Mini Christmas Fruit Cakes with Soft Icing
Moist spiced mini cakes loaded with soaked dried fruit and walnuts, finished with a soft vanilla icing.
Equipment
- Two 12 cup muffin tins or mini cake tins
- Mixing bowls
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 10 oz raisins for soaking
- 5 oz dried apricots chopped small, for soaking
- 2 ½ oz mixed candied peel diced, for soaking
- 5 oz candied cherries chopped small, for soaking
- 6 oz pitted dates diced, for soaking
- 1 ⅛ cup apple juice for soaking, or 1/3 brandy and 2/3 juice
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 1 ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp molasses
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 3 large eggs
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 ⅔ cup all purpose flour
- ¾ cup chopped walnuts optional
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar for the icing
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter softened, for the icing
- ½ tsp vanilla extract for the icing
- 2 tbsp milk for the icing, add more as needed
Instructions
Cooking
- Soak. Soak the dried fruit in the apple juice for about 1 hour.
- Mix the batter. Cream the butter and brown sugar, add the oil, molasses, fruit, and eggs, then fold in the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices.
- Bake. Fill lined mini tins three quarters full and bake at 320 degrees F for 30 to 35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool. Let the cakes cool completely in the tins.
- Ice. Whisk the icing ingredients until spreadable, spread over the cakes, and dust with powdered sugar.
Notes
Substitutions: Use golden syrup for the molasses. Replace a third of the juice with brandy if you like.
Tips: Soak the fruit fully and cool the cakes before icing. Do not taste raw batter.
Storage: Keep iced cakes airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze unfrosted cakes for up to 3 months.