if you are halving this recipe. I hope you enjoy it!
Thank you
If the recipe asks for 2 cups of SR flour and you halve it, would’t it be 1 cup SR flour which is 250 grams
Hi Patricia, I use 150 grams of flour per cup. I use the Taste.com.au weights and measurements charts which you can find here: https://www.taste.com.au/healthy/articles/weights-measurement-charts/VNEPUhIC
I’m not sure if you’re getting mixed up with 1 cup = 250ml of liquid?? When making this cake I use 300 grams of flour for the full mix and 150 grams if I am making a half batch. I hope this helps!
Has anyone added cake spices to the flour? I am going to bake the cake without spices but wondered if if would work replacing a couple of grms of flour
Hi Liz, I’m sure you could probably add a teaspoon of mixed spice to this recipe and it wouldn’t hurt. I might try that next time I make this cake!
I currently have this cake in my oven and looks amazing, I added some more cherries and slivered almonds and mixed spice I hope it tastes as good as it looks. This is my first time cooking a Christmas cake thanks for the easy recipe. Will keep you informed of how it tastes.
The flavour of this cake seems to improve with time so I think that it would make a great Christmas cake Kerry. I’ve already made my Christmas cake this year (I made a more traditional Christmas cake) but I think I’ll use this recipe for my Christmas cake next year! Let me know how it goes!
It was very nice Kaylene thank you again. I don’t think it will last till Xmas so may have to make another one.
I’m glad you enjoyed it Kerry. Maybe try making it a couple of days before Christmas that will give it time to develop some more flavour without having to leave it too long! I hope you have a great Christmas!
Were can I buy chocolate milk in South Africa to make this cake
Hi Zareena, I can’t say exactly where you could buy chocolate milk in South Africa. I got mine, ready to drink, in the chilled milk section of my local supermarket. If you have trouble buying chocolate milk you could make some up using regular milk and drinking chocolate powder. Or if that is still not an option you can just make this cake using regular milk. Using chocolate milk adds a bit of sweetness to the cake but you can’t really taste any chocolate so it would be fine to just use normal milk instead. I hope this helps.
How about a tablespoon of rum in the mixture and dividing it into two small loaf pans? Do you taste the chocolate flavor? I’m wondering what the taste difference is with orange juice versus chocolate milk versus almond milk.
You don’t taste the chocolate but I’m not sure if there is any difference in flavor if you use orange juice or almond milk. As for the rum, I can’t see why you couldn’t add some if you want to. If you divide the mixture into two smaller pans you would just need to reduce the cooking time a bit and keep a close eye on it so that it doesn’t burn.
I made this today, divided the fruit and other ingredients in to two bowls, one with chocolate almond milk and one with orange juice. I also used all raisins and dates because we have food allergies in our house and the dyes in the candied fruit might not be a good idea. Baked in two loaf pans set about 310 F for an hour and five min or so. Its pretty good, and I think the orange juice was actually a little more flavorful. Thanks for the great recipe. I had a bee in my bonnet about trying it given the three ingredients and its nice that it actually turned out well!
Thanks for letting me know how you got on Annc and I’m glad you liked it. I’ll have to give the orange juice version a go one day!
I’ve used orange juice and it tasted beautiful also added 1tsp of mixed spice and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon tasted just like a Christmas cake I also brushed it with brandy while cooling, I then put marzipan and icing on. Easiest cake I’ve made, hope this helps
I’ll have to make this as a Christmas cake next year!
Wondering how do you add Marzipan to this cake…as iam interested in trying the same thing
Hi Angie, when I want to add marzipan to a fruit cake I usually just buy a packet of ready to roll marzipan from the supermarket. You just roll it out to about 5mm (quarter inch) thick and cover your cake with it before adding your fondant icing and decorating. I hope you enjoy it!
I’m making this today with soya chocolate milk (for the vegans in the family to enjoy as well) and will add some mixed spice. I’m doing individual ones so im guessing about 40min cooking time?
Depending on how small your individual cakes are you might only need 30 to 40 mins Kyria. Probably best to keep a close eye on them while they’re cooking. I hope you enjoy them!
Hi Kaylene
Can I steam the cake instead of baking it. I do prefer to stream my cake rather than baking them since I don’t have an oven and I love moist cake.
Hi Jackie, I haven’t tried steaming this cake but I think you probably could. I found a link recently where someone made a similar cake and steamed it in their slow cooker. Here is the link if you want to have a look:
https://www.slowcookercentral.com/recipe/rich-fruit-cake-3-ingredient-cake/
I’d love to hear how you get on and I hope you enjoy it!
So the cake is in the oven right now and I just realized that there was no actual sugar added? Is that okay, like would there be enough sweetener from the milk? The chocolate milk I used wasn’t too sweet, would I be able to add anything afterwards to sweeten it a bit?
Hi Harnit, this cake is sweet enough without adding any extra sugar. I think it is the sugars from the dried fruit that give it enough sweetness. In fact I have seen this recipe made with plain milk or even black tea so I don’t think it will matter if your chocolate milk is not overly sweet. I hope you enjoy it!
Hello,
How much black tea would I need? Thanks Rema
Hi Rema, you just swap the chocolate milk for tea, so you will need 600ml of black tea. I haven’t made it with tea, but I have swapped the milk for orange juice and that worked well too!
Hi Kaylene
Thank you for the recipe! Am sure gonna try it. I was looking for a simple Christmas cake and here we go!
Good we dont have to add sugar but how about butter and eggs. I prefer a lil bit of butter and at least an egg 🙂
What do you think?
Sheena
I can assure you Sheena that this cake is wonderful even without the addition of any butter or eggs. That being said I’m sure you could try adding some butter and an egg. You just might have to add a little more flour to account for the increased moisture, and also use a cake tester to make sure it is cooked at the end of the 2 hours. Let me know if you do try it this way Sheena!
