Looking for an Easy Fruit Cake Recipe? This last minute Christmas Cake Traybake is packed with dried fruit, moist, fragrant and delicious. It is also suitable for those on the Slimming World plan – yay!
You will also like my Slimming World Cheesecake
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Fruit cake can divide opinion, much like Brussels Sprouts or Marmite. Some people love it, others aren’t fond of dried fruit in cakes (looking at you, kids of mine). Yet a fruity Christmas cake is a must come the festive season, IMHO.
This last minute fruit cake needs to be eaten soon after it is baked as it doesn’t contain alcohol. You can also freeze as it keeps really well for several months.
Believe it or not, this light fruit cake is based on a Slimming World recipe, making it suitable for those wanting to indulge while still watching their diet.
Unlike traditional Christmas Cakes, this has no marzipan or icing (I find them quite cloying anyway!) just a light glaze.
There’s approximately 5-6 syns and just over 100 calories per serving if you lice into 20 squares, less if you slice into more squares!
What Goes Into My Slimming World Fruit Cake
This easy fruit cake uses Sukrin sweetener instead of sugar and is dairy free. I used a square cake pan but you can also bake it in a round tin if you prefer. Since this recipe also contains pumpkin purée, I guess we could call it a Pumpkin Fruit Cake and serve it at Thanksgiving?
- Mixed dry fruit – a mix of raisins, sultanas, currants, dried cranberries and citrus peel. Feel free to use your favourite combination.
- Strong black tea or herbal tea to soak the fruit
- Alcohol – this is NOT a boozy Christmas cake however I leave it up to you whether to add some or not. I put a couple of tablespoons of brandy in with my dried fruit.
- Pumpkin purée – I used canned pumpkin purée for ease, but you can also boil and mash some squash if you like.
- Large eggs – room temperature.
- Flour – a mix of plain and wholemeal flour for added fibre.
- Sweetener – I used Sukrin Gold to keep the recipe slimming friendly. Other sweeteners I recommend are Swerve, or can use brown sugar if you like.
- Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- Orange zest, mixed spice, ground cinnamon, ginger and cloves or a Christmas spice mix.
- Powdered sweetener for the glaze (optional)
HOW TO MAKE MY EASY FRUIT CAKE RECIPE
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
Brew some black tea, using 3 tea bags and leave to steep for 5 minutes. You can also use herbal tea such as cinnamon or spiced apple.
Place the mixed dried fruit in a bowl and add the hot tea and brandy if using. Leave the fruit for a couple of hours, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed and fruit has plumped up. You can do this overnight, if you like.
Preheat the oven to 160C (325F) or 140C (300F) Fan Setting. Mist a 20cm/ 8 inch square cake tin with cake release spray or grease with flour and line baking parchment, letting the edges overhang slightly.
Put the pumpkin purée, sweetener, eggs, orange zest in a bowl and stir together. Stir in the dried fruit, mixing well.
Sift the spices, salt, soda bicarb and flour over the bowl. Mix well until no dry streaks remain.
Spoon the batter into your prepared tin and level. Bake for about 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean and the cake feels firm to the touch.
Lift the cake out of the tin and place on a wire rack to cool. Mix the ingredients for the glaze and drizzle over the cake. Slice to serve or keep well wrapped with greaseproof paper and foil for up to three days at room temperature. Alternatively wrap and freeze for up to three months.
Pumpkin or Butternut Squash Purée From Scratch
Boil 250g cubed squash or pumpkin for 15-20 minutes or until fork tender. Drain well, pat dry and use a food processor or immersion blender to blitz into a smooth purée.
Make sure to cool the purée before using it in the fruit cake, otherwise it might scramble the eggs!
HAVE YOU MADE MY SLIMMING WORLD FRUIT CAKE RECIPE? Please leave a rating, post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day!
Easy Fruit Cake – Slimming Friendly
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 450 g (1 lb) mixed dried fruit raisins, currants, dried cranberries etc
- 240 ml (1 cup) strong tea black tea or herbal tea such as cinnamon
- 2 tbsp brandy or spiced rum (optional)
- 250 g (2 ⅙ cups) pumpkin purée see notes about homemade
- 4 tbsp Sukrin Gold or brown sugar
- 2 large eggs , lightly beaten
- Zest of 1 orange
- 100 g (¾ cups) wholemeal flour
- 100 g (¾ cups) plain flour (all purpose)
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 2 tsp mixed spice
- ½ ground cinnamon
- ½ ground ginger
- Pinch cloves
Glaze (optional)
- 4 tbsp powdered Sukrin
- A little water
Decorations
- Rosemary sprigs
Instructions
- Brew the tea, using 3 black tea bags and leave to steep for 5 minutes. You can also use herbal tea such as cinnamon or spiced apple.
- Place the mixed dried fruit in a bowl and add the hot tea and brandy if using. Leave the fruit for a couple of hours, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed and fruit has plumped up. You can do this overnight if you like.
- Preheat the oven to 160C (305F) or 140C (285F) Fan Setting. Mist a 20cm/ 8 inch square cake tin with cake release spray or grease with flour and line baking parchment, letting the edges overhang slightly.
- Put the pumpkin purée, sweetener, eggs, orange zest in a bowl and stir together.
- Stir in the dried fruit, mixing well.
- Sift the spices, salt, soda bicarb and flour over the bowl. Mix well until no dry streaks remain.
- Spoon the batter into your prepared tin and level.
- Bake for about 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean and the cake feels firm to the touch.
- Lift the cake out of the tin and place on a wire rack to cool.
- Mix the powdered sweetener with a tiny bit of water until you have a glaze. Drizzle over the cake (optional). Decorate with rosemary sprigs.
- Slice to serve or keep well wrapped with greaseproof paper and foil for up to three days at room temperature.
Karen says
this is a quick & easy recipe to make taste so moist light & deliciously fruity
Nikki says
Found my cake recipe for this year!