Fruit and Nut Christmas Cake

Christmas never feels the same without a traditional fruit and nut Christmas cake! This Christmas Walnut and Dried Fruits Cake is my ultimate holiday cake. The sour cream, rum, and butter keep this fruit cake beautifully moist and it’s packed with chopped walnuts, sweet raisins, dried cherries, and chopped dates.

The rum-infused Christmas cake is then topped with a sugar glaze before served as is, with whipped cream, creamy ice cream, or warm custard!

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT CHRISTMAS WALNUT AND DRIED FRUITS CAKE

Fruit cake is a popular Christmas cake with roots in England, although it actually originated in ancient Roman times! This traditional cake was originally made of a mix of raisins, barley mash, pine nuts, pomegranate seeds, and honey wine.

HOW SHOULD I STORE LEFTOVER CHRISTMAS FRUIT CAKE?

This holiday cake can be stored in the fridge or in a cool area for up to 5-7 days. In both instances, wrap the cake or leftover slices tightly with plastic wrap or foil and place it in an airtight container.

The plastic wrap or foil will help prevent the cake from drying out while in storage.

CAN I FREEZE THIS WALNUT AND DRIED FRUITS CAKE?

Yes, you can! Once cooled, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and again with aluminum foil and then store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and then garnish with glaze if you haven’t done so before freezing the cake.

You can also store leftover individual slices of this Christmas fruit cake which makes it a lot easier to thaw and enjoy the exact amount of cake later on.

WHAT CAN I DO TO PREVENT MY CAKE FROM STICKING TO THE CAKE PAN?

Applying a generous amount of baking non-stick spray (like Wilton Bake Easy Non-Stick Spray which has flour in it) or butter to the entire surface area of the cake pan will help prevent the baked cake batter from sticking to the pan when you try to remove the cake.

You could also try to loosen the cake from the pan by using a small curved spatula.

HOW CAN I VARY THIS RECIPE?

• Make your Christmas fruit cake gluten-free by using gluten-free flour such as Bob’s Red Mill or even a plant-based flour.
• I’ve topped this cake with a simple creamy sugar glaze. You can add some orange oil or vanilla extract to the glaze for added flavor. While the milk helps to thicken the glaze, you could also use cream for an even thicker glaze or use water instead for a thin glaze.
• Chopped walnuts are my favorite for this cake but you can also use chopped pecans, or chopped or sliced almonds. 
• Dried whole cherries work great in this cake but you could opt for maraschino cherries (halved or whole) if you’d like to add juicy sweetness.
• For a non-alcoholic Christmas cake, pour cherry juice into the cake holes instead of the rum.

TIPS FOR MAKING CHRISTMAS WALNUT AND DRIED FRUITS CAKE

• Pouring the rum into the cake holes and topping the cake with sugar glaze while the cake is still warm helps the cake to absorb these ingredients, creating a super flavorful and moist cake!
• Tap the cake pan with the batter gently against the countertop to remove any air bubbles in the batter.
• I don’t recommend substituting the sour cream in this recipe. The sour cream adds delicious flavor to the cake batter and provides a good amount of moisture. Without it, this type of cake can be dry and crumbly.

If you want to make this cake in advance, either leave the glaze off until just before serving, or wrap the cake with toothpicks around the cake to prevent the glaze sticking to the plastic wrap.

More Christmas Recipes to Enjoy

• Christmas Peanut Butter Fudge
• Grinch Christmas Cookies
• Cinnamon Roll Christmas Tree
• Air Fryer Christmas Cookies
• Pull Apart Christmas Rolls