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Home » All Recipes » Light Fruit Cake

Light Fruit Cake

Dec 13, 2018 | Last Updated: Dec 18, 2023 | by Swati

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Light Fruit Cake Recipe without eggs, and alcohol and molasses. A light and fruity cake that you can make and eat at the same day. It is a perfect bake not only for Christmas, but also for any occasion.

This cake doesn't need any forward planning, no presoaking of fruits is needed. So, it is a quick option as compared to the Traditonal Christmas Cake.

Soft and moist cake with dried fruits and nuts and fruity flavours.

Light Fruitcake for Christmas
Table of Contents
  • About the Recipe
  • Why a fruit cake without eggs and alcohol
  • Ingredients to make Eggless Fruit Cake
  • How to make Light Fruit Cake
  • Pointers to make perfect Light Fruit Cake
  • Shelf Life and Storage
  • Can I freeze Eggless Alcohol Free Fruit Cake
  • More Fruit cake Recipes from the blog
  • Recipe Card

About the Recipe

Buttery, moist, fruity, eggless and alcohol-free!! Light Fruit Cake, this cake is a lighter version for the traditional Fruit Cake without any alcohol or molasses, perfect for kids and perfect for those who are not a fan of traditional fruitcake.

You can bake this cake for any occasion or for kids snack time/lunch box. It is perfect for your tea parties or gifting to your friends.

Why a fruit cake without eggs and alcohol

In India, many people avoid eggs and alcohol due to their religious sentiments but everyone wants to eat a cake and especially when it's Christmas time or on birthdays. Also, people avoid alcohol-based food items for kids and want a lighter version as many kids don't want too much of dried fruits/nuts in what they eat. They just want to enjoy just a cake.

It is perfect for the kids' party, to pack for lunch or snack time. It's a favorite among the adults too who love fruity cakes like my hubby and my dad who relish this with their chai(tea) !!

It's Christmas time, holidays are going to start within next few days, with kids around in the house and festivities, parties and guests, this cake is perfect for the Christmas time fun!!

The best part about this cake that you don't have to soak the dried fruits and nuts for days not even an hour.

Please note: The post is updated improvised with better method pics. The final pic in the video and post may differ.

Light Fruits Cake

Ingredients to make Eggless Fruit Cake

Flour- I used a mix of Whole Wheat flour, Semolina and All-Purpose Flour. You can use any flour combination of your choice, only the amount of liquid has to be adjusted as whole wheat and semolina absorb more moisture. You can use only Maida/All Purpose Flour. Also, use very fine semolina. If it a bit gritty then grind semolina to fine powder before using in the recipe.

Candied or Dried Fruits and Nuts- Raisins, Dried Cranberries, Dried Apricots, Dried Tutti-frutti, finely chopped almonds and cashew nuts. Dried Blueberries are my another favourite to add in this cake but this time I skipped as I ran out of it. You can add dried cherries, mango and candied orange peel.

Essence and Fruit juice- Use any fruit essence. Mixed Fruit, Pineapple/Strawberry/Orange or Raspberry essence. Orange juice to soak the dried fruits and nuts In place of orange juice, you can soak fruits in fresh pineapple juice, apple juice/pomegranate/ cranberry juice or even rum and vodka if it is fine with you.

Egg Replacer- I used Chia seeds and yogurt as egg replacer. Yogurt also adds softness to cake. Chia Chia seeds are a popular super food these days and used as egg-replacers.

Check my Chai Spiced Whole Wheat Apple Cake recipe, Eggless Biscoff Blondies

Sugar- Sugar (Raw Cane sugar or Castor Sugar). You can use brown sugar/jaggery, it will give dark color to cake.

Milk Powder- Since we are soaking dried fruits in orange juice, so will add milk powder instead of milk to add richness to the cake. It also adds flavour.

The cake always comes out well-baked with a nice crumb and is full of flavors!!

Eggless Fruit Cake without any Alcohol and No Molasses

Follow the recipe and trust me you will get a super yummy well-baked treat!!

How to make Light Fruit Cake

Checkout the video in Recipe card for stepwise method.

  • Sift together whole wheat flour, milk powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  • Zest orange and rub it in sugar.
  • Take out orange juice. It should be 1 cup. You can use more than 1 oranges.
  • Soak chia seeds along with dried fruits in orange juice. You can heat the juice to lukewarm and add fruits then. Do it 30 mins-1hr before preparing batter and baking cake.
  • When ready to bake, preheat oven at 350F/180C.
  • Soak semolina in milk.
Zest Orange
  • Beat together butter and sugar till light and fluffy.
  • Then add yogurt and vanilla essence.
  • Add flour, soaked semolina and then the soaked fruits and nuts.
  • Light fold the batter. Do not overbeat.
  • Transfer batter to a pan (lined with parchment paper and lightly oiled and dusted).
  • The batter fits in to a 9" by 5" loaf pan or 9" round cake pan. I have 8"by 4" loaf pan so used that and baked rest of the batter in 2 muffin cups.
  • Bake for about 40-50 mins. Check for cake is baked from center, a tooth pick should come out clean or with little crumbs.
Beat butter and sugar to creamy and fluffy
Add yogurt and vanilla essence or any fruit essence
Beat nicely
Add dry ingredients to creamy butter
Add soaked fruits and nuts
Fold the batter
Top with more fruits and nuts
Baked cake, cool on rack
Slice and enjoy

Pointers to make perfect Light Fruit Cake

  • Soak whatever dried fruits are available at home for at least 1 hr. You can soak for even more time, for a more rich flavor.
  • To add more flavor in cake I used fresh orange zest, rubbed it well in sugar and then added that sugar to cake. This way the cake gets more flavor. I always use this method whenever I flavor my cakes or muffins with any citrus fruits.
  • Soaking fruits at least for 1 hr, helps the nuts and fruit absorb moisture hence these become heavy and don't sink to the bottom while the cake bakes.
  • Soaking chia seeds in juice gave it a gel-like effect that worked quite well for my eggless cake.
  • Since I added orange juice to it along with soaked fruits, I replaced milk with milk powder to balance the liquid content of the cake.
  • Yogurt is used as egg-replacer and gives a soft texture to the cake. The final cake batter was so light and fluffy that I looked like the one with eggs.
  • The batter fits in to a 9" by 5" loaf pan or 9" round cake pan. I have 8"by 4" loaf pan so used that and baked rest of the batter in 2 muffin cups.

Shelf Life and Storage

Cool the cake completely and then refrigerate in an air tight container wrapped in a parchment paper or cling film. Do this if you are going to have it after 2-3 days.

Stays good for a week when refrigerated.

Serve it with Tea, Coffee or have it just like that.

Can I freeze Eggless Alcohol Free Fruit Cake

Fruitcakes can be frozen for a couple of months. Wrap it nicely in cling film and freeze the whole loaf or cake. Or, you can slice and wrap individual slices in parchment paper and store in a single freezer friendly bag or container with airtight lid.

More Fruit cake Recipes from the blog

Chocolate Fruit and Nut Cake(Christmas Special)
The best Moist and Chocolatey Eggless Chocolate Fruit and Nut Cake Recipe loaded with nuts dried fruits made with Whole Wheat Flour is perfect Christmas and also to celebrate any special occasions.
Check out this recipe
Christmas Chocolate Fruit Cake
Gluten-free, Dairy -free Light Fruitcake
A light dairy-free, gluten-free spiced fruit cake that needs no soaking of fruits days ahead of making. 
Check out this recipe
Eggless Tutti Fruitti Cake
Soft moist Eggless Tutti Fruitti Cake with goodness of Whole Wheat flour | Learn how to make Eggless Tutti Fruitti cake with detailed video
Check out this recipe

Recipe Card

Light Fruit Cake

Swati
Fruity, moist, light, buttery, eggless and alcohol-free fruitcake recipe| Learn how to make Light Fruit Cake(egg-free and alcohol-free).
5 from 3 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 50 minutes mins
Minimum Fruit Soaking Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, European

Ingredients
  

  • 1.5 cup Whole Wheat Flour see notes
  • ½ cup Semolina
  • ½ cup Milk Powder
  • 1 up Raw Cane Sugar or Castor Sugar (use fine sugar)
  • ½ cup Yogurt/Curd
  • ¾ cup Butter
  • ¼ Cup Olive Oil or use any other flavorless oil
  • 1 tsp Baking Powder
  • ½ tsp Baking Soda
  • 1 cup Mixed Dried Fruits,Nuts Almonds, Cashew nuts,Cranberries, Raisins, Blueberries,Cherries etc
  • 1 tsp Orange Zest freshly grated
  • 1 cup Orange Juice/Fresh or Store bought or use Pineapple Juice/Rum/Vodka
  • 1 tbsp Chia Seeds
  • 1 tbsp Mixed Fruit Essence/Vanilla or use any fruity essence (orange/strawberry/raspberry)
  • 1/4 tsp Salt if using unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup Milk to soak semolina/sooji

Instructions
 

  • Pre-heat The oven to 375°F or 190°C.
  • Grate the orange peel lightly without grating the white part just under it. The white part is bitter in taste.
    1 tsp Orange Zest
  • Rub this freshly grated orange zest in sugar. This step incorporates the orange oil from the zest in sugar and makes the bake more flavorful.
    1 up Raw Cane Sugar
  • Soak the mixed dried fruits, chia seeds and nuts in orange juice. Finely chop cashews and almonds or any other nuts.
    1 cup Mixed Dried Fruits,Nuts, 1 cup Orange Juice/Fresh or Store bought, 1 tbsp Chia Seeds
  • Sift together Wheat Flour, Milk Powder, Baking Powder and Baking Soda in a bowl. Add salt if using unsalted butter.
    1.5 cup Whole Wheat Flour, ½ cup Milk Powder, 1 tsp Baking Powder, ½ tsp Baking Soda, 1/4 tsp Salt
  • Soak semolina in 1/4 cup milk. Soaking softens semolina.
    ½ cup Semolina
  • Beat butter, oil, sugar and essence together till light and creamy. Add yogurt and mix nicely. The mixture will be light and fluffy.
    ½ cup Yogurt/Curd, ¾ cup Butter, ¼ Cup Olive Oil, 1 tbsp Mixed Fruit Essence/Vanilla
  • Add the flour mix and fold in the butter mix. Add the soaked fruits, then add juice as per the required consistency of the batter. 
  • Transfer batter to a parchment paper-lined or greased and dusted cake pan. 
  • Bake in the oven for 40-50 mins, at 350 F or 180 C.
  • After 40 mins, check for the doneness of the cake by inserting a toothpick or a skewer in the center of the cake, if it comes out with crumbs, take out of the oven, else, cover the pan with an aluminum foil and bake for another 10 more minutes. The final baked cake should leave the sides of the pan.
  • Once baked take out of the oven and cool on a wire rack. Let the cake cool completely and then cut it. Store in an air-tight container.

Video

Notes

  • Use Whole Wheat Flour or All Purpose Flour or both the flours in any proportion. 
  • Also, use fine semolina.
  • Soaking semolina makes it soft . If we add dry semolina it will absorb more moisture and cake may become dry. 
  • The cake tastes best the next day when the flavors of fruit and juice are fully absorbed in the cake.
  • Drizzle some melted white chocolate orange glaze made with icing/confectioners' sugar and orange juice to add some glamour to the cake or simply dust with icing sugar and enjoy the treat!!
Keyword Christmas Fruitcake, Eggless Christmas Cake
Did you try the recipe..Share @foodtrails25 or tag me #foodtrails25!
Tried this recipe?Share @foodtrails25 or tag me #foodtrails25!
Eggless Christmas Fruit cake no alcohol no molasses

Do try this soft and light fruit cake for Christmas or for any other occasion.

Taking to Fiesta Friday #254 by Angie, co-hosted by Antonia @ Zoale.com and Kat @ Kat’s 9 Lives

Also, whenever you try the recipe, I will love to hear/share your feedback or any queries in the comment section below. I will try to answer your queries as soon as possible.

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Thanks for stopping by!! Keep coming back!!

Swati

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. NeeraMalik

    January 01, 2024 at 4:40 am

    So tasty

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  2. Balvinder

    December 20, 2023 at 12:24 pm

    What a beautiful fruit cake and I love the use of chia seeds for eggs.

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    • Swati

      December 22, 2023 at 12:05 pm

      Thank you so much Balvinder.

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  3. Ronak Mehta

    August 20, 2020 at 9:58 pm

    The cake looks perfect and fabulous to bake for a special day. Yes, its definitely the best fruit cake. Lovely!!

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  4. Sandhya Ramakrishnan

    January 21, 2019 at 11:05 pm

    That is a gorgeous loaf and I love the texture of the fruit cake. Even though I baked some during holidays, after seeing your post I am craving to bake some more.

