Fruitcake's lovingly liquored, glazed, fruit-studded flavours is having a renaissance. Whether you're just learning to love fruitcake, or have always found it irresistible, more and more Canadians are making this classic dessert a treasured part of their holiday traditions.

From rich, decadent chocolate fruitcake to fun fruitcake hermits and bars, find great fruitcake recipes to try below, including nut-free and gluten-free recipes.




Our best fruitcake recipes:

Dark Christmas Cake (pictured above)
To ice cake, double the almond paste and icing in our Tropical White Christmas Cake recipe. See link within recipe.


Chocolate Cherry Fruit Cake
Depart from the tried and true with Elizabeth Baird's dark cake studded with dried cherries. Keep it for a special occasion and serve in thin wedges along with ice cream drizzled with kirsch or chocolate liqueur.


Alison's Dad's Fruitcake
This medium-dark fruitcake is full of nuts, fruit and lovely spices. If desired, unwrap occasionally and brush with more brandy.



Gluten-Free Nut Fruitcake
A lighter texture with the same holiday fruitcake flavour is sure to please guests looking for a gluten-free alternative to traditional fruitcake.



Rich Brandied Fruitcake
Preparation for fruitcake is now a lot faster given today's quality diced candied peel and seeded raisins. Thank goodness the flavour is still as good as it was in my mother's day.



Golden Brandy Nut-Free Fruitcake
A look through past recipes revealed that we have never developed a nut-free fruitcake -- so here it is. A jewel-like topping and variety of fruits ensures that no one will even notice that the nuts are missing.



Dundee Cake
With its pattern of almonds on top, this easy-to-make, fruit-laden Christmas cake from Dundee, Scotland, is famous throughout the British Isles.


Page 1 of 2 -- Find recipes for fruitcake bites, fruitcake balls and fruitcake truffle on page 2
Festive fruitcake recipes:

White Bright Fruitcake
This cake doesn't have the regular fruitcake staying power and should be eaten within a week. If you can't find the individually packaged candied citron, lemon and orange peel, use 1 lb 2 oz (560 g) candied mixed peel.


Fruitcake Bites with Marzipan
These adorable individual fruitcakes make perfect gifts. Dust the cookie cutter with icing sugar to prevent the marzipan from sticking.



Christmas Fruitcake Hermits
Bake these traditional Christmas cake flavours into easy last-minute bite-size cookies. Loaded with lots of candied fruit and nuts, these full-flavoured morsels will surely delight everyone.


Fruitcake Bars
A great alternative to the classic dessert!




Other fruitcake recipes

Cookie recipe: Fruitcake Rum Balls
Even fruitcake skeptics will love these rum-scented balls. It's the perfect way to use up extra cake.



Fruitcake Tartufo with Brandy Caramel Sauce
Italian for truffle, tartufo has all the flavours of layered ice cream and fruitcake that Mum used to make.



Royal Icing for Fruitcake





Marzipan for Fruitcake







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