Eggless Buttermilk Fruit Cake
This moist and tender loaf is packed with warm spices and sweet dried fruits. It’s the perfect “quick bread” style fruit cake for when you want a holiday-worthy treat without the extra work.
Ingredients
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1 1/2 cups (200g) All-purpose flour
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3/4 cup (150g) Light brown sugar (firmly packed)
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2 cups (300g) Dried or candied fruits (raisins, currants, dates, figs, cranberries, apricots, or mixed peel)
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1 cup (240ml) Buttermilk (room temperature)
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1/2 cup (113g) Unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
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1 teaspoon Baking soda
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1/2 teaspoon Salt
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1/2 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
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Spices: 3/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp cloves
Instructions
Step 1: Prep and Mix Dry Ingredients
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Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.
Step 2: Prepare the Fruit
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Add your 2 cups of dried/candied fruits to the flour mixture.
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Toss them gently so the fruit is coated in flour—this prevents the fruit from sinking to the bottom of the cake while baking.
Step 3: Mix Wet Ingredients
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In a separate bowl, whisk the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth.
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Stir in the buttermilk and vanilla extract.
Step 4: Combine and Bake
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Pour the wet ingredients into the dry fruit-and-flour mixture.
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Stir gently just until combined. Do not overmix, or the cake will be tough.
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Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
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Bake for 55–65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Step 5: Cool
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Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then lift it out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.