Pineapple and Cherry Fruitcake
Inspired by techniques from King Arthur Baking.
A quick, spiced loaf cake studded with undrained crushed pineapple, dried fruit, nuts and glacé cherries, mixed and baked the same day instead of aged for weeks. The pineapple's juice keeps the crumb moist with no other liquid in the batter.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Prepare the pan. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Lightly grease a 23 x 13 cm loaf tin.
- 2
Beat the base. In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, salt and vanilla together until smooth.
- 3
Add the eggs. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- 4
Stir in the flour. Add the flour and stir just until combined.
- 5
Add the pineapple. Stir in the crushed pineapple along with its juice.
- 6
Fold in the fruit and nuts. Stir in the dried fruit, walnuts (or pecans) and glacé cherries until evenly distributed through the batter.
- 7
Fill the pan. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle with the coarse sparkling sugar, if using.
- 8
Bake. Bake for 60 minutes, then loosely tent the top with foil once it is deep golden. Bake for a further 15 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- 9
Cool and turn out. Remove from the oven and let the cake stand in the pan for 20 minutes, then loosen the sides and turn it out onto a wire rack.
- 10
Cool completely. Let the cake cool completely on the rack before slicing.
Storage
Once completely cool, wrap the loaf tightly or keep in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to 5 days; the fruit keeps it moist for longer than a plain cake.
Free sugars
23.6 g per serving
47.2 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 94.4 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- electric hand or stand mixer
- 23 x 13 cm loaf tin
- rubber spatula
- cake tester or cocktail stick
- foil
- wire rack
Nutrition per serving Calculated from USDA FoodData Central
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 295 kcal |
| Protein | 3.9 g |
| Carbohydrate | 46 g |
| of which sugars | 31.5 g |
| of which free sugars | 23.6 g |
| Fat | 11.7 g |
| of which saturates | 5.3 g |
| Fibre | 1.7 g |
| Salt | 0.48 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
1.3 g High Protein needs ≥ 5 g (20% of energy)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
