Indulge in a slice or two of this irresistibly delicious Fresh Fruit Cake. Filled with chunks of firm fruit and topped with a crunchy sweet crumble, you're in for a treat with my easy to make, delicious bake.
Egg free, and super easy to make, this Fresh fruit cake is made up of chunks of seasonal or your favourite fruit folded into a soft vanilla sponge. Topped with a sweet crumble and baked until golden brown to enjoy any time.
With no stand mixers, or frosting needed, this is the ultimate any day bake. Simply whisk, bake and eat. But don’t forget to let it cool first (if you can resist 😊
Just a note on a few ingredients and substitutes if needed
While the full printable recipe is written below, this is the section to read if you’re wondering about ingredient substitutions or how these ingredients work in the recipe.
Flour: I used cake flour for this recipe. Cake flour creates a soft, light, and tender texture. If you do not have any cake flour, then use either all-purpose or plain flour.
Baking powder and baking soda / bicarbonate of soda: These contribute to the fluffy light texture of the cake.
Oil: Use a neutral-flavoured oil like canola or sunflower oil
Sugar:White granulated sugar is used in this recipe
Buttermilk: The buttermilk in this recipe serves to add moisture and keeps the sponge soft, light, tender, and fluffy.
If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make some by adding 1 tablespoon (15ml) white vinegar or lemon juice to 1½ cup (375ml) milk Leave it aside for 2 minutes which will allow it to curdle. Use in place of the buttermilk.
You can also use either ONE of the following as an alternative to the buttermilk: -
- Full fat Greek yogurt,
- plain unflavored full fat yogurt,
- sour cream
Vinegar: Usually, eggs act as a leavening agent helping the cake to rise. However, for this cake baking soda/bicarbonate of soda serves as the leavening agent.
Bicarbonate of soda is an alkali which needs an acid to react with, which in most cake recipes is buttermilk or sour cream. Since this cake does not contain any dairy, vinegar is as the acid instead.
These two ingredients work together, creating a soft texture. There is no taste of the vinegar in the baked cake at all.
Fruit: Use any firm fresh fruit. For this recipe, I chopped a combination of nectarines and cherries. Other fruit that works well with this bake are apples, pears, peaches, plums, apricot or mango.
How to make Fresh Fruit cake
While the video and the full printable recipe are written below, this is the process with step-by-step pictures to guide you
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan). Grease an 8-inch (20cm) pan and line with parchment / baking paper.
- Prepare the fruit
Cut the fruit into about ¾-inch dice. The cherries or any berries you use can be cut in half. Place the cut fruit into a bowl. Add 1 Tablespoon of flour and gently toss the fruit until well coated in the flour.
- Whisk the dry ingredients
In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) and salt.
- Whisk the wet ingredients
In a large bowl mix oil with sugar until combined. Add buttermilk, vanilla extract and vinegar. Whisk until well combined.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients
Gradually mix in flour mixture. Don’t over mix (Over-mixing will create a dense bake)
- Fold in the fruit
Using a spatula, gently fold the fruit into the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Prepare crumb topping
In a medium bowl combine sugar with flour and oil. Mix with your fingertips or a fork until the mixture forms a crumb like texture.
- Top with prepared crumb
Spread the crumbs on top of the cake batter.
- Bake
Bake for about 50-60 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove from the oven, once baked and leave the cake in the pan for 10 minutes.
- To remove the baked cake from pan
- To remove, run a sharp thin-bladed knife around the cake's edges.
- Place a plate over the top of the cake pan and turn the cake out onto the plate.
- Remove the parchment paper if it is stuck to the bottom of the cake.
- Then place a cooling rack over the bottom of the cake. Grip it so it's sandwiched between the cooling rack and the plate. Gently flip it so it is right side up on the cooling rack.
Allow to cool or serve while still warm.
Tips and frequently asked questions
- How to stop the fruit from sinking to the bottom of the cake while baking
Fruit pieces are heavy which sometimes cause them to sink to the bottom of the cake while baking.
For firmer fresh fruits (such as apples) try cutting the fruits into dice or thin slices to reduce the risk of them sinking.
The flour coating helps the fruit to grip the cake batter and rise better with the cake.
- How to prevent a dense textured cake
Do not over mix the cake batter. Mix just until the ingredients and fruit are combined. Over-mixing is going to result in a dense textured bake.
- What I can use as a buttermilk substitute?
If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make some by adding 1 tablespoon (15ml) white vinegar or lemon juice to 1½ cup (375ml) milk Leave it aside for 2 minutes which will allow it to curdle. Use in place of the buttermilk.
We can also use plain unflavored yogurt or sour cream as a substitute for the buttermilk
- How to prevent the top of the cake from browning too quickly
The cake takes about 45 to 50 minutes to bake.
If you find it browning too much before it is has been baked, then cover it lightly with a sheet of foil, making sure that the foil does not touch the cake.
Just shape it into a dome lightly covering the cake.
- Turning out the baked cake without damaging the crumb layer
A spring form pan makes it easy to remove a baked cake without turning it out.
- If you do not have a spring-form pan, then this method makes it easy to remove the cake without damaging the crumb layer.
- Place a plate over the top of the cake pan and invert the cake onto the plate.
- Remove the parchment paper from the bottom of the cake. Then place a cooling rack over the bottom of the cake. Grip it so it's sandwiched between the cooling rack and the plate.
- Gently flip it so it is right side up on the cooling rack.
Enjoy ♥
If you like this recipe, be sure to check out my other amazing cake recipes
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Fresh Fruit Cake
Ingredients
Fruit
- 2 cups fresh fruit chopped, see note 1
- 1 Tablespoon cake or all-purpose flour
For the cake
- 2 cups cake flour or all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda bicarbonate of soda
- ½ cup canola or sunflower oil
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk note 2
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
For the crumb topping
- ⅓ cup cake flour or all-purpose flour
- 3 Tablespoons white sugar
- 2 Tablespoons canola or sunflower oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan). Grease an 8-inch (20cm) pan and line with parchment / baking paper.
Prepare the fruit
- Cut the fruit into about ¾-inch dice. The cherries or any berries you use can be cut in half. Place the cut fruit into a bowl. Add 1 Tablespoon of flour and gently toss the fruit until well coated in the flour. See note 3
Prepare the cake batter
- In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) and salt.
- In a large bowl mix oil with sugar until combined. Add buttermilk, vanilla extract and vinegar. Whisk until well combined.
- Gradually mix in flour mixture. Don’t overmix (Overmixing will create a dense bake)
Fold in the prepared fruit
- Using a spatula, gently fold the fruit into the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Prepare crumb topping:
- In a medium bowl combine sugar with flour and oil. Mix with your fingertips or a fork until the mixture forms a crumb like texture.
Sprinkle the crumb topping over the cake batter
- Spread the crumbs on top of the cake batter.
Bake
- Bake for about 50-60 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. See note 4
- Remove from the oven, once baked and leave the cake in the pan for 10 minutes.
Remove baked cake from the pan
- A springform pan makes it easy to remove a baked cake without turning it out. If you do not have a springform pan, then this method makes it easy to remove the cake without damaging the crumb layer:
- To remove, run a sharp thin-bladed knife around the cake's edges. Place a plate over the top of the cake pan and turn the cake onto the plate. Remove the parchment paper if it is stuck to the bottom of the cake. Then place a cooling rack over the bottom of the cake. and hold it firmly so it's sandwiched between the cooling rack and the plate. Gently flip it so it is right side up on the cooling rack.
- Allow to cool or serve while still warm.
Video
Notes
- Use any firm fresh fruit. For this recipe, I chopped a combination of nectarines and cherries. Other fruit that works well with this bake are apples, pears, peaches, plums, apricot or mango.
- The buttermilk in this recipe serves to add moisture and keeps the sponge soft, light, tender, and fluffy. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make some by adding 1 tablespoon (15ml) white vinegar or lemon juice to 1½ cup (375ml) milk Leave it aside for 2 minutes which will allow it to curdle. Use in place of the buttermilk. You can also use either one of the following as an alternative to the buttermilk: Full fat Greek yogurt, plain unflavored full fat yogurt, sour cream.
- Fruit pieces are heavy which sometimes cause them to sink to the bottom of the cake while baking. For firmer fresh fruits (such as apples) try cutting the fruits into dice or thin slices to reduce the risk of them sinking. The flour coating helps the fruit to grip the cake batter and rise better with the cake.
- The cake takes about 45 to 50 minutes to bake. If you find it browning too much before it is baked, then cover it lightly with a sheet of foil, making sure that the foil does not touch the cake. Just shape it into a dome to lightly cover the cake.
Dana says
I plan to make this with the plethora or peaxhes I have - can it be frozen ?
The Gardening Foodie says
Hi Dana, yes,sure the cake made with fresh peaches can be frozen.
To freeze: Wrap the completely cooled baked cake tightly with plastic wrap and store in an airtight container or bag. Freeze for up to 6 months.
I hope this helps answer your question:)
Happy baking:)