The Butter and Bloom food blog
← All recipes

CAKES · BUTTER & BLOOM RECIPE

Light Fruit Cake with Cherries and Spiced Rum

By · Editorial standards

No reviews yet
Vegetarian

Bake a light fruit cake filled with colourful cherries, raisins, candied peel, warm spices and spiced rum. A festive family-approved holiday cake from scratch.

Jump to recipe ↓
Light Fruit Cake with Cherries and Spiced RumPhotography may include disclosed AI-assisted illustrations. Read the image policy.

ABOUT THIS RECIPE

Light Spiced Fruit Cake with Rum

A lighter fruit cake filled with candied peel, colourful cherries, raisins, warm spice and a touch of spiced rum.

Dietary labels are based on the listed ingredients. For allergies or celiac disease, verify every packaged ingredient and guard against cross-contamination.Original handwritten date: January 2026. Marked “approved by Donnie.”

FROM THE RECIPE NOTES

Why this recipe works

  • A balanced amount of fruit keeps the cake festive without overwhelming the lighter crumb.
  • Coating fruit lightly with flour helps keep it suspended in the batter.
  • Resting the cake allows the spice, citrus and rum flavours to settle together.

Ingredient notes

Candied fruit
Separate sticky pieces before folding them into the batter.
Rum
Spiced rum adds warmth; measure it rather than pouring directly from the bottle.
Raisins
Use plump raisins and remove any stems.

Practical substitutions

These are conservative alternatives based on standard kitchen practice; results may vary from the original recipe.

  • Orange juice can replace rum for an alcohol-free version, though storage time will be shorter.
  • Dried cranberries can replace some of the raisins for a brighter, tarter flavour.

Troubleshooting

The fruit sinks
Dry sticky fruit, toss it with a little of the measured flour and make sure the batter is not unusually thin.
The cake browns too quickly
Tent loosely with foil and continue baking until a tester in the cake portion comes out clean.

Storage and freezing

  • Wrap the completely cooled cake well and refrigerate for up to one week.
  • Freeze tightly wrapped slices or the whole cake for up to three months. Thaw wrapped in the refrigerator.

THE BUTTER & BLOOM RECIPE

Light Spiced Fruit Cake with Rum

Print-friendly layout
Preparation time
33 min
Cooking time
1 hr 10 min
Total time
25 hrs 53 min
Yield
12 slices
Cuisine
North American
Updated

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup candied mixed peel
  • 1/2 cup red and green glacé cherries, chopped
  • 1/3 cup raisins
  • 1/4 cup spiced rum, plus more for drizzling
  • 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond or coconut extract
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1/4 cup milk

Detailed directions for Light Spiced Fruit Cake with Rum

  1. Combine the candied peel, cherries, raisins and rum in a bowl. Cover and let stand for 24 hours, stirring once or twice.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line a loaf pan.
  3. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt.
  4. Beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla, almond or coconut extract and lemon zest.
  5. Add half of the dry ingredients, followed by the milk, then the remaining dry ingredients. Mix just until combined.
  6. Fold in the soaked fruit and any remaining rum.
  7. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake for 60 to 70 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
    Three stages of light fruit cake: candied fruit soaking in rum, fruit folded into lemon-zest batter, and a golden loaf with a clean skewer and light rum drizzle
    Light Spiced Fruit Cake with Rum · Visual guide: soak the fruit, fold it through and bake until the skewer is clean
  8. Cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan. Drizzle lightly with additional spiced rum while still warm, if desired.
Keywords: light spiced fruit cake with rum · light fruit cake with candied peel, cherries and spiced rum · cakes recipes · homemade recipe · easy family recipe

Published · Updated

READER REVIEWS

Be the first to review

☆☆☆☆☆

Loading reviews…

Rate this recipe

COMMON QUESTIONS

Light Spiced Fruit Cake with Rum FAQ

Does this fruit cake need to age?

No. It benefits from an overnight rest but does not require weeks of aging.

Can I make it without alcohol?

Yes. Use orange juice, then refrigerate the cake and follow the shorter storage guidance.

KEEP COOKING

Made with butter.
Shared with love.

Explore more recipes →