This sourdough fruitcake is a twist on the traditional holiday recipe we make every year here at the cottage, made with dried fruit, warm spices, citrus, and sourdough discard or starter. It’s designed to be made ahead and enjoyed throughout the Christmas season.
This recipe fits naturally alongside the other holiday recipes we make every year, like sourdough gingerbread cookies and the fluffy sourdough cinnamon rolls that always show up on Christmas morning.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s easier than it looks: While the cake takes time, the steps are straightforward and familiar, with no complicated techniques.
- Deep, traditional flavor: Quality dried fruit, citrus, warm spices, and sourdough create a rich, classic holiday fruitcake.
- Made for make-ahead baking: This cake is designed to be baked early and enjoyed over several weeks.
- Perfect for sharing and gifting: The recipe makes two loaves, so there’s one to enjoy now and one to save or give.
- Flexible and forgiving: You can adjust the fruit, nuts, or soaking liquid to suit your household.
- Keeps well: This fruitcake stores beautifully, making it ideal for a busy holiday season.
Yum! This turned out delicious! ~ Youtube Comment
Ingredients
Variations & Add-Ins
- Alcohol-free fruitcake: Use apple cider or apple juice for soaking and basting for a family-friendly loaf with the same rich flavor.
- Different dried fruit mix: Swap in dates, figs, or currants to use what you have while keeping the texture balanced.
- Cranberry-forward version: Replace part of the dried fruit with dried cranberries for a brighter, slightly tart finish.
- Nut-free fruitcake: Leave out the nuts for a smoother, more classic slice that’s easier to serve.
- Spice-adjusted loaf: Increase or reduce the warm spices to suit your household’s taste.
- Citrus-heavy cake: Add extra zest for a more pronounced citrus note that balances the sweet fruit.
- Single large loaf: Bake in one larger pan for a more traditional presentation, perfect for gifting.
- Mini loaves: Divide the batter into smaller pans for easy sharing and holiday gifts.
Recipe Tips
Soak the fruit overnight: A full soak gives the dried fruit time to plump and evenly distribute moisture throughout the cake.
Develop the sourdough sponge: Letting the sponge ferment until bubbly adds depth and helps the loaf hold together as it bakes and ages.
Grease and line generously: Grease the pans, line with parchment, then grease the parchment too, since the sugars and fruit can cause sticking.
Bake low and slow: The long, gentle bake allows the dense batter to cook evenly without drying out.
Mix just until combined: Overmixing can make the cake heavy, so fold gently once the dry ingredients are added.
Cool completely before removing: Let the loaves cool fully in the pans to help them set and slice cleanly.
Baste lightly during aging: A small amount of brandy or juice deepens flavor without making the cake overly moist.
How To Make Sourdough Fruit Cake
- Soak the fruit: Combine all dried fruit and crystallized ginger with the brandy, cider, or juice in a large bowl. Stir, cover, and let soak overnight so the fruit fully plumps.
- Prepare the sourdough sponge: Mix the bread flour, reserved soaking liquid, and sourdough starter or discard until combined. Cover and let ferment overnight until bubbly and fragrant.
- Prep the pans and oven: Preheat the oven to 275°F and generously grease two loaf pans, line with parchment, then grease the parchment as well.
- Build the batter: Cream the butter and sugar until light, then add the eggs one at a time. Stir in the citrus zest, juice, marmalade, soaked fruit, and sourdough sponge until evenly combined.
- Add the dry ingredients: Whisk the flour, spices, salt, and baking soda, then gently fold into the batter just until incorporated. Stir in the nuts last.
- Bake low and slow: Divide the batter between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake on the center rack until a toothpick comes out clean.
- To mature or serve: Brush the warm loaves with brandy or juice, cool completely, then serve or wrap tightly and age, basting lightly each week.
Freezing & Storage
- Room temperature: Wrap the cooled loaves tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and store in a cool, dry place for up to one week.
- Aging storage: For a deeper flavor, keep the wrapped loaves at room temperature for up to four weeks, basting lightly once a week with brandy or juice.
- Refrigerator: If your kitchen is warm, store the wrapped loaves in the refrigerator to slow drying while they rest.
- Freezer: Fruitcake freezes very well. Wrap tightly and freeze for up to three months, then thaw overnight at room temperature before serving.
How To Gift
- Wrapped loaf: Wrap the cooled loaf tightly in parchment, then foil, and finish with twine and a handwritten tag.
- Holiday tin: Place the wrapped loaf in a metal tin to protect it during gifting and aging.
- Cloth-wrapped gift: Wrap the loaf in a tea towel or linen cloth for a simple, reusable presentation.
- Sliced sampler: Cut into thick slices, wrap individually in parchment, and package together for easy sharing.
- Paired pantry gift: Include a small jar of homemade vanilla extract or preserves alongside the loaf.
- Christmas basket: Add the fruitcake to a basket with tea, coffee, or spices for a thoughtful seasonal gift.
FAQ’s
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Another favorite from my kitchen to yours, where the seasons guide the table and every meal is an act of love — may this recipe become a favorite in your kitchen too.