I’ve got mine in the oven
1) chocolate milk
2) red tea
Question how shd I keep it till Christmas while feeding it daily with alcohol. I stay in a warm country … so my room temperature is actually very hot and humid. Please advice shd I fridge it or keep out is fine till Christmas..:) thank you in advance
Hi Mae, I’m in a warm country too actually. I’m in Australia and it is the middle of summer here but I don’t keep my Christmas cakes in the fridge though. I brush mine with alcohol after it is cooked and then wrap it up well and put it in an airtight container. I then store it in the coolest room of the house. That seems to be enough to ensure that the cake keeps really well until Christmas. I actually haven’t used the 3 ingredient fruit cake as a Christmas cake as yet but I’m sure if you wrap it up and keep it airtight then it will be a great Christmas cake. I hope you enjoy your cakes and that you have a wonderful Christmas!
Great thanks! Been waiting for your reply the moment it’s baked up:)
I’m in Malaysia… kinda near to you:)
Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you and family!
Hey.. Its such an easy recipe..!! I had two doubts though.. One, I have an convection oven, so long it might take the cake to bake in tht more and secondly, if I half the recipe how long it will take to take.. I am vry sorry if its an silly question.. Its just I am very much new to baking n I really need to bake ths..!! Thanks a lot..
Hi Pavithra, you should have no problems baking this cake in your convection oven. Just use the lower baking temperature of 150 degrees C (300 degrees F) which is best for a fan forced oven. As for making only half the recipe; make sure you decrease the baking tin size. Probably a 4 to 5 inch square tin would be fine. Because you are making it smaller check the cake after about an hour. I would test it with a skewer in the middle after an hour. If the skewer comes out with wet mixture on it then leave it for another 30 minutes and then test it again. When you test it and the skewer comes out clean then the cake is cooked and you can continue as per the recipe. I hope this helps and that you enjoy the cake. Merry Christmas Pavithra!
Has anyone tried using eggnog instead ofnthe chocolate milk? Thank you.
I haven’t used eggnog Arlete but considering eggnog is mainly milk, cream, eggs, and sugar (traditional fruit cake type ingredients) I’m sure it would work just fine!
Arlete, I came to ask the same thing. Did you ever try the eggnog?
Well I tried baking this wonderful easy 3 ingredients fruit cake. It turned out right but it’s less moist. A little bit dry and crumbles when I cut it. Will adding 50g of butter helps?
I usually find that mine is very moist Monica, I’m not sure why yours turned out dry. I don’t think that adding some butter would hurt.
I’m figuring that Bailey’s Irish Cream would work in place of the chocolate milk! I am a Bailey’s lover, so I’m gonna give it a try!
Hi Tibbs, maybe you could substitute some of the chocolate milk for Bailey’s (not sure about using just Bailey’s). I have seen this recipe made using regular milk instead of chocolate milk. So if you don’t have any chocolate milk you could use regular milk with the Baileys! I hope you enjoy it – Merry Christmas!
Easiest and Best fruit cake recipe Ever!
My all time “Go -To “ favourite forever!
Thank You!
Glad you enjoyed it Robyn! This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Well iv made this cake today and it’s lovely was a bit iffy on the three ingredients but it sure works it’s delicious I will be making this cake again
Glad you enjoyed it Mary!
Can I cook this cake in my Airfryer?
Hi Maureen, I have never tried cooking this fruit cake in my airfryer but you probably could. The airfryer is similar to a fan forced oven so it should work. If yours is anything like mine you would have to split the mix into two smaller tins and they would cook much quicker. I would also suggest putting some foil over the top to protect it from burning. Let me know how you get on if you do try it!
I’ve made this cake a couple of times now. It’s an easy delicious recipe. The last time I made it I used vanilla almond milk so it became a vegan fruit cake. It was a lighter colour cake but still yummy. As I am the only one in our house that eats fruit cake I have frozen both cakes, defrosts well. Love it.
Thanks for the feedback Michelle, I had never thought of making a vegan version using almond milk! I’m also pleased to hear that it freezes well, that is something that I haven’t tried doing with this cake.
Just made this cake very tasty just a bit dense is it possible to have more cake less fruit any suggestions
Hi Denise, I’m not sure how you could easily make this cake less dense. Perhaps trying to increase the batter (ie more milk and flour) and reduce the fruit a bit. It would probably take a bit of trial and error though! If you do try doing this I would love you to let me know how you get on!
I have made this cake so many times using tea, iced coffee, chocolate milk, orange juice, etc. etc. I am in the middle of making one now and this time around I am using cranberry juice.
The cake I make is
1 kilo of dried fruit
2 cups of self-raising flour
2 cups of whatever liquid you are using.
But like Denise I like more cake less fruit so I make it with 3 cups of self-raising flour and 3 cups of liquid. You must use the same quantity of flour to liquid I have never had a failure yet and I love trying different liquids. I saw blackcurrant juice at the supermarket yesterday so will try that next time
I also add different nuts when making it for Christmas, and spices, allspice, ginger whatever you fancy
Thanks for that information Leigh! I might try making it with the increased flour and liquid myself one day. I love recipes like this where you can vary the ingredients slightly to get a different taste!
Hi Kaylene I made this again yesterday using six tea bags of herbal tea in four cups of boiling water yum!
So that meant I needed four cups of self-raising flour, it was perfect. I usually make it with three cups of liquid and three cups of self-raising flour but decided to try the four, four, ratio, wow it was perfect so moist so will do that ratio in the future. It made a large cake which was great as I was giving half to my granddaughter. I also added this time strips of lemon peel and the juice of that lemon.
