Whether paired with a morning cup of coffee, served as a dessert, or savoured as a lunch box treat, fruit cake is a delightful indulgence whenever the craving strikes and continues to win hearts year after year.

A lot of people put making fruit cake in the too-hard basket, but it really is one of the easiest cakes to put together and is much nicer than a store-bought cake. Also, because you don’t need to beat anything with an electric mixer or beaters, a fruit cake means less prep time and less washing up than a lot of other cakes.

This easy fruit cake is rich, dense, sweet and (I’m going to say it) moist – it’s really hard to believe you can get all this from just 4 ingredients. Sure, you can add all kinds of fruits and spices to fruit cakes, but this fuss-less version gets my vote (and my family’s).

One star ingredient is Baileys Irish Cream. Baileys is always popular in desserts, a splash or two giving them an adults-only flair and adding a delicious touch of creamy vanilla and chocolate. 

Another star in this fruit cake is sweetened condensed milk, which is an old-time favourite that never seems to go out of fashion on ABR. It’s ideal for adding sweetness and caramel-like richness to a recipe, and has been the leading lady in many a dessert for nearly 200 years.

4-ingredient Baileys condensed milk fruit cake

This delicious 4-ingredient Baileys condensed milk fruit cake recipe is so simple to follow. You just toