14 dried fruit cake recipes

This recipe comes from Italy by way of Argentina. Maxwell Mowry of Charleston got this recipe when he lived in Buenos Aires in the early l970s. Since there are more people of Italian ancestry in Argentina than of Spanish ancestry, it is not surprising to find panettone there, where it is called in Spanish pan dulce, meaning 'sweet bread.' At Christmas in Argentina, pan dulce is eaten accompanied by sparkling apple cider. Houseware shops in Argentina sell special tall cylindrical springform pans to bake the pan dulce, but an empty, greased 1-pound coffee can may be used.

Granny's boiled fruit cake: an old-fashioned eggless, butterless loaf made by simmering raisins with sugar and shortening, then folding into spiced flour. Plump, moist and Christmas-ready.

Pumpkin nut bread spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, studded with chopped nuts and optional dried fruit. Tender quick bread that fills the kitchen with autumn warmth, perfect for Thanksgiving morning.

Traditional British whole wheat Christmas cake with rum-soaked dried fruit, walnuts, almonds, stout and citrus zest. Aged dark fruit cake for the holiday season.

Easy fruit cake made with applesauce instead of butter for a lighter, lower-fat version. Packed with mixed dried fruit, baked low and slow. No oil, no egg yolks. Makes one dense, fragrant loaf.

Spice cake made with amber ale, mixed dried fruit, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. The fruit simmers in beer before baking for a dense, malty, pub-inspired dessert.

Rolled oatmeal cookies with whole wheat flour, dried fruit, and buttermilk. Thin, crispy cut-out cookies made with oil instead of butter, no eggs required.

Vegan fruit cake packed with dried fruit, candied peel, orange rind, and almonds, leavened with a soy milk and vinegar reaction instead of eggs. A dense, dairy-free holiday cake baked low and slow.

Traditional Welsh spice cake loaded with mixed dried fruit, dark molasses, and warm ginger for a moist, treacle-sweetened teatime treat from Anglesey.

Big-batch raisin bran muffins spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, loaded with mixed dried fruit and nuts. Buttermilk batter that keeps in the fridge for weeks.

Popcorn fruit cookies made with ground popped corn, cornmeal, dried fruit, and nutmeg. A crunchy, unusual rolled cookie with a satisfying corn-forward crumble.

Chocolate fruitcake with cocoa, candied cherries, pecans, golden raisins, and mixed dried fruit, topped with a semisweet chocolate-almond glaze and toasted almonds.

Spicy bran muffins loaded with Thai chilies, jalapeño, and habanero rings, plus dried fruit, walnuts, and warm spices. Bold breakfast baking for heat seekers.

Whole wheat fruitcake packed with figs, dates, prunes, walnuts, and warm spices. No refined flour, naturally sweet from dried fruit for healthier holiday baking.