I experiment just about every time I make this cake and I have been making it for years and I have never had a failure yet. Going to make another one tomorrow for Christmas so I can feed it brandy. Oh, can I ask why wrap it in baking paper before the tinfoil, please? I have always just used tinfoil.
Hi Leigh, I use baking paper first because I find that the cake sticks a little bit to the foil. If I’m baking a fruit cake to store for Christmas I leave the baking paper around it that was lining the baking tin. Thne I wrap it in a couple of layers of foil.
The 4:4 ration would make a big cake, glad it turned out so well! Sounds like you are going to have a tasty Christmas cake!
I am going to try this cake however I have a small question to ask . Kindly name all the dry fruits which you used making this fruit cake please .
Thank you..
Hi Yash the mixed dried fruit that I use contains sultanas, raisins, currents, mixed peel, and glace cherries. I hope you enjoy it!
Thank you so much for your quick reply .
1. Can we use fresh mixed peel or dried one’s because I live in Germany and here I have never seen those in the market . If u can please advice how to make the same at home??
2. The proportion of dried fruits used in this cake please, as it is mentioned 1kg . mixed peel ‘ll make it little bitter that’s y kindly mention the ratio.
Sorry to ask you so many questions .
Hi Yash, if you haven’t got access to dried mixed peel I would just use some freshly grated orange or lemon peel (or some of both if you want). I buy a bag of mixed fruit that has all the ingredients already in it so I’m not sure of the exact proportions. The mixed peel is mentioned last on the ingredients list so that means that it takes up the smallest proportion compared with the rest. This is a very adaptable recipe so you can use any dried fruit mix that you like really. Another reader left a comment and she said that she used dried raisins and dates and that worked well. I have also seen another version of this recipe that uses a 1 kg mix of chopped dates, prunes, dried apricots, and cranberries. The important thing is that you use 1kg of dried fruit but exactly which dried fruits that you use is up to you. I hope that you and your grandmother enjoy this cake!
Absolutely delicious and so easy to make. Very moist and very vegan friendly. I will certainly be making this cake again. I halved the recipe as I wanted a smaller cake for the first try but I just must have to do the larger size next time as it is so successful. I thought that halving the ingredients it would take less time to cook but it didn’t.
Glad you liked it Susie!
I made it exactly to the recipe and brushed it with brandy while it was still warm and wrapped it in tin foil when it had cooled down a bit , thinking it would last for 2 weeks. Well, it only made it to 1 week and it was all gone! Really delicious, and it seemed to get more moist and tastier each day. Thanks for the recipe, definately a keeper.
It’s so yummy I’m not surprised it only lasted a week Reenie 😉 Plus I agree this cake does get better each day after it is made!
I made this cake over the weekend and used Iced Coffee instead of Chocolate Milk just because I had it at hand, everything else was made to your instructions, it is so moist and delicious, I never made a fruit cake with only 3 ingredients….amazing!! it would probably work for a ‘light’ Christmas cake too, as usually whenever i have made a Christmas cake it has ingredients the length of your arm, and I suppose you could add a few other ingredients and a drop of Brandy! thank you for posting this amazing recipe!
It is truly an amazing recipe Julie! Since posting this I have learned from my readers that you can use regular milk, tea, or even fruit juice to make this cake. So I’m not surprised that your iced coffee version turned out okay! I also agree that if you add in a couple of ingredients such as brandy and maybe some mixed spice, you would have a terrific Christmas cake!
When I read 3 ingredient fruit cake saw the image, I thought No way, this is true!then I read the 105 comments , each one surprised me more intriguing too.I just cannot imagine one without eggs butter or such medium the cake can be moist and also firm enough to slice..
So I am going to try it!
I will make a smaller one post my results here.
I make my Christmas cakes with dry fruits that have been left soaking in brandy and rum for more than a month!!
This recipe is a piece of cake!
Will be back to post results
Thanks Kaylene
When you first see the recipe it does sound too good to be true but this cake turns out beautifully! I’m looking forward to hearing how you get on!
That cake was beautiful but can I make that with less fruit and more flour I like less fruit
Hi Vicky, I haven’t tried making this cake with less fruit but I have seen others who have. I have seen one version where the same amount of milk and flour is used but the amount of fruit is only about half. So you could probably just reduce the fruit down and leave the rest the same. The cake size might be a bit smaller though, so you would probably need to reduce the size of the baking tin. I hope this helps Vicky, and feel free to let me know how it goes if you do try it!
This recipe is a weight watchers recipe using orange juice instead of choc milk. Will be trying this. Thanks
Yes I’ve heard that this cake can be made using orange juice, I’ll have to give it a try one day!
I made this cake today and my husband loved it. It was the easiest cake I ever made. I’m not a fruit cake eater but this was good.
Thanks for the feedback Sharon, I’m glad that you and your husband enjoyed it. You can’t beat an easy recipe like this one!
I made this cake today was really lovely I just thought it was a bit heavy on the fruit so I’m going to put a little less in next time ,I used chocolate milk added at tsp of nutmeg and a tblspoon of brandy delicious.
I have been making this cake for years but I use Apple juice & soak the fruit in it overnight. A good dairy-free option.
Thanks for the dairy free suggestion Annie, I might try it with apple juice next time!
Hello,
This looks great, I need to make a 10 inch square. What measurements would you suggest, and baking time please?
Hi Debbie, because this recipe is designed for an 8 inch tin you would need to increase the amount of cake mix to get the same height on your cake. If I was making a 10 inch square version of this cake I would multiply all of the ingredients by 1.5 so that you get one and a half times the mixture. That should give you a good height in a 10 inch tin. Then because you are making a larger cake you would have to increase the baking time as well. Maybe 2.5 to 3 hours. I would test it with a skewer every 20 mins or so after it has been baking for 2 hours.
