Forget the heavy traditional fruit cake. This year impress your friends and family with this light no-bake Christmas fruit cake.
Thanks to Whole Foods Market and Kitchen PLAY for sponsoring this post.
Christmas is by far my favorite time of the year. Ever since I was a little girl I helped my mom organize the Christmas dinner party. My favorite thing to do was decorate the Christmas cake. My mom used to make a few desserts for Christmas. Every year she would change the menu but a few things always stayed the same. A chocolate cake, roll cake and her famous Christmas layer cake. Now, being thousands of miles away from my mom, I need to make my own family Christmas tradition. Blend some of my own heritage, stir in some American touches and we’re set.
For the past couple of years I have tried different recipes for the classic fruitcake. Some were OK, some were terrible. I was still looking for the one!
That is, until a couple of weeks ago when it hit me! I don’t have to make a heavy, booze flavored fruit cake when I can keep the basics and make one I know my family will enjoy. For my no-bake Christmas fruitcake I kept the dried fruit, the nuts and the spirits. I prefer to soak my fruit in wine, but you can also use a brandy or liquor of your choice. If you’re planning on sharing the cake with the little ones, please soak the fruit in 100% juice of your choice.
For this cake I used Pacific almond mix and Backcountry Bundle from Whole Foods Market. I prefer the pacific almond mix since it offers a variety of dried fruit but at the same time I love Backcountry Bundle since it has plenty of dried cranberries, just perfect for the touch of color in this cake.
While you’re at Whole Foods Market, grab a container of classic chocolate chip cookies too. And a bottle of Port wine or whatever spirit you prefer.
You’ll also need some heavy cream and powdered sugar.
That’s all! Just 6 ingredients needed!
This year Whole Foods Market is helping you celebrate the holidays, with hundreds of products made to help you get through the season without stressing too much. For instance, these bags of pre-chopped dried fruit helped me put this cake together is no time.
Since this cake doesn’t require any baking, the crumbled store-bought chocolate chip cookies substituted for the cake layer offering not only support for the creamy layers but also adding some crunchy texture. For a spicy touch I added a pinch of ground ginger to the heavy cream. You can leave it out or use a spice of your choice.
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Yields one 9 inch round cake
Forget the heavy traditional fruit cake. This year impress your friends and family with this light no-bake Christmas fruit cake.
15 minPrep Time
12 hrTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 2 1/3 cups dried fruit, finely chopped (Pacific almond mix from Whole Foods Market)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts
- 3/4 cup Port wine (or fruit juice)
- 6 oz Whole Foods Market classic chocolate chip cookies
- 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
Instructions
- In a small bowl add the dried fruit. Pour the wine over it and let the fruit soak for 2-3 hours, until most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Line a 9-inch springform with plastic wrap. Leave 3-5 inch of plastic war hanging on the sides.
- In a food processor add the cookies and the nuts. Pulse a few times until finely chopped. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl add the heavy cream. With the whisk attached to the mixer, start whisking at medium speed until soft peaks form. Slowly add the sugar and the spices (if using). Continue whisking until firm peaks form.
- Mix the dried fruit with the heavy cream. If there is still wine left in the bowl, add it to the cream as well. With a spatula stir gently until combined.
- Sprinkle almost half of the cookie nut mixture on the bottom of the prepared pan and arrange with your fingers to evenly cover the bottom the pan.
- Spoon half of the fruit cream mixture on top of the cookie crumbles.Gently spread it evenly without disturbing the cookie crumbles.
- Sprinkle more cookie nut crumbles on top on the fruit mixture, leaving just about 2 tablespoon aside for decorating.
- Spoon the remaining fruit cream mixture and spread it evenly.
- Sprinkle the reserved cookie crumbles over the second layer of fruit cream and cover with the plastic wrap.
- Freeze the cake for at least 8 hours.
- Before slicing it, leave the cake for 15 minutes at room temperature. With a sharp knife, slice the cake.
Love,
Roxana
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