The Ultimate Fresh Fruit Cake (Works With Any Fruit!)

This Fresh Fruit Cake recipe is such a handy one to keep in your back pocket because It is the most adaptable cake ever! It is the best way to use up an abundance of any fruit, even if it’s past its prime. I have nicknamed it “compost cake”, because it is the most delicious last stop for all the random fruit you have lying around instead of having to throw it in the compost. 

Fresh fruit cake

This was originally a plum cake recipe, and although the plum version is probably still my favourite, I’ve adapted it so you can put virtually any fruit in this cake, and it always works perfectly. It’s truly a miracle Fresh Fruit Cake.

Fresh Fruit Cake: The origin story

I originally fell in love with this cake while working in a farm shop in Scotland. It’s an amazing place called Loch Arthur in a tiny village called Beeswing. The Loch Arthur kitchen cranks out the most beautiful pies, soups, salads, scones (yep, the same scones I’ve written about) and cakes, like this one.

Because we grew most of our own produce, we often had an abundance of certain fruit, and needed to find creative ways to use things up. This Fresh Fruit Cake was a life saver in that kitchen. We relied on its flexibility when we had too many plums, too many apples (if there is such a thing) or other delicious odds and ends.

Fresh fruit cake
Look how juicy this cake is!

What makes this Fresh Fruit Cake so good?

There are so many reasons to love this cake. 

  1. It’s ridiculously easy. I truly believe that no matter how hard you try, you will not screw it up. 
  2. It’s super moist! The fruit to cake ratio in this recipe is almost 50/50, which makes it pretty much impossible to dry out and it actually manages to get better over time. Three days on the counter at room temperature and it’s still totally fruity, juicy and delicious. 
  3. This cake is fancy enough to serve to friends at a dinner party, maybe with a little vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. (Or  creme fraiche for ultra-fancy) But because it’s so fruit-forward, you can even get away with having it for breakfast with a spoonful of yogurt, or packing it in your kid’s lunch. 
  4. Bonus: This cake is dairy free, which is handy when some of your friends are lactose intolerant. 

Ingredients

  • Flour – I like using a combination of all-purpose and whole wheat flour, but if all you have is all-purpose, that works too.
  • Eggs – I always use large eggs when baking
  • Oil – Any neutral oil will do
  • Sugar – A combination of white and brown
  • Baking powder – For lift
  • Baking soda – Also for lift
  • Salt – Because every baking project is better with a pinch of salt
  • Cinnamon – Although you can mix up the spices depending on your preferences
  • Fresh fruit – The star of the show! You can use any combination of fruit in this cake
Fresh fruit cake

How to make this Fresh Fruit Cake

The process for making this cake could not be simpler.

  • Preheat the oven to 350
  • Whisk the wet ingredients
  • Fold in the flour mixture followed by the chopped fruit.
  • Tip the batter into a prepared pan, and bake for about an hour or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. 

Endless Combinations Of Ingredients

I feel a bit weird even calling this a recipe. It’s so flexible that you can almost do whatever you want with it. What I’m giving you is a framework within which you can take in an endless number of directions based on what you like, and what you have on hand. Along with the endless fruit combinations, you can switch out the spices too. You can also top this cake with nuts, seeds, or other toppings to mix things up.

What fruit and spice combinations work well?

Here are a few ideas to kick things off and get your creative juices flowing:

  • Plum and cinnamon – this is the classic version
  • Apple and pear – with a sprinkle of oats on top
  • Banana – you can add walnuts and/or chocolate chips too
  • Pineapple – topped with a sprinkle of coconut
  • Pears and fresh ginger – with sliced pears on top
  • Grapes – this one is nice when you replace the cinnamon with rosemary, and use olive oil instead of vegetable oil

Success tips

I find that sticking to one or two ‘showcase’ ingredients, like the combinations above, make the cake feel more sophisticated. But when all you have a few mushy bananas, a bruised apple, and a bag of frozen blueberries, you’ve got yourself a fruit cake. And a damn good one too!

You can include some dried fruit as well, but avoid using 100% dried fruit. Some raisins or dates are great, but the juiciness of this cake really comes from the fresh fruit. And I won’t even talk about candied fruits. Let’s not go there.

Fresh fruit cake

A few words on measuring techniques

Ok so I’m a humongous proponent of using a digital scale for baking. Using a scale means that I can easily use one bowl for recipes like this. My method is to mix with the wet ingredients in a large bowl, then set a sieve on top and weigh the dry ingredients into the sieve, zeroing out the scale after each addition. That way, the dry ingredients are being combined through the sifting process, alleviating the need for me to whisk together the flour, baking powder and spices in a separate bowl. All that being said, I have included both weight and cup measures in the recipe so don’t panic if you haven’t converted to team digital scale yet. 

Loaves, Slabs, or Rounds. It’s Your Call.