Just remember that these directions are just an educated guess as I have not made a larger version of this cake before. I hope it turns out for you Debbie!
Great, I will give it a try thank you
Wow…….
I have just stumbled across your rceipe and to say I was like ‘3 ingredients….yeah right’ would be an understatement. I
I haven’t attempted this yet but I am going to bake this over the weekend.
I sat and read everyone’s questions and answers at the bottom of your page and I was fascinated by all the suggestions and ideas of different liquids to soak the fruit in overnight.
Thank you so much for a fantastic easy fruit cake, which my husband absolutely loves with a passion, and I can adapt it for my God-daughter and her partner who are Vegan.
Once again thank,you.
Kalli in the UK
Glad you and your husband liked the recipe Kalli! I love all the suggestion of the liquid variations too. I make mine using chocolate milk but I’m keen to try the fruit juice one day. Thanks for the feedback!
HI,
W*O*W………..I eventually made this Cake using a variety of liquids:-
1. 500ml Cold tea +100ml orange juice
2. Chocolate milk
3. Soya milk
My hubby says his favorite is number 1.
I cannot thank you enough for sharing this recipe, I have really enjoyed making it, it is super easy and even though I do not like fruit cake myself, this smells divine when cooking in the oven.
I intend to make quite a few nearer Christmas and will add walnuts and spices.
Would you know how long I would have to cook the cake for if I made individual smaller cakes……..say using washed out baked bean tins, or would anyone else know as I have a lot of elderly neighbours that would love this cake as a present but the larger cake would be too much for one person.
Any help and advice would be appreciated.
Thank you
Kalli in the UK
Hi Kalli, what a great idea to make mini cakes to use as Christmas presents! I might have to pinch that idea 😉
I don’t know exactly how long to cook mini cakes for but after having a little look online they might need 60 – 90 mins. I would probably cook them for around 30 to 45 minutes and then test them with a skewer every 10 -15 minutes after that.
I did find a recipe online that baked Christmas cakes in mini baked bean tins so I will include the link so you can have a look at the baking instructions. It suggests baking for 15 mins at 180 degrees C then another hour at 140 degrees C. See the link below.
https://www.eatsamazing.co.uk/family-friendly-recipes/dessert-sweet-treat-recipes/tin-can-mini-christmas-cakes
Anyway I hope that helps Kalli and I intend to try your suggestion of using 500ml of cold tea and 100ml of orange juice next time I make this cake!
What are the mixed spices? And what measurements do I use? I have always wanted to bake a cake like this, thank you.
Hi Mary, I haven’t used mixed spice in this recipe but I’m sure the fruit cake would be lovely with added spices. The mixed spice that I have (store bought) is a blend of cinnamon (80%) allspice (10%) and nutmeg (10%). I would use a teaspoon of mixed spice if I was adding it to this recipe. I hope this helps.
Could I use mincemeat instead of the dried fruit?
Hi Helen, I’m sure you could use mincemeat instead of the dried fruit. I have seen some other fruit cake recipes online that use mincemeat. Although the ones I’ve seen use mostly mincemeat with the addition of a small amount of extra dried fruit. If I was going to try making this recipe with mincemeat I wouldn’t soak the fruit in the milk (it is usually moist and sticky enough). I would also only add about half of the chocolate milk and gradually add more if the mixture is dry. Once you have a thick cake batter consistency then you should be OK. I would also keep a close eye on it as it bakes. I hope this helps Helen, let me know if you do try it with mincemeat!
I just wanted to know if have to grease the cake and parchment paper
Before pouring the batter into the pans ,l am going to make this cake
And l don’t want it to stick on the paper
I love simple recipes
Just want to know if you could use grape juice instead of milk also do you grease
The cake pan before you pour the batter in.
Oct.14 / 2018
Yes you could definitely use grape juice instead of the milk Colleen. I haven’t used fruit juice but there are other versions of this recipe that use fruit juice or even cold tea! As for greasing the pan, I just line my tin with baking paper. I don’t grease the tin or the paper and I haven’t had any problems with the cake sticking to the paper. If you were worried though you could maybe give the lined tin a quick spay with cooking spray.
Did it with mincemeat and it was perfect. Lovely recipe. Thank you
If alcohol is added to this recipe, can it be made in November and still keep for Christmas?
Hi Pam, I haven’t personally made this as a Christmas cake but I have seen other, almost identical recipes, used as Christmas cakes. It should keep for 3 to 4 weeks if stored in an airtight container. You can add some alcohol if you like but it should keep for a month even without it. If you brush it with some alcohol while still warm that helps to keep it moist. I hope you enjoy it!
Hi, have you ever made it in a tube pan. If so how long should I cook it for.
Hi Marie, I’ve never tried making this cake in a tube pan. I would assume that the ring in the middle will reduce the baking time. I have seen other fruit cakes baked in tube pans that are baked for about an hour and a quarter. I would suggest you bake for an hour and then test the cake to see if it is done. If not cooked, continue checking it every 10 to 15 minutes! I hope this helps!
Can I use a glass baking dish instead of metal?
Hi Cynthia, I can’t see why you couldn’t use a glass baking dish. As long as it is a similar size and not too shallow it should be fine!
A friend of mine makes this with ginger ale as well.
Thanks for the suggestion Leanne, I’m always amazed at how adaptable this recipe is!
Just made this cake. Delicious!! I added nuts and spices. Turned out very well,moist and tasty. Will definitely make it again. Thank you for the recipe.
Glad to hear that you enjoyed it Jeannette! I must make it again soon – I think I’ll try adding some nuts and spices too!