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  5. code2cook

    January 21, 2019 at 3:02 pm

    another awesome bake from you. fruit cake come out so moist and soft. perfect texture and a great snack with tea or kids tiffin box. great share.

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  6. Varada

    January 02, 2019 at 7:02 pm

    I have not had a fruit cake in a very long time. Your lighter version has turned out perfect with a great texture.

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  7. Renu Agrawal Dongre

    January 02, 2019 at 9:01 am

    Beautiful delicious and moist cake it is. Yum .

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  8. Priya Srinivasan

    December 31, 2018 at 5:49 am

    fruit cake looks very inviting dear! looks very pretty and that texture is perfect!!!

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  9. Veena Krishnakumar

    December 29, 2018 at 8:05 am

    This looks so beautiful and so light as the name suggests. Lovely bake

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  10. Simply Tadka

    December 28, 2018 at 7:58 am

    This cake look so interesting and tasty. perfect for any festive time.

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  11. Mireille Roc (@ChefMireille)

    December 27, 2018 at 4:43 am

    love the color you got on the cake - perfect holiday cake

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  12. srividhya

    December 21, 2018 at 9:59 pm

    I have tried baking this only with tutti-frutti. This looks great with that nuts... Thanks for those great tips.

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  13. gayathriraani

    December 21, 2018 at 5:05 am

    Such a beautiful fruit cake for the holidays. Loved reading your tips and it would help beginners so much with baking.

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  14. Suma Gandlur

    December 21, 2018 at 1:52 am

    Looks like one perfect fruit cake for those looking to avoid eggs / alcohol in it. It looks moist and perfectly made.

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  15. Pavani

    December 19, 2018 at 2:41 am

    That is the perfect holiday fruit cake -- so so moist and absolutely delicious. Using wholewheat flour and semolina sounds interesting and yummy!!

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  16. Sharmi

    December 17, 2018 at 8:54 am

    Combining Wheat flour and semolina in fruit cake is making this cake lighter! This looks super yum.

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  17. Nalini

    December 16, 2018 at 1:27 am

    Interesting fruit cake and love the texture of it.

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  18. Sharmila - The Happie Friends Potpourri Corner

    December 15, 2018 at 4:36 pm

    So light and beautiful texture!! Love such simple bakes!!

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  19. harini

    December 15, 2018 at 2:22 pm

    Very interesting ingredients and I am sure it tastes amazing as well.

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  20. Srivalli

    December 15, 2018 at 3:05 am

    Wow that fruit cake looks stunning and so light...fantastic one to bake!

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    • Swati

      December 15, 2018 at 3:45 am

      Thanks Srivalli!!

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  21. ParsiCuisine.com

    December 15, 2018 at 2:12 am

    Thanks for sharing this cake and joining the party at Fiesta Friday!

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    • Swati

      December 15, 2018 at 2:55 am

      Thanka Rita!! 🙂

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  22. usha

    December 14, 2018 at 7:56 pm

    Though it is an eggless cake, it is moist and had nice texture.

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  23. Kat

    December 14, 2018 at 7:51 pm

    The chia seeds are an interesting addition. I like chia seeds, so I would be willing to try it! Thanks for sharing at Fiesta Friday! Have a lovely weekend!

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  24. Kalyani

    December 14, 2018 at 9:13 am

    semolina in a buttery cake would be soooo loved by the kids ! ur cakes are truly awesome, swati !

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  25. Priya Suresh

    December 13, 2018 at 7:35 pm

    Such an interesting fruit cake with beautiful texture. Semolina in fruit cake, that seriously something innovative. And the cake looks absolutely super delicious.

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  26. Rafeeda - The Big Sweet Tooth

    December 13, 2018 at 8:53 am

    You have used a mix of flours and fats to make this bake interesting.... looks like a nice recipe... the crumb of the cake looks very tempting and the flavoring of orange will only amp up the cake...

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  27. Madhura Doshi

    December 13, 2018 at 8:13 am

    definitely going to try this soon!

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5 from 3 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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Swati Malik

A passionate foodie, food blogger.. blogging about my food experiences, and food stories.. Love to click pics and cook for my loved ones. Aham Bhramasmi!!

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A passionate foodie, food blogger.. blogging about my food experiences, and food stories.. Love to click pics and cook for my loved ones. Aham Bhramasmi!!

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