Just in time for the holidays, this super moist and tender, festive yogurt fruitcake is the perfect blend of yogurt, dried fruits and nuts. It's gorgeous, flavourful, and a total show stopper served for dessert after Christmas dinner, alongside brunch or even as a mid-day snack.
Festive yogurt fruitcake is particularly a great snack to take in to work or school, as it is loaded with dried fruit and nuts, it can easily double as an "energy bar". It will give you an energy boost or put a smile on your face when you are eating it. Holidays or not, I gravitate to this recipe all year round.
Another reason that I gravitate towards this recipe is that it is super easy to make. You pretty much combine the dry ingredients to the wet ones, pour the batter into a loaf pan, and bake. It is a great recipe for beginners with a passion for baking to start with.
The Secret to Super Moist Fruitcake
- Yogurt. It is no surprise that using yogurt will give you a moist cake. Yogurt is also great source of fat, not your typical fat but the good fat, the kind that your body and brain needs. as opposed to typically used cream cheese which more processed
- Water bath. A water bath is the process used to bake this cake. You simply place the loaf pan into a large baking pan with hot water and place in the oven. The water bath will help the cake cook evenly and will make it more moist.
- Dried fruit = less sugar. Since there is lots of dried fruit in this recipe, you don't need to use as much sugar. In fact, this recipe uses half of the sugar that is recommended in most fruitcake recipes. You can also substitute and use any kind of dried fruit (and nuts) that you like.
So less sugar and more good fat. Who doesn't want that?
How to Store Fruitcake
This fruitcake is best stored at room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap, and consumed in 2-3 days. It stays moist and fresh for days.
To store longer than 3 days, wrap the fruitcake in plastic wrap and store in the fridge. Note that when stored in the fridge, the fruitcake will dry out slightly and it will not retain the same level of moistness as when stored at room temperature. Thus why room temperature is recommended.
Recipe
Yogurt Fruitcake
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: 1 loaf cake
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Perfect for the holidays, this super moist and tender, festive yogurt fruitcake is loaded with dried fruits and nuts for a burst of flavour in every bite.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ⅓ cup pine nuts
- ⅓ cup walnuts, crushed
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup plain full-fat yogurt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup raisins (or dried cherries)
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- ⅓ cup dried dates, chopped (approximately 7 pieces)
- 1 tablespoon strawberry jam (optional)
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 F. Line a standard loaf pan with parchment paper, then lightly grease with baking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, pine nuts, walnuts, and salt, and stir together. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix together yogurt, melted butter and brown sugar together using a hand mixer on medium high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add in dried fruits (raisins, cranberries, dates), jam and egg. Mix together for another minute.
- Pour the dried fruit mixture into the flour mixture and mix together using a spatula until just combined. Let the batter sit for 3 minutes. Pour batter into loaf pan.
- Place the loaf pan into a water bath (a large baking pan with hot water). The water will help the cake cook evenly and will make it more moist. Place into middle rack in the oven and bake for 1.5 hours (90 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean with few to no crumbs. Use the edges of the parchment paper to lift the cake out of the pan. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
Notes
- You can substitute and use any kind of dried fruit and nuts that you like.
- To store, wrap cake tightly with plastic wrap to retain moisture. The fruitcake can be stored this way for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to a week in the refrigerator.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Amanda says
What a great cake! The yogurt gives it so much moisture, and I love the flavor those sweet fruits add. And it's so simple to make!
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
Thanks Amanda! It's so perfectly moist and you are right, super easy to make!
Chef Dennis says
This Yogurt Fruitcake looks gorgeously delicious! And this is really making me crave right now. The blend of yogurt, dried fruits and nuts made it perfect. Can't wait to have a bite!
Sam | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you! It's one of my favourites! Let me know if you make it 🙂