Wow..I went through all the comments n will definitely give it a try but no baking pwd no soda..How does it get so moist
Yes it is hard to believe that it could be so good Divya but it definitely is! It even seems to get more moist and delicious a couple of days after baking!
hi, has anyone tried caramel flavored milk in this recipe, just wondering how it would taste
I haven’t tried using caramel milk Ann but it would probably taste delicious!
my new go to fruitcake recipe, even the family cake critic (aka hubby) liked it, next one i’m trying bundaberg ginger beer, then caramel milk….
Glad you and your hubby liked it Ann! I’m going to try it with some of the other suggested variations too in the new year!
Lovely moist fruit Cake reminded me of Clootie dumpling, I enjoyed it by itself and with custard.
Glad you liked it Lorna!
Looks lovely, very much like a Barn Brack with fruit soaked in cold tea overnight, but far less ingredients and healthier sounding. To make the chocolate milk? Just mix drinking chocolate with the milk? Is this correct? Will deft try it.
Hi Shirley, I just used a ready to drink chocolate milk from the supermarket but you could make your own using drinking chocolate and milk. I have also seen this cake made using plain milk without the chocolate, so using chocolate flavoured milk is probably optional. I hope you enjoy it!
I must give it a try…3 ingredients fruit cake and NO EGGS!!! Amazing
Yes, do try it Cynthia, you won’t be disappointed!
Thanks for your lovely recipe, made the cake but it only took 1 1/2 hours on 150c in my fan oven and I took the cake out straight away, if I left it any longer it would have been burnt. It was delicious though.
It was lucky you were keeping an eye on it Sue – glad the cake turned out okay!
Only found this recipe a short while ago, since then have made several times for friends who are vegan, vegetarian and gluten intolerant. All absolutely love it including hubby and myself who will eat anything. Have used both chocolate ‘milk’ and fruit juice. It’s so easy, will definitely use instead of normal Christmas cake recipe, wonder what it would be like with rum or brandy instead of chocolate milk?
Hi Joan, isn’t it amazing that such an easy recipe can produce such a yummy cake! I haven’t tried it yet, but I think using a mixture of brandy and fruit juice instead of the chocolate milk would be good!
I just finished reading all the questions and answers.I learnt a lot from them and plan to keep them close so I can refer to them I did make this cake last year and it was great,however I made a traditional one for Christmas as I was not sure it if the 3 ingredient would keep long
I have a lot of dry fruit soaking in rum and brandy as I was going to make a special traditional fruitcake to take for my sons wedding and was going to take it with me to the Ukraine,where the brides family is and wedding was to take place there,but the plans are changed and wedding will be next year.
So I am planning anyways to make a small one just for the family whom we will b meeting up with next month
I will add spices like cinnamon, nutmeg,mace,cloves,coffee, dark cocoa powder
Sounds nice with the the addition of extra spices etc! I don’t know how long this cake will keep so I haven’t tried using it as a Christmas cake. I have found that the taste gets better with age over the short time that it takes to eat the cake. So maybe it would keep for a week or two before cutting! I might have to try making a couple of smaller cakes and try storing one for a few weeks.
I hope you have a good trip to the Ukraine and that your family enjoy the cake!
I made this cake – it was delicious! I actually cooked mine for 1 1/2 hours, and left it in the turned off oven for 1/2 hour. Next time I may cook it for less time.
Interesting to hear that yours took less time to cook Mary. Just goes to show that ovens can be different! Glad to hear that you liked it! 🙂
I’ve saved this recipe and am going to make it very soon.. I’ve read all the comments, yet have never seen mentioned if it has a CHOCOLATE taste?
Thank you
Hi Jennifer, even though chocolate milk is used in this recipe you can’t really taste the chocolate. Actually I’ve seen a few variations of this recipe that use either regular milk, fruit juice, or even black tea instead of chocolate milk!
Thanks for the feedback. I’ll let you know what liquid I decided on and how it went !
Hi kaylene
Made your fruit cake it was yummy, I would like to halve the cake I know I have to halve all the ingredients but could you tell me what size round tin I would have to use & how long would I have to cook it for. Thanks again for an amazing cake.
Edith.
Hi Edith, glad to hear that you enjoyed this cake! If you want to cook a half batch of this cake in a round tin I would use a 5 inch (13cm) tin. As for the cooking time you should be able to just halve the time to 1 hour. Perhaps you could check it after 45 – 50 minutes just to make sure it’s looking okay. I hope that helps!
Hi Kaylene,
Can I use a 6” round pan iso of a 5” round pan as I would like to try n bake this cake in my air fryer cos my oven is still waiting to be installed. Thank you.
Hi Catherine, I think that you would probably get two 6″ round cakes from this recipe. You might get away with two 5″ round tins if that is the biggest size you can fit in your air fryer. If you do try this in the air fryer, I’d love to hear how you go!
After reading all the comments I decided to make a half a batch of this three-ingredient fruit cake. I soaked raisins, white raisins, chopped up apricots, dates and pineapple in chocolate milk. I’m so pleased with the outcome. I will be making this again soon. Maybe in a double batch.
So glad you enjoyed it Darcy, and your fruit combination sounds yummy!
I made this delicious 3 ingredient cake today. So so easy, cuts well tastes delicious, will be baking this again very soon. Cooked to the exact time. Everything Kaylene said. If I hadn’t made this myself I don’t think I would believe it. Yum!
Thanks Gloria, glad to hear that you enjoyed it!
I just made this 3 ingredient fruit cake and was ecstatic the way it came out. It is just too easy. I followed your recipe but added some orange zest and Kahlua with the chocolate milk. I also baked it in my new rectangular crock pot. Lined pot with parchment and baked 3.5 hours on high with a dish towel under the lid to absorb condensation. It was moist, yummy and perfect. Thank you
Gary
I would never have thought to try cooking this cake in a crock pot! Thanks for sharing how you did it Gary!
