Paleo Christmas Fruit Cake
Make on Fresco
The BEST Thermomix fruitcake recipe around. When in need of fruity cake, this should be your go to. It is fragrant, gluten free, grain free and paleo
Fruit cake's association with Christmas dates back to ancient times when it was a way to preserve fruits and nuts for winter. In Europe, particularly in the Middle Ages, fruit cakes were made with dried fruits, honey, and spices, symbolising luxury and abundance. Over time, they became a traditional holiday treat, especially in England, where they were often soaked in alcohol and served during festive celebrations like Christmas. Often described as dense and hearty, fruit cakes in literature evoke both the generosity and endurance of Christmas spirit across generations.
Fruit cake has also been a part of literary traditions for centuries, often symbolising both festive warmth and humour. In Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (1843), fruit cake appears as part of the Cratchit family’s modest but joyful Christmas feast, representing both the scarcity and richness of their celebration. Washington Irving’s The Sketch Book (1819) also mentions Christmas fruit cakes as part of the English holiday customs, capturing a nostalgic view of ancient traditions. Moving forward, Truman Capote's A Christmas Memory (1956) portrays fruit cakes as central to a heartwarming story of friendship, as the characters prepare them as gifts.
So go...be paleo, be indulgent, be generous, soak it in alcohol if you wish, (though not paleo) regret nothing. Enjoy Christmassing with less guilt. You're welcome!
Some of our other traditional Christmas recipes can be found below, but for the ultimate Cracker of a Christmas Collection head over HERE and indulge away...alternatively, get that HUGE book of deliciousness absolutely free with your Insider Club membership. What a gift of self love!
Pistachio Marzipan Christmas Trees
Pistachio and Almond Filled Christmas Roll
Steamed and Roasted Christmas Turkey with Gravy
Garlic Brown Butter Pull-Apart Rolls
Need
- 200 Grams almonds plus some more for garnish
- 1 Teaspoon baking powder
- 1 Teaspoon each ground cloves, mixed spice and nutmeg
- 75 Grams butter BUY
- 75 Grams honey
- 2 eggs
- 1 Teaspoon vanilla bean paste BUY
- Pinches pink salt flakes BUY
- 1 Drop doTERRA cinnamon bark oil BUY
- 5 Drops doTERRA lemon oil BUY
- 5 Drops doTERRA wild orange oil BUY
- 2 Drops doTERRA cardamom oil or pinch ground cardamom
- 600 Grams dried fruits of choice, craisins, cherries, dates, apple, apricots, raisins, currants
- honey or maple syrup for glazing
Do
- 1
Preheat oven to 160°C and butter and double line with baking paper, a 19cm spring form tin. Set aside.
- 2
Place almonds into Thermomix bowl and mill 10 sec/speed 10. Remove from bowl and set aside.
- 3
Place baking powder, ground spices, butter and honey into Thermomix bowl and mel 2 min/50°C/speed 1.
- 4
Add eggs, vanilla, salt, oils and blend 10 sec/speed 8.
- 5
Return almond meal to the bowl and combine 5 sec/speed 8.
- 6
Add fruit and stir through, 10 sec/speed 3. Finish combining with your silicone spatula.
- 7
Spread into prepared tin and bake for 45 minutes until fragrant. Brush immediately with either honey or maple syrup to create a glaze. This is optional.
- 8
You may add blanched almonds on top as pictured if you wish, you will need to cover the cake for at least 20 minutes baking time if you do that.
Tenina Holder is a wife, mother of five and grandmother of eight, who started cooking in the olden days before Thermomix was even a thing.
Tenina has become the premium go to source for all Thermomix expertise and of course fresh and easy recipes that work. Her cooking classes and foodie trips are sold out in literally hours, her cookbooks appear on the Australian best seller lists and her social reach is in the millions. Her Insider Club is the most fun you can have with a Thermomix and you really should join her! She believes chocolate, butter and salt are health foods. Her food positivity mantra is, eat everything, just not all at once!
