Fruit cake has always been one of my most disliked Christmas "treats." I never knew what the appeal was of all that sugary dried fruit with an extra "yuck" for the candied fruit peels that are commonly used. But this year I decided to turn that all around and make my own keto-friendly version of fruit cake that better caters to my palate. It turned out amazing, certainly good enough to consider making it again, and possibly making it as gifts even for future Christmas seasons.
Keto Fruit Cake Recipe
Ingredients:
- ½ cup brandy or dark rum (*Or sub with 1½ tablespoons brandy extract or rum extract combined with enough water to make ½ cup.)
- 2 tablespoons ground flax salted in 5 tablespoons unsweetened nut milk (or water)
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ⅓ cup gold erithrytol monk fruit sweetener, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 cup grated zucchini, water squeezed out with a tea bowl or cheesecloth
- 1 teaspoon orange extract
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 5 tablespoons coconut flour
- ⅔ cup almond flour (*Or ½ cup lupin flour for nut-free.)
- ⅓ cup cup vanilla-flavoured whey isolate
- ⅓ cup oat fibre
- ¼ teaspoon glucomannan (*May sub xanthum gum, but glucomannan is healthier.)
- 2½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ⅔ cup slivered almonds, pecans or walnuts, chopped (*Omit or replace with pumpkin seeds for nut-free.)
- ¼ cup sugar-free candied ginger, finely chopped
- ¼ cup dried goji berries
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup dried mulberries
- ¼ cup dried golden berries
- ¼ cup keto shape-as-you-like chocolate, shaped into chunks or chips (*Optional. It's not traditional, but highly recommended!)
Optional Glaze/Finishing Ingredients:
- Glaze: 2 tablespoons sugar-free honey substitute combined with 1 teaspoon brandy extract or rum extract
- Confectioner’s Swerve (Or other sweetener that's been powdered), to taste (Note: Go light on the powdered sweetener so it doesn't end up too sweet. Just a light dusting for effect.)
- Toasted nuts of your choice
Directions:
Combine the dried fruit in a large mixing bowl. Add the dark rum, cover, and allow the mixture to soak at room temperature at least 12 hours (ideally 24 hours), prior to preparing the fruit cake batter.
Preheat the oven to 350F with a rack in the centre position. Lightly spray a silicon bundt cake pan or two 8x4" loaf pans that have been lined with parchment paper.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and gold erithrytol sweetener together over medium-high speed for 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to medium and add soaked flax, then add the eggs one at a time, beating just until each egg is incorporated.
Over low speed, slowly add the flour mixture until just absorbed. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer. Add the lemon zest, orange zest, lemon juice, grated zucchini, nuts, candied ginger, soaked dried fruit mixture (along with any liquid if it hasn’t already been absorbed), and chocolate chunks (if using).
Stir mixture with a large spatula, scraping the edges and bottom of the bowl several times, until all of the ingredients are evenly incorporated. It should be a thick, heavy mixture.
Transfer the batter to prepared bundt cake or divide the batter evenly among the loaf pans. Use an offset spatula to smooth the batter into an even layer. Set the loaf pans on the centre rack, a few inches apart from one another. Bake for 50-60 minutes, rotating the pans halfway if using loaf pans, or until the batter is set and the tops are golden brown or when a chopstick or BBQ skewer pushed in, comes out clean. The edges of the cake may also start to pull away slightly from the edges of the pan. Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool 15 minutes then turn out onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Brush the tops of the fruitcakes with the glaze (if using) while it's still warm. Do not add garnishes until the day you plan to serve it.
Storing and Aging: Once the cake has cooled, carefully remove the cakes from the loaf pans and set upright. Cover loafs with wax paper and foil before transferring to a large Ziploc bag. Store in the refrigerator for up to 6-8 weeks (it can often last even longer) or store in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can serve this cake right after it has cooled, but the flavours improve greatly with time (General recommendations say a few days or up to a week minimum).
Right before serving, garnish with powdered sweetener and toasted nuts if using. Slice fruit cake with a serrated knife. Serve on its own or with keto custard if desired.
Did you make this keto fruit cake recipe? If so, how did it go? Please share your thoughts in the comments. Or if you share pics of your creations on Instagram, please tag me so I can see them. Enjoy! :)