Have this soaking in the fridge can you tell me if this is still or runny mixture and my tin is about 22cm
Hi Mary, it’s a little while since I last made this cake but from memory the mixture is fairly thick. Also I’m sure you’ll be alright with a 22 cm tin. Perhaps your cake might not be quite as high and I’d suggest keeping an eye on it while baking because it might have a slightly shorter cooking time!I hope you enjoy it!
Should this be stored in or out of the fridge?
It seems to be fine just at room temperature Caitlin, I’ve never put mine in the fridge. Merry Christmas!
hi mam lm from india i just wanted to confirm without using b.soda and baking powder will this cake rise
Hi Savita, this recipe uses self-raising flour which means that the flour already includes some baking powder. If you don’t have self-raising flour you can mix together 4 teaspoons of baking powder with 2 cups of plain flour. I hope you enjoy this cake!
The best fruit cake out just beautiful 10/10 thank you
Glad you enjoyed it Rosalie!
Hi An old bushy from Wagga Wagga told me this recipe, I’m a bit naughty I add a 4 th ingredient a wee dram of whisky, this one is adults only……
Nothing wrong with that Raymond, I’m sure it makes it extra tasty! 😉
Oh my word!!! Made it with orange juice and hubby is over the moon cos fruitcake is his favourite….. came out perfect
Glad to hear that you and your husband enjoyed it Samantha!
Beautiful didn’t think it would work but wow 3 ingredients it was lovely every one loved it so I’m going to have to make another thank you so much xx
Glad you enjoyed it Mary! This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Hi Kaylene, thought I would drop you a line to say……your recipe is still being continually baked, I first made this in September 2018.
I have shared this recipe with so many of my friends and passed on your page via pinterest.
A huge thank you for sharing this, I still don’t like fruit cake but my hubby looks forward to it smelling throughout our home, which I agree is a divine smell, so I thought I would just say another hi and thanks. Your recipe really is appreciated and my hubby still prefers it made with black tea and orange juice. Take care and Kind Regards xx
Kalli in the UK
Hi Kalli, thanks for the feedback I’m really pleased to hear that this fruit cake is popular with your hubby and friends! Pity you don’t like fruit cake!
Also thanks for sharing on Pinterest. This recipe is pretty popular on Pinterest actually – it is one of my most visited pages.
I haven’t made this cake for a while so I’ll have to make it again and try using black tea and orange juice!
I’m in Australia and we have been lucky so far with the pandemic, I hope you and your family are able to stay safe too!
Thanks again for you message!
Hi Kaylene
I want to make this for my partners birthday as he is vegan.
What sort of size round cake tin would you recommend please?
Thanks
Linda
Hi Linda, if you want to make a round cake you will just have to increase the size of the tin slightly. You would need a 23cm (9 inch) round tin so that it is equivalent to the 20cm (8 inch) square tin.
I hope your partner enjoys this cake for his Birthday!
Im certainly not a cook … but tried this recipe and it was super easy.. BUT way way
too sweet. i think if I try it just one more time I will use a coffee milk and add some
allspice and extra cinnamon. Very very sweet with the chocolate milk.
I’ve got a bit of a sweet tooth so I didn’t mind them made with chocolate milk Dee. Lots of people make them with just regular milk which would probably reduce the sweetness. Or I have heard some people have used cold tea!
OMG! I’m a hardcore fruitcake connoisseur . This stuff is fabulous! It’s the easiest fruitcake I’ve ever made, and the taste is phenomenal! I can’t leave well enough alone, so I tweaked it. I never cook my fruitcakes as long as what everyone says, I think they over bake. So I halved the recipe. And instead of mixed candies fruit, I did cherries, pineapple, and pecans. I baked it in a loaf pan, for 1.5 hours, and put a pan of hot water in the back while baking it too. It only sat 15 minutes, not the 30, and I removed the hot pan of water. Now what do I douse it with? I’m thinking some chocolate rum, do they make chocolate rum? Hah! I have a good port, would that work?
I love that you tweaked the recipe Cheryl, you sound like you know what you are doing when it comes to fruitcakes! 😉 A bit of chocolate rum liqueur sounds nice brushed on top or I’m sure a bit of port would also go well! Enjoy!
Dear Kaylene,
I read your 3 ingredient cake. But, would like to know there is no need for baking powder,baking soda?
Any brand of Chocolate milk will do for this? I would like to try just the half the quantity. Kindly advise.
I live in Abu Dhabi.
Also require exact measurements to get a 1/4kg and 1/2 kg cake christmas cake the traditional one.
Kind regards,
Shaila
Hi Shaila, there is no baking powder or soda in this recipe because it requires self raising flour. This is flour that already contains a raising agent. If you don’t have any self raising flour you can make your own by mixing 2 teaspoons of baking powder for each cup of plain flour. You can read more here: https://thelinkssite.com/2015/06/10/making-your-own-self-raising-flour/
Yes it is also fine to use any brand of Chocolate milk. Others have made this cake with plain milk even, but store bought Chocolate milk would make it sweeter.
I am sorry but I can’t give the the exact measurements for making a 1/4kg and 1/2kg cakes as I have never tried it. I can only suggest that you divide the mixture into smaller sized tins. You just need to keep and eye on smaller cakes when baking as they would bake quicker. Perhaps you could make half of the mixture and do a test run using smaller mini tins.
I hope that helps and that you enjoy this cake.
Hello please can you let me know how deep your 8 inch square tin is please ? Thank you !
Hi Hulus, the tin that I use is about 7 cm (2 and 3/4 inches) deep.
Thank you ! Cake turned out perfect
Do you add nuts to the fruit when it soaks, or afterwards when U add the flour? Would it matter if the nuts soak over night
Hi Vicki, if you want to add nuts to this recipe I don’t think it would hurt to let them soak overnight with the fruit. They would probably just be a bit softer than if you added them with the flour. If you want the nuts to still be a bit crunchy then I’d leave them out of the overnight soak step. I hope that helps and that you enjoy the cake Vicki!
