A Newfoundland Christmas tradition, Glace Mixed Fruit Bundt Cake is moist and delicious. The addition of cream cheese and walnuts make this cake extra tasty and perfect for holiday sharing!
I’m about to embark on a whole new adventure; one that I would turn my nose up at over and over again in the past. I’m about to embrace the Christmas tradition of baking with candied fruits, and this Glace Mixed Fruit Bundt Cake is my introduction to making fruitcakes.
I thought this cake would be a gentle push in the right direction, because as of this very moment, I cannot yet jump into the world of full-on traditional Christmas fruitcakes.
Glace mixed fruit, which is sometimes called candied or crystalized fruit, has existed since the 14th century. Selections vary from whole fruit, to smaller pieces of cut fruit, or even the peel/rind of the fruit. These fruits are placed in a hot sugar syrup which absorbs the moisture from the fruit and preserves it.
A glace mixed fruit assortment will usually include dates, cherries, pineapple, ginger, oranges, lemons, and even rutabaga! They are perfect for baking as they hold their shape and keep a cake moist while adding so much delicious flavour.
If you can’t easily find glace fruits, you can easily order them online. I usually get mine from Paradise Fruit Company, in Florida, which offers a wide selection of candied peels, glace fruit mixes, and the most delicious crystallized ginger.
You can have the product delivered right to your door and it’s super fresh, and the colours are so vibrant. I was particularly thrilled with the intense flavour of their candied orange peel for obvious reasons – they’re in Florida and they have access to the most fresh oranges!
Be sure to check out their website and get your hands on some of their products. I have a nice stash in my pantry right now, but I’ll need more by the time fall rolls around! To make life easier, here’s a direct link: Paradise Fruit Co. By the way, I’m not pushing the product, but it’s good and easy to get, so I’m just putting it out there!
My mom used to make what she called a light fruitcake and a dark fruitcake every Christmas. Her cakes were loaded with glace mixed fruit, whole candied cherries, and a mixture of pecans and walnuts, just like this Glace Mixed Fruit Bundt Cake!
Even though this cake is super delicious, I’m still not ready to jump all the way into more traditional fruitcakes just yet. For example, the rum soaked fruitcakes that have been soaked in alcohol for 30 days – so not ready for that!
If you’re like me, this cake is a great way to test the water, so to speak. The cake isn’t heavy at all with all of that dried fruit. It’s very sweet, but that sweetness is countered with the tartness and creaminess of the cream cheese. The cream cheese works so well in this cake!
This is an update, and I have made two changes to the recipe. First, I have increased the amount of nuts, and I have have used half chopped pecans and half chopped walnuts. You can use both like I did, or one or the other.
Secondly, I increased the amount of baking powder. Even though the cake in the original recipe was delicious, I found it to be a little dense. Adding more baking powder will help to aerate the cake and lighten it up a bit.
If you’re looking for more glace peel or candied fruit recipes, try my Orange Cranberry Tea Time Cookies, or my Christmas in July Breakfast Scones! Enjoy!
Glace Mixed Fruit Bundt Cake
Ingredients
- 250 grams cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup chopped nuts, walnuts or pecans
- 2 cups glace mix
Instructions
- In a large bowl, use a handheld mixer to cream together the cream cheese, butter, and sugar.
- Add the eggs one at a time and blend into the mixture.
- Add the vanilla and incorporate well.
- Add 2 cups of the flour and baking powder, and continuing to use the mixer, blend well into the butter and cream cheese mixture.
- In a small bowl, toss the glace mix and the nuts with 1/4 cup of flour. Be sure to toss well to coat every piece in the bowl.
- Add the flour-covered nuts and fruit to the batter and fold in with a spatula.
- Grease and flour a bundt cake pan and pour in the batter.
- Bake at 325 degrees for 60 minutes.
- Allow cake to cool for at least 15 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.
- Cool completely; dust with confectioner’s sugar and enjoy!
Nutrition
Wally says
Just found your websight..recipes look wonderful..keep them coming..My husband and I are anticipating broadening our food horizons…
Wally
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thank you, Wally! I’ll do my best to keep you and your husband full of appetizing dinner ideas. 🙂
Jean K. says
Your new bundt pan with the bow design is beautiful! Hope you have a wonderful Holiday.
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thank you, Jean. 🙂
Donald A. Riggs says
Ref. Glazed Mixed Fruit Bundt cake. One place calls for calls for Baking Powder. but the instructions says Baking Soda
Please let me know which is correct.
Thank You;
Donald Riggs
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thank you for catching that, Donald. I’ve updated the recipe card accordingly. 🙂
Sunita Gupta says
Can I add any whiskey or rum?
byronethomas@gmail.com says
I would not recommend adding any extra liquid to this recipe.
Cheryl 9 says
But what you can do is fill up a spray bottle with a favorite adult beverage of your choice & spray it on the still-warm cake AND the cooled cake 😉
Cheryl says
Forgot to add: cover with cheesecloth prior to spraying
Christine Scanling says
This cake turned out exactly as written ..it is a very deliciously different cake ! Thank you
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thank you, Christine. 🙂
Kerry Kendall says
We love this recipe and it has quickly became a family favorite. I would like to know if anyone has tried freezing these? I’m trying to make as much up ahead as I can. Thanks
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thank you, Kerry. I have frozen it and it works! When freezing cakes, I like to wrap in plastic wrap first and then a layer or two of aluminum foil.
Judith says
Can I use this recipe to bake in mini loaf pans, for gift giving?
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Yes, just cut back on the baking time. 🙂
Carolyn King says
Sounds delicious. Which Glace mix do you use in this recipe?
Donna says
What kind of flour, self rising, all purpose or cake flour? Thanks
byronethomas@gmail.com says
All purpose flour.
Gail says
Made this for a Christmas gathering this past weekend. Everyone loved it! Cake is soft and moist – the family said we have to have it every year!
Sandra Roberson says
Is the glace mix pineapple red and green cherries mixed
Nancy Forget says
When My hubby and I met 56 years ago we soon found that we both loved ‘traditional’ Christmas fruitcake which is heavy with nutmeats and dark molasses. I’m very happy to find this ‘light’ version with the chewy sweetened fruit. Yummy!
Nancy Forget says
Forgot to say- love it with walnuts!
Larry R Bainer Jr says
VERY LOVELY CAKE JUST WONDERFUL