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–+ servings
A moist fruit cake made without alcohol sitting in a stainless steel loaf pan on a wood cutting board. The fruit cake has an orange rind topping.

Moist Fruit Cake Without Alcohol

This deliciously moist fruit cake recipe made without alcohol has a buttery crumb and deliciously sweet fruit and crunchy nuts. It packs on the flavor, perfect for family holidays and get-togethers with friends, or just when you need a healthy-ish dessert.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Make and Add the Juicy Topping 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Serving Size 2 loaves

Equipment

  • 2 loaf pans, 8.5 x 4.5-inch (or a large bundt pan)
  • electric mixer (or large mixing bowl and spoon)
  • measuring cups and spoons
  • Large and medium mixing bowls
  • cutting board
  • knife
  • chopstick or cherry pitter (if your cherries have pits in them)
  • spatula

Ingredients

Make the Fruit Cake

  • 1¾ cup Sugar
  • 2 sticks Softened, unsalted butter
  • 3 Eggs
  • 1 tsp Sea salt 
  • 1 tbsp Orange juice
  • 1½ tsp Baking soda
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 1 cup Buttermilk  (or coconut milk)
  • 3 cups Flour, divided
  • 2 cups Dried dates, chopped
  • 2 cups Walnuts, chopped (or chopped pecans)
  • 2 cups Cherries, pits removed
  • 1 tbsp Orange zest, finely grated

Make the Juicy Topping

  • ½ cup Orange juice
  • ½ cup Cherry juice
  • 1 cup Sugar  
  • 1 cup Grated orange zest (The finer, the better.)
  • 1 cup Shredded coconut (Optional)

Instructions

Bake the Fruit Cake

  • Preheat your oven to 350℉ and grease two loaf pans.
  • Use an electric mixer to cream together the sugar, butter, eggs, salt, and orange juice. Then add 2 cups of the flour slowly, and combine well.
  • In a separate jar or measuring cup, mix together the buttermilk, baking soda, and vanilla extract. Add it slowly to the flour and butter mixture.
  • Chop the dried dates, nuts, and orange zest. Add to a large mixing bowl along with the pitted cherries.
  • Add 1 cup of flour to the fruit and nuts, and stir to evenly coat the fruit and nuts with flour. This prevents them from sinking to the bottom of your cake.
  • Pour the fruit and nut mixture into the cake batter and stir to combine.
  • Pour the fruit cake batter into the two loaf pans and bake at 350℉ for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Make the Juicy Topping

  • In a separate mixing bowl, stir together the orange juice, cherry juice, sugar, and orange zest. If adding coconut, stir that in also.
  • When the fruit cakes are done baking and still warm, pour the juicy topping over the cakes. The loaf pans will trap the juicy goodness, and it will be absorbed into the cake.