I’m getting a late start to Christmas and am so happy to have found your fruitcake recipe! Found a great 2-pound dried fruit mix on Amazon (apricot, peach, sultanas, raisins, etc.) currently soaking overnight in chocolate milk. I have my 2 cups of Lily White self-rising flour ready to mix into the fruit. My only issue was how long and how hot to bake mini tins (3”x6”) of your recipe in my convection oven. I’m going to try 50-60 minutes at 300f while adding a pan of water at the bottom rack of the oven. I’ll let you know how it comes out! Now just have to decide what alcohol to brush over the top..
Hi Naj, I hope your mini cakes turned out okay and that you enjoyed your Christmas! Have a great New Year!
Can I use Almond Flour instead of SR Flour?
Hi Jenny, I haven’t tried baking this cake with almond flour so I’m unsure if it would work or not. I’ll have to throw it open to my readers and hope that someone else is better able to answer your question! Many people read the comments so hopefully we might get an answer for you!
I’ve seen a recipe for this cake using almond flour but not sure if I should use the same amount, can’t find the other recipe
Hi Jenny, what a pity that you can’t find that other recipe now! I’ve had a bit of a look online and I can see recipes where they substitute gluten free SR flour (1:!), but none where they use almond flour. I’m sure it would work as long as you get the amount of flour right and add in some raising agent. Maybe you could experiment with a half batch??
Hi and thanks fir the receipe. Are the weights American or British please? Thanks.
Hi Martes, I’m in Australia actually but I believe our baking measurements are more closely aligned with the British system than American.
I hope that helps!
Hi, I just baked the cake this morning; simple and easy. What if I want to add brandy, rum or Cointreau? When do I add this additional item?
Hi Anne, you could substitute some of the chocolate milk for alcohol during the overnight soaking part. Maybe substitue around 1/2 a cup of the milk for some alcohol of choice. You can also brush the cake with some alcohol while still warm as well!
Hi Kaylene, I’m wondering if you think this cake would be sturdy enough to stand up to being covered in almond paste and then fondant? And then decorated? I’ve seen comments that it’s quite dense, but also very moist. I’d like to try it, but if it’s going to sag or crumble I might use a more traditional recipe. Thanks!
Hi Jac, I’m not 100% sure how this cake would go if it was iced and decorated as I have not tried it myself and I haven’t seen anyone else do it either. When made as per the recipe, the cake is fairly sturdy and looks and tastes very similar to a traditional Christmas cake. You probably could ice and decorate it. I would only decorate it if I knew it was going to be consumed fairly soon after.
You might have read in the comments that the cake can be made using other liquids such as tea and fruit juice. I made it with fruit juice once and found the extra sugar in the juice made it super moist and sticky. I would not ice the cake if made with fruit juice!
Thanks for letting me know your thoughts! If I try it I’ll let you know how I go…kind of feel up for a challenge ;P
I’d love to hear how you go if you try it!
Hi Kaylene
Just want to make sure I have the right amount of cups os dried candied fruit. I measured 4 cups of fruit to equal 1 kg – is that right. And 600 ml of liquid
Hi Christine, I usually get 180 – 200g of dried fruit per cup. So I would use 5 cups of dried fruit in this recipe. That is using a metric (Australian) measuring cup.
Hi,
I will try this recipe very soon, can i use frozen fruit like raspberry blueberry in this recipe?
Thank you
Enjoy the season holiday
Hi Laura, I don’t think this recipe would work with frozen fruit such as raspberries and blueberries. They would add too much moisture to the mixture and would most likely result in a soggy cake. It would be best to stick with dried fruit in this recipe. I hope you have a great Christmas too!
Thank you ❤️
This was my first time making fruit cakes. I was pleased to find a recipe so simple and containing real fruit instead of the candied, artificially colored stuff. I baked my cakes in two medium loaf pans well in advance of Christmas. Once cooled, I wrapped them in plastic wrap and foil and placed them in the freezer. I thawed them over night before serving Christmas Day. They were so moist and delicious. I highly recommend this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing.
Thanks for the feedback Tami, I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed them!
How can I substitute All purpose flour for self raising flour as it is hard to find here?
This looks so amazing and I like to try.
The fruit juice, I can use freshly squeezed juice?
Hi Sally, yes you can use all purpose flour but you will need to add some baking powder or your cake will not rise. Self raising flour already contains some baking powder. To convert the all purpose flour to SR flour you need 2 teaspoons of baking powder for each cup of flour. So for this recipe I would mix 4 teaspoons of baking powder with the all purpose flour before adding it to the recipe.
If you want to use fruit juice in this recipe I think that freshly squeezed would work fine. I hope you enjoy it!
OMG this cake is amazing I substituted 250gms of the mixed fruit for trail mix and that turned out so nice, I am so happy with this and will definitely make it again.
Thank you so much
Glad you liked it Robyn. Thanks for the trail mix suggestion, I’ll have to give that a try next time!
Followed instructions.
Also…Lined pan with double layer of foil and then baking paper. Used lowest tray position with fan running entire time. Turned oven/fan off after two hours and left to sit for further two hours before removing from oven and cooling under tea towel.
Turned out absolutely perfect. Lasted less than 24 hours. It was a huge hit with family.
Have just made second cake using mango nectar. Looks fabulous. Will be cutting today.
Such a brilliant and easy cake to make.
I made another one yesterday using mango nectar (as an experiment) and it’s fabulous.
