There’s no two ways about it: fruitcake is a food foul. It’s horrendous. I wouldn’t be surprised if the origin of fruitcake could be traced back to the devil himself.
I hate fruitcake.
So I made a fruitcake. Ha!
But this is not the gummy brick-shaped lump of clay served by Satan’s kitchen staff. This is an old family recipe that turns the curse of the fruitcake on its bumble and sets things right in the world again.
Introducing the… Not a Fruitcake Fruitcake.
Here’s my recipe for a holiday dessert so good that it’s a shame it has the word fruitcake in its name!
Not A Fruitcake Fruitcake Recipe
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup milk
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup jam I used red plum
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ⅓ cup raisins
- ⅓ cup dried cherries
- ⅓ cup chopped dates
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- 1 Tbsp flour
- 2 cups flour
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
Topping
- 10 pineapple rings 1 large can
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ cup sugar
- 2 cups milk
- 3 eggs
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup coconut
- 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp cloves
- 5 maraschino cherries
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 round layer cake pan, but nonstick pans are preferable for this recipe.
- In small bowl toss dried fruits with 1Tbsp flour; set aside.
- Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs; beat until smooth.
- Add jam, milk and vanilla; beat until smooth.
- In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to wet ingredients. Beat on medium speed until smooth.
- Fold in dried fruit mix.
- Pour equally into two round cake layer pans.
- Bake 30-40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool in pans for 10 minutes; remove from pans onto cooling rack to cool completely.
Topping
- Lay out pineapple slices onto foil-covered baking sheet. Sprinkle with brown sugar and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from oven; set aside.
- In large bowl, combine coconut, pecans and raisins; set aside.
- Blend sugar, flour and eggs in a mixer and then cook over medium heat until mixture reaches a boil, stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat and whisk in the cinnamon and cloves. Stir in the coconut, pecans and raisins.
- Spread a thin layer of the mixture on the top of one cake layer, and then 5 pineapple slices. Lay other cake layer on top and spread remaining topping over entire cake. (The finer the nuts are chopped, the easier it will be to spread.)
- Decorate the cake top with the five remaining pineapple slices, placing a maraschino cherry into the center of each ring.
- Add a touch of fruit or coconut to center of cake, if desired.
sandra s says
for years i made the most delicious fudge using chocolate chips and condensed milk.
sandra s says
For years , I made the most wonderful fudge, with condensed milk and cholate chips.
CharityS says
My sweet potato cheesecake
Lisa L says
I love making Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti. Super easy and delicious!
trixx says
I make Sugar Coated Pecans. Soooo good!
tina reynolds says
my favorite thing to make is gingerbread cookies and lots of fudge
Lesley F says
My family loves my crab dip that is served with sour dough bread
Selene M. says
Holiday recipes include Chex Mix, about 15 double batches, cookies – Toll House, peanut butter, Mexican Wedding Rings, oatmeal, and press varieties.,
Allyson Bossie says
We make a cheesecake every year, and it is the only time we make one. I look forward to that all year
natalie parvis says
I make a pumpkin cheesecake that is always a hit.
Brittney House says
I would love to make the Peppermint bark.
ellen casper says
My grandmothers plum pudding recipe
Betsy Barnes says
I would love to make the Ice Cream Ornaments, so cute and fun!! 🙂
Gina H. says
Peppermint bark.
Julie Lawson says
I make a pumpkin cake that my kids love.
Amy W. says
I make pecan tarts and they are my favorite.
Itzia says
I make molasses cookies.
lissa crane says
My favorite thing to make is my grandma’s apple pie!
Jasmine P says
I always make Creme Brulee! It is my favorite dessert!
Carolyn Daley says
My favorite holiday recipe is for snickerdoodle cookies. We bake them every December.
Wanda McHenry says
My favorite to make is Russian Tea Balls.
carey p says
eggnog pie!
Cheryl F. says
My favorite are snowball cookies.
Carol says
I like to make pecan pie.
judy gardner says
we make peanut butter balls (like buckeyes) and they are my favorite!
Melissa Nagy says
I make spiced pumpkin bars. They’re always a hit!
kim says
I make pizzelles, they are my favorite
denise says
I like making little smokies wrapped in bacon.
Crystal F says
Ham! We eat a ton of ham around this time of the year. My hubby is a master at it. Thank you!
Christy Anderson says
I like to make pecan pie around the holidays!
Allison Downes says
My favorite holiday recipe is a pumpkin roll.
Thank you for the great giveaway!
mary gardner says
I love coconut cake so I always make one for Christmas to make sure I get a piece!
Diane Sallans says
I make an applesauce cake, but that fruitcake seems quite yummy!
FRANK S says
My favorite holiday recipe is egg nog.
Jen F says
I love making homemade fun and then homemade sugar cookies!
Colette @JamericanSpice says
Ooh I love to make my candied yams recipe!
The kids love it!
Angela Hartness says
My favorite holiday recipe is Fudge. Everyone loves getting my Fudge in my family.
Tabathia B says
I love making candied yams with marshmallows
Sacha Schroeder says
I make a sweet potato pie that everyone loves!
Sonya Morris says
I make a yummy chess pie that everyone loves for the holidays.
sandra says
gingerbread men
Sarah Elyce says
I make pies using my great-grandmother’s crust recipe. I make apple, cherry, pumpkin, etc.
Ari T. says
We usually make a few types of festive breads like cranberry nut and pumpkin spice mixed in with bananas.
Debra Hall says
i would love to try the Not a Fruitcake Fruitcake it looks so good
Bridget Merker says
I love to make Peach Cobbler.
Ashley H says
I like making gingerbread.
Sue says
I always make clam dip at the holidays and everyone loves it
Rebecca Graham says
I make a New York cheesecake that everyone likes.
Noreen says
Gingerbread cookies and toffee
Cynthia R says
I make a chocolate pie around the holidays.
Dawn Lopez says
YUM, this sounds fantastic! Woman, you are really making me hungry today!
Rosey says
It’s a pretty cake. I’ve never tried traditional fruit cake, nor do I care to try it. 😉 This one I would eat in a heartbeat.
latanya says
my potato salad
Stefanie Gladden says
I love making my moms apple pie recipe! it’s delicious!!
Danielle says
i love making cheesecakes for dessert!
Seyma Shabbir says
My cinnamon walnut baklava
Alissa Apel says
My sugar cookies are a hit!
Jennifer T. says
I make a homemade cranberry relish with cranberries, apples, and pears that everyone likes.
jtmagmom73(at)gmail(dot)com
Julie Lynn Bickham says
I love to make mince pie.
Daphne Turner says
The 1/3 cup of dried cranberries in the list of cake ingredients appears twice. Should something else go in instead of the second listing of dried cranberries, or should I just ignore the second one? Thanks–
Mami2jcn says
I make a delicious carrot cake.
brian miller says
you actually make fruitcake look edible…ha…my father in law eats the rubber looking log every year….nas-Ty
Stephen says
I like to make Buckeyes!
heather baker says
I love our family sweet potato casserole during the holidays, nothing like it.
Ms. A says
Yours doesn’t look anything like the dreaded fruitcake I’m not fond of, it looks delicious!
Joanne Gregory says
I make a green and red cherry pound cake every year. It is my favorite and my signature holiday cake!
Jessica To says
I would make a hummingbird cake!
Alicia K says
i make a double layer pumpkin pie that is a family favorite each Christmas!