With gratitude & love,
Emily
Sourdough Fruitcake
Equipment
- Large mixing bowls
- Loaf pans
- Parchment Paper
- Wooden spoon
- Electric mixer
Ingredients
- 1 cup Dried golden raisins (160g)
- 1 cup Dried raisins (160g)
- 1 cup Tart dried cherries (160g)
- ½ cup Dried blueberries (80g)
- 1 cup Crystallized ginger (140g)
- ½ cup Dried apricots (85g)
- 1 ½ cup Peach brandy or Apple cider or juice (354ml) reserve 1/2 cup for the sponge(dough) after soaking the fruit overnight.
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon 1 lime, and 1 orange
- 1 cup Bread flour (120g)
- 5 cups All-purpose unbleached flour (625g)
- 1 cup Sourdough starter or discard (240ml)
- 1 cup Butter (unsalted or salted if using salted omit the salt), softened (227g)
- 1 cup Sugar (200g)
- ¼ tsp Ground clove (0.5g)
- ½ tsp Ground allspice (1g)
- 2 tsp Ceylon cinnamon (4g)
- 1 tsp Ground ginger (2g)
- 1 tsp Sea Salt (6g) *omit if using salted butter
- 1 tsp Baking soda (5g)
- 4 Large egg (212g) 200 g at room temperature
- 1 cup Chopped toasted pecans (120g)
- ½ cup Chopped toasted walnuts (60g)
- ½ cup Orange marmalade (160g)
Instructions
- Soak the fruit: Combine all dried fruit and crystallized ginger with the brandy, cider, or juice in a large bowl. Stir, cover, and let soak overnight so the fruit fully plumps.
- Prepare the sourdough sponge: Mix the bread flour, reserved soaking liquid, and sourdough starter or discard until combined. Cover and let ferment overnight until bubbly and fragrant.
- Prep the pans and oven: Preheat the oven to 275°F and generously grease two loaf pans, line with parchment, then grease the parchment as well.
- Build the batter: Cream the butter and sugar until light, then add the eggs one at a time. Stir in the citrus zest, juice, marmalade, soaked fruit, and sourdough sponge until evenly combined.
- Add the dry ingredients: Whisk the flour, spices, salt, and baking soda, then gently fold into the batter just until incorporated. Stir in the nuts last.
- Bake low and slow: Divide the batter between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake on the center rack until a toothpick comes out clean.
- To mature or serve: Brush the warm loaves with brandy or juice, cool completely, then serve or wrap tightly and age, basting lightly each week.
Video
Notes
- Cottage Test Note: This fruitcake was tested both with active starter and discard. The discard version baked up slightly denser with a richer tang, while the active starter gave a lighter crumb — both stayed moist for weeks.
- Fruit Soaking: A full overnight soak (8–12 hours) gives the best flavor, but even 4 hours works in a pinch. The longer rest lets the fruit plump and the bourbon or cider infuse deeply.
- Aging (Maturing or Curing) the Cake: For traditional depth, baste weekly with ¼ cup peach bourbon or apple cider for up to 4 weeks. Wrap tightly between bastings to prevent drying.
- Storage: Keep wrapped in parchment, beeswax paper, or plastic wrap, then foil or freezer paper, and store in an airtight container in a cool, dark pantry. Avoid refrigeration unless the kitchen runs warm. Keep this airtight or it will dry out.
- Serving Suggestion: Serve thick slices with whipped cream, fresh citrus, or a drizzle of warm custard for an old-fashioned Christmas finish.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
If you gave it a try and loved it, I’d be so grateful if you came back to leave a 5 “⭐️” rating. Use the buttons below to share, comment, or connect—I truly enjoy seeing and celebrating your beautiful bakes.
Emily Rider
Cottage lifestyle blogger and home miller with 25+ years of sourdough and fresh-milled flour experience.
Sharing cozy homemade recipes that help you bake with confidence, celebrate each season, and savor the beauty of everyday cottage living.
After soaking the dried fruit, will most/all of the liquid be absorbed? Should I decant any extra or mix it into the rest of the dough?
Hi Brianna! 😊
Great question! After soaking the dried fruit, most of the liquid will be absorbed, but you may have a little left over. Yes, go ahead and mix any remaining liquid right into the rest of the ingredients—it adds extra flavor and moisture to the fruitcake. We’ll make a note of this helpful tip in the instructions—thank you for bringing it up!
We hope you absolutely love your fruitcake, and please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any other questions. Happy baking and enjoy!
Happy Baking,
Ruby Ann & Emily
One last question. In the ingredients it mentions 1 cup of butter but the instructions list 1/2 cup of butter.
Hi Brianna,
Thank you for catching that! The correct amount is 1 cup of salted butter. We’ve updated the instructions to reflect this. Let us know if you have any other questions—happy baking! 😊
Warmly,
Emily
When do you add the Turbinado sugar? I read through the recipe a few times and it does not state when to add it?
Hi Brooklyn! 😊 Thank you for your question. The sugar called for in this recipe is granulated sugar, not turbinado sugar. The recipe instructions in both the blog post and the recipe card clearly state when to add the sugar—it’s mixed in with the wet ingredients during the preparation process.
If you’d like to use turbinado sugar, it can be sprinkled on top before baking for a delightful crunch, but it’s not required for the recipe as written. We’ll make sure this is clear in the post to avoid any confusion.
We really appreciate your feedback! Let us know if you have any other questions. Happy baking! 🍰✨
Warmly,
Emily & Ruby Ann