This famous 3 ingredient fruit cake is made with just dried mixed fruit, iced coffee and self raising flour, and it's the easiest Christmas cake you'll ever bake. It started life as a CWA recipe and it's been a reader favourite for years, right alongside my 3 Ingredient Shortbread and White Christmas Slice.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: 3 Ingredient Christmas Fruit Cake
🕒 Ready In: 65 minutes, plus soaking the fruit overnight
👪 Makes: 16 pieces
🍚 Calories: 143kcal per piece
🥣 Main Ingredients: dried mixed fruit, iced coffee, self raising flour
📖 Dietary Info: Vegetarian, no eggs, no butter, freezer friendly
⭐ Why You'll Love It: Just 3 ingredients and one bowl for a rich, moist fruit cake that keeps for up to a month!
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Made this cake several times before. Each and every time it comes out delicious. Never any leftovers. So easy. Many thanks
Carmen
The secret is soaking the dried fruit in iced coffee overnight. The fruit plumps up and soaks in all that creamy sweetness, so you get a beautifully moist cake without any butter or eggs. And no, you can't taste the coffee at all!
If you grew up dodging dry fruit cake full of candied fruit, this one will change your mind. It's moist and packed with real dried fruit flavour, and it keeps for up to a month. Making a few treats for the Christmas table? My Mini Christmas Puddings are another easy favourite.
Why You're Going To Love This Recipe
- Just 3 ingredients: mixed fruit, iced coffee and self raising flour. That's it!
- 5 minutes prep: mix it in one bowl, soak overnight, then stir and bake.
- Super moist: the overnight soak gives you a rich, tender fruit cake every time.
- Keeps for weeks: store it for up to a month, or freeze it for up to 3 months.
- Easy to change up: swap the iced coffee for juice, tea or a splash of Baileys.
Jump to:
- A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Why You're Going To Love This Recipe
- 3 Ingredient Fruit Cake Ingredients
- Variations
- How To Make 3 Ingredient Fruit Cake
- Top Tip
- Baking Temperature And Time
- Storing, Serving And Freezing
- Recipe Tips
- 3 Ingredient Fruit Cake FAQs
- More Christmas Recipes
- The Famous 3 Ingredient Christmas Cake
3 Ingredient Fruit Cake Ingredients
You'll find the exact quantities in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Here's a quick note on each ingredient:
Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.
- Dried mixed fruit: buy it prepackaged from the dried fruit and nuts aisle of the supermarket. I use Sunbeam Mixed Fruit, which has sultanas, currants, raisins, orange peel, lemon peel and glace cherries, but any brand works.
- Iced coffee: use a creamy, slightly sweetened store bought iced coffee like Big M or Nippy's. Creamy iced coffee gives the best result, so skip the black iced coffee.
- Self raising flour: this is where the cake gets its rise, so plain flour won't work on its own. If you only have plain flour, add baking powder to it.
Variations
- No iced coffee: soak the fruit in orange, apple or pineapple juice, black tea, coffee or chocolate milk instead.
- Ginger beer fruit cake: one reader used 600ml of ginger beer in place of the iced coffee and said it was a huge success.
- Boozy fruit cake: swap 100ml of the liquid for 100ml of brandy, whisky, sherry, dark rum, port, an orange liqueur, Kahlua or Baileys. Readers love soaking the fruit in Baileys, and you can even make your own Homemade Baileys Irish Cream.
- Spiced fruit cake: add ground cinnamon, nutmeg or mixed spice, plus a little extra lemon or orange peel.
- Nutty fruit cake: stir through some nuts, or press blanched almonds on top for a traditional look.
- Gluten free: many readers have made this with gluten free self raising flour.
- Vegan: readers have had great results using a soy based flavoured milk instead of iced coffee.
How To Make 3 Ingredient Fruit Cake
Start this cake the day before you want to bake it, because the fruit needs to soak overnight. The full method is in the recipe card below.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.
- Step 1: Soak the fruit. Place the dried mixed fruit in a very large bowl, pour in the iced coffee and mix well. Cover and pop it in the fridge overnight.
- Step 2: Prepare the tin. The next day, preheat the oven to 160°C fan forced. Grease a 23cm round cake tin and line it with baking paper.
- Step 3: Add the flour. Stir the self raising flour through the soaked fruit until it's all combined.
- Step 4: Bake. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for about 1 hour, or until the middle feels firm and a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Top Tip
Every oven is different, so this cake can take anywhere from 1 hour to almost 2 hours. If the top is browning before the middle is cooked, lay a sheet of foil loosely over the top and keep baking.
Baking Temperature And Time
- Fan forced oven: bake at 160°C (320°F).
- Conventional oven: increase the temperature to 175°C (350°F).
- Cooking time: start checking at 1 hour. Depending on your oven, it may need up to 30 minutes or more extra.
- Is it cooked? The middle should be firm to the touch and a skewer inserted in the centre should come out with a few moist crumbs.
Storing, Serving And Freezing
- Store: wrap the cake in foil or keep it in an airtight container. It keeps somewhere cool at room temperature for up to 1 month.
- Freeze: wrap the completely cooled cake in plastic wrap, then two layers of foil. It freezes for up to 3 months.
- Serve: enjoy it at room temperature, or warm it up with a drizzle of cream or custard. Brandy custard is delicious too!
- Decorate: readers have covered this cake with traditional Royal Icing and found it works perfectly. A layer of marzipan is lovely too.
Recipe Tips
- Don't skip the overnight soak: it's what makes the fruit plump and the cake so moist.
