Mixed Fruit Vanilla Cake

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 35 mins

Total: 50 mins

Servings: 24 servings

Yield: 1 cake

Technically, this is a fruitcake, but it’s far from the traditional fruitcake. Instead of candied fruit, this one uses dried fruits including cranberries, cherries, strawberries, and blueberries for a new taste in each bite. Fruited cream cheese frosting is the literal and figurative icing on the cake.

If you dry your own fruit throughout the year, this makes a lovely way to enjoy them around the holidays. If you don't dry your own fruit, though, you can browse the bulk bins at the grocery or specialty market for a variety of delicious dried fruit options. Most markets sell bags of mixed dried fruits, so you don't need to buy individual bags of each fruit. If you are allergic to a particular fruit, feel free to omit it and substitute it with another. You may also substitute the total amount of dried mixed fruits with a single dried fruit.

Depending on how you cut the cake, you can get 24 or more servings. If you cut it into squares, however, you’ll get far fewer servings but potentially bigger pieces.

Ingredients

For the Cake:

• 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature

• 1/2 cup sour cream

• 3/4 cup milk

• 2 large eggs, at room temperature

• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1 1/4 cups dried mixed fruit, coarsely chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

For the Frosting:

• 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 1/4 cup dried mixed fruit of your choosing

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar

Steps to Make It

Make the Cake

1. Gather the ingredients.

2. Pour hot water over the dried fruit to cover. Let steep to plump—about 15 minutes—and then drain thoroughly.

3. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9 x 13-inch pan with nonstick foil.

4. In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, sour cream, milk, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth. Set aside.

5. In a smaller bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg until combined.

6. Add the flour mixture to wet ingredients in the large bowl. Stir just until combined. Fold in the chopped dried fruit.

7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing to even it. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out cleanly and the top is lightly browned.

8. Completely cool cake to room temperature before frosting.

Make the Frosting

1. Gather the ingredients.

2. Cut butter and cream cheese into 1-inch chunks and place in the food processor. Add vanilla extract, chopped dried fruit, and confectioners' sugar. Process until smooth and spread the frosting evenly over the cooled cake.

3. Refrigerate 1 hour to set frosting.

4. Serve cake at room temperature and enjoy.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 24
Amount per serving
Calories	188
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g	10%
Saturated Fat 5g	23%
Cholesterol 36mg	12%
Sodium 142mg	6%
Total Carbohydrate 27g	10%
Dietary Fiber 1g	4%
Total Sugars 17g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 0mg	2%
Calcium 62mg	5%
Iron 1mg	5%
Potassium 130mg	3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.