I soaked the fruit for twelve hours overnight in fridge in one litre of nectar. The next morning after a gentle stir I poured off excess nectar and disguarded. I added 1 tsp of baking powder to the 2 cups of SR flour for a better lift. After spooning into square pan I smoothed the top of this one with the back of a metal spoon and decorated with almonds for fun. After cooling in pan for the day ( hidden from family) I sliced it this morning for smoko. Another wonderful cake. Thank you so much for sharing this excellent easy recipe. I have always made the whole kit and caboodle cake at Xmas but not any more. This recipe is going to be the new favourite. ❤️
I’m glad to hear that this cake has been a hit with your family Janine! It is suprising how you can get such a nice cake with so little effort!
Thanks for the baking powder tip, I’ll have to try that next time. I still make my easy make Christmas cake each year (recipe on the blog) but I know many who use this recipe at Chrismtas time. Thanks for the feedback.
Instead of milk how about Baileys liquor
Sorry for the late reply Gilly! Yes you can use Baileys liqueur in this recipe. I have never tried it myself but I have seen many recipes similar to this one online that use Baileys. Most recipes that I have seen substitute some of the milk for Baileys. I did however see one recipe that soaked the fruit in just Baileys! I’d love to hear how it turns out if you do try it!
Hi Kaylene,
One question please. Do I need to have the soaked mixed fruits from the fridge to be at room temperature before I fold the flour into the fruit mixture. Appreciate your reply as I have my mixed fruits soaked n now in the fridge. Thank you.
Hi Catherine, you don’t have to have the fruit mixture at room temperature before adding the flour. I haven’t made this cake for a while, but from memory I lift the bowl of fruit out of the fridge just before preparing the tin. So the mixture will warm a little while you line the tin, set the oven, and the measure flour. It doesn’t matter if it is a bit cold still though! Hope you enjoy it!
Hi Kaylene,
One more question please:-
Do I need to wait for the soaked mixed fruit to be at room temperature before adding the self raising flour the next day ?
Thank you.
I am going to try using air fryer tomorrow.
Hi I added some cininman powder to mine and it’s nice
Great suggestion Kate, cinnamon would make it nice!
Here in Southern USA we use candied fruit such as red and green cherries and pineapple in a syrup. I also like dates. Would there be any problem substituting these instead of dried fruit?
Hi Pam, I think the candied cherries and dates would probably be okay in this recipe. I’m not sure how the pineapple in syrup would go though. You might have to cut back on some of the chocolate milk because of the liquid in the pineapple syrup. Perhaps you could just substitute some of the dried fruit for your cherries, dates and pineapple? You would also have to keep a closer eye on the cooking time too as it might be effected. I hope this helps!
Thanks for your advice. I should clarify I only use the fruit which is whole, no syrup. I chop the fruit before adding to batter. The dates are dried and I also like chopped pecans. I didn’t know if that changes anything you advised.
Hi Pamela, if you’re not adding the syrup you should be okay to use the pineapple and dates etc. That being said just keep a close eye on it while it’s baking just incase the changes impact the cooking time. I hope it works out for you and you enjoy it. Have a great Christmas!
Made this twice last Christmas, and froze it till the next Christmas, drizzled it with rum a few times. Was really good! Moist, and perfect texture.
Made this, froze it for a year, and occasionally would drizzle rum over it. Talk about good! Wow!
Thanks for your feedback Orville, it is great to hear that this cake is still go after a year in the freezer!
I can’t believe it actually worked!! The only reason for not 5 stars is it’s a little hard on too an the sides rather than sticky an soft. Perfect cake inside though!
Glad you liked it Billie!
Hi kaylene,
What do you mean by chocolate milk, is that chocolate milk shake. I’m in England and wondering if we have this over here. I am so looking forward to making this cake, it looks amazing.
Hi Lisa, chocolate milk is just chocolate flavoured milk. You can buy it here in Australia ready to drink at the supermarket, it is basically just milk, with some sugar and cocoa added. Homemade chocolate milk such as a milkshake would work just as well I’m sure.
I was wondering if you could use this recipe for a Christmas cake and feed it brandy. Make it in September/ October time ready to cover with the usual stuff? What would your thoughts be on this idea?
Hi Angie, I’m not sure that this fruit cake will store as long as a traditional Christmas cake. I have never tried storing it myself but this recipe has been shared many times online and most suggest that it will keep for up to 1 month. I know that some people do make this cake and use it as a Christmas cake but you would have to leave baking it until much closer to Christmas. You could probably make it a couple of weeks before Christmas and it would be fine to use over Christmas.
Hi Kaylene, just discovered this recipe this morning and had to make it straight away. Well I was very pleasantly surprised. 3 ingredients, I only had 500gms of fruit so halved the recipe right down to the cooking time. I did add a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg and took it out of the oven about 10 minutes before the hour was up. I also used a loaf pan to cook it in, to say I was surprised yes it was great not to dry or moist. My mother cooked very nice Christmas Cakes and this one reminded me of her cakes. Thanks for sharing this cake, I am making another one tonight for a friend.
Glad you liked it Narelle. It would be handy sometimes to halve the recipe to make a smaller fruit cake, I might give that a try one day!
Will be making this cake this week.Have you ever used wooden cake boxes for baking ?
I use only these now for fruit cakes but wonder if I need different temps when using your recipe Kaylene?
You can find them online at” wooden cake box company” .If your interested I think you would find this online site interesting
I Highly recommend baking this method of baking.I would love to have your input.
Thankyou for this recipe
I’ve never heard of wooden cake boxes Norma! Thank you for bring these to my attention! I’m sure you could make this cake in a wooden cake box. The website I looked at suggested that they need to be used at lower temperatures (150 deg C Max). So they would be great for this fruit cake as it bakes at 150 – 160 deg C even in a regular cake tin. Perhaps bake it at 140 to 150 deg C and then keep an eye on it towards the end of the baking time. It might just need a few minutes longer!