Fresh fruit cake

You can bake this cake in almost whatever shape you want. For a slab cake, use  an 8 x 12 brownie tin. For loaves, use two loaf pans. If you prefer a round cake, which is often a nice option if you’re entertaining guests, use two 8 inch round cake tins. 

Note: I do not recommend you bake this recipe in muffin tins. It’s so juicy that the muffins don’t hold together that well.

I hope you find this cake as delicious and flexible as I do. Be sure to comment with your favourite combinations!

-Paula

Fresh fruit cake

The Ultimate Fresh Fruit Cake (Works With Any Fruit!)

Make this fresh fruit cake when you have tons of random fruit that needs to be used! It miraculously turns out perfectly every time!
4.77 from 13 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Dessert
Cuisine British
Servings 24 servings
Calories 215 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
 
 

  • 3 eggs
  • 235 grams oil
  • 150 grams granulated sugar
  • 150 grams light brown sugar
  • 250 grams all purpose flour
  • 120 grams whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 925 grams chopped fruit of your choice

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, and sugars.
  • Add the dry ingredients and fold to combine.
  • Fold in the fruit.
  • Transfer the batter into your parchement paper lined pan. This recipe fits one 8 x 12 brownie tin, two round 8″ cake pans, or two loaf tins.
  • Bake for one hour or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Notes

  • This recipe was edited in Sept 2023 and now uses slightly less sugar than before. I find it is still sweet enough! For the previous version, use 200g of each sugar instead of 150g for a single batch of cake.

Nutrition

Calories: 215kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 3gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.04gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 163mgPotassium: 107mgFiber: 1gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 164IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 21mgIron: 1mg
Keyword cake, loaf
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

10 Comments

  1. Just discovered your site (was it? maybe? through a Root Cellar email??) and I’m really enjoying getting to know you on YouTube and this site. This cake had my name written all over it, so had to try it, and the result was fantastic! Thank you so much. This is now my go-to recipe for a modest fruit loaf that can also be elevated to special cake status. For the sake of your readers, I will share my mods: used half the sweetener (!), subbed in some oats for part of the flour, added a few walnuts, and used the following fruit: rhubarb/cardamom pulp leftover after making cordial/syrup, a fresh apple, frozen mixed berries, coconut flakes, prunes, dried apricots. Your instructions were great, making this recipe a breeze to customize. It does make a lot, which is why I had to keep adding fruits, but this gave plenty to share around. Thanks again Paula!

    • Paula Hingley

      Hi Helene! Great to connect! That all sounds great! Yes the sugar level is a funny one because it does kinda depend on which fruit you use. I’m always a fan of adding nuts and subbing oats too. I feel like this cake has adapted to anything I’ve thrown at it. So glad it’s working for you too 🙂

  2. 5 stars
    I just made it. I halved the recipe and rounded the number of eggs up to two. I weighed the fruit (yellow nectarine peaches) but measured the other ingredients in ml. The nectarine peaches (I bought fresh ones specially for this cake) were still very firm; I didn’t peel them – just washed them and cut them into chunks, then chopped them in the food processor but not to a pulp. I baked the cake in a silicon bundt pan, and (in my oven) it needed 70 minutes. It turned out very well. I love these “template recipes” where you’re given the ratios of the ingredients but can substitute a key flavor ingredient (in this case the fruit). The possibilities are endless, and you can use a single fruit, or different fruits in combination. I’m already planning the next cake, and will choose one or more of the following for it: (fresh) apricots, yellow cling peaches, plums.

  3. It looks awsome . Thanks for sharing this recipe.

  4. 5 stars
    Simple yet yummy fresh fruit cake.. Must try for everyone.

  5. 5 stars
    This is the best fruit cake recipe that I have tried!
    I have done it in may variations: just apples, apples and raspberries, peaches and raspberries, blueberies instead of raspberries – it is amazing anytime! I love it for breakfast, with coffee or milk, or just the cake as a mid day snack.

    • Ahh I love hearing this! I make it sooo many times every year for this reason! So glad you love it too 🙂

  6. We love this cake and the huge amount of fruit it uses! I would like to get more whole grains in there. Do you think it would work with 2 cups whole wheat and 1 cup all purpose? Thanks!

    • Yes! I often swap in some whole wheat and it always works out. (I swear this cake can handle anything! Lol!) So glad you’re enjoying it 🙂

  7. Any tips on how to rescue a cake that came out too wet? I think I should have drained off the juice that was seeping from my chopped plums. I baked it an extra 20 minutes, but I’ve still got pockets that are dense, wet and doughy, kind of like bread pudding but not as appetizing, plus I’m worried that the doughiness might give eaters a tummy ache. I don’t think the whole cake is underbaked because the wet pockets are distributed rather than more in the center. I’m rebaking some thin slices on a wire rack to see if I can turn it into crackers. Tried a biscotti-slice rebake, but it seemed to just get a skin on the doughy parts. Suggestions? Is there a risk of tummy ache? Thanks

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