- Use a very large bowl: there's a whole kilo of fruit plus the liquid, so give yourself room to stir.
- Line the sides of the tin: baking paper around the sides helps the cake come out cleanly.
- Choose creamy iced coffee: a slightly sweetened, creamy one works best.
- Making smaller cakes? Bake the mixture in smaller tins or muffin tins and reduce the cooking time to suit.
3 Ingredient Fruit Cake FAQs
Not at all! The iced coffee just keeps the fruit moist and sweet.
Yes. The fruit needs to soak in the iced coffee overnight so it plumps up, which is what gives you such a moist cake. Start the recipe the day before you want to bake it.
Yes! This fruit cake has no eggs and no butter at all. The soaked fruit and iced coffee keep it moist.
Yes. As written, this recipe has no alcohol in it. You can soak the fruit in iced coffee, orange, apple or pineapple juice, black tea or chocolate milk. If you would like a boozy version, swap 100ml of the liquid for your favourite spirit or liqueur.
Not on its own, as the cake needs a raising agent. If you only have plain flour, add baking powder to it.
Yes! Many of our readers have successfully made this using gluten free self raising flour.
Absolutely. Lots of readers have successfully used a soy based flavoured milk in this recipe.
Absolutely! Ground cinnamon, nutmeg and mixed spice are delicious in this recipe. For added flavour, you may also like to add some extra lemon peel or orange peel.
Yes, you can! And blanched almonds on top of the cake give it a traditional look.
Yes, you can! Reduce the cooking time to suit the size of your cake or muffin tins.
Yes, absolutely! Many of our readers have done so and found it works perfectly. Alternatively, you could use a layer of marzipan.
Yes! Wrap the completely cooled whole cake in plastic wrap and then two layers of foil and freeze for up to three months.
More Christmas Recipes
Planning your festive baking? Here are a few more easy favourites, and you'll find heaps more in my Christmas Dessert Recipes.
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The Famous 3 Ingredient Christmas Cake
Ingredients
- 1 kg (6 cups) dried mixed fruit see recipe notes
- 600 ml (2 ½ cups) iced coffee see notes
- 300 g (2 cups) self-raising flour
Instructions
- Place the mixed dried fruit into a very large bowl. Add the iced coffee (or liquid substitute) and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and place into the fridge overnight.
- Preheat oven to 160 degrees celsius (fan-forced). Grease and line a 23cm cake tin with baking paper and set aside.
- Stir the self-raising flour through the fruit mixture and pour into the prepared tin.
- Bake for approximately 1 hour (see notes) or until the cake feels firm in the middle and a skewer inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs on it.
Denise says
I'm going to make this cake tomorrow can I use already made chocalate milk from the shop
Lucy Mathieson says
Absolutely!
Pamela says
Hi Lucy,
Do you have a recipe of the iced coffee? Is it black coffee or a canned coffee drink with milk and sugar already added?
Thanks!
Lucy Mathieson says
Hi Pamela, yes just a premade iced coffee drink with milk and sugar added already (ie. a Big M)
Pauline says
Oooops sorry I got a bit carried away with my query!!!!
Pauline
Pauline says
Hi Lucy. Pauline here from Ballarat. I was wondering how to stop this cake from sinking in the middle, would it be better to cook it in a bundt tin???
Thanks x
Lucy Mathieson says
Hi Pauline, it actually wont sink (mine just did because I had to grab it out of the oven a tiny bit early as I was running out the door!!).
Sharon says
Mine sunk too but still looks amazing
Kay says
Can you add brandy or liquor to the fruit soaking stage or would the mixture curdle?
Lucy Mathieson says
Hi Kay, hmm I'm not sure as I haven't don't it myself - I'll leave your comment here and hopefully someone might be able to help!
Alan says
I always substitute 50ml of fruit juice for 50ml of Cointreau, makes a fantastic cake
Margaret Davies says
I did add some whisky to the soaked mixture and it was lovely!
Lucy Mathieson says
Perfect!
Becky says
What temperature and how long bake time
Roni Hold says
I am in the process of making this and have added 1/4cup of scotch whiskey so hopefully this will be OK and turn out edible.
Lucy Mathieson says
I think it will be delicious!
Jeni says
It will be fine
Fleur says
Hi Kay, How did you go with using Brandy and did younadd any brown sugar with the mixture? Just want to make it today ☺
Ann says
I have been making this cake for years and usually add about 1/2 cup rum the next morning.
Its also okay to add nuts, extra mixed peel and a teaspoon of mixed spice. A very forgiving recipe and yummy.
Lucy Mathieson says
Great suggestions!!!!
Tony says
Could i use spiced rum in the mixture and does that go in the with the dried fruit at soaking stage ,i never made a cake before
Lucy Mathieson says
Hi Tony, yes I would add your rum when soaking the fruit. Good luck!
Diane says
I reckon start 2 days earlier, soak rum in fruit the first night, then the iced coffee the 2nd night, the fruit would be so plump and juicy then add flour and cook it. I'm going to try it.
Anna Magro says
Hello Kay, I've been making this cake for years now and no matter which changes I make, always comes out very good. , I use 2 x 250ml cups of cold strong coffee plus a good slurp of Butterscotch Brandy, no need for any sugar as fruit is sweet enough. I sometimes rinse the mixed dried fruit with clear water and drain well to remove excess sweetness for dietary health reasons. If on the next day and the mix is too dry, add some water, if mix is too wet, add more flour. By the way, I make this cake using only wholemeal self raising flour and add a little baking powder because the wholemeal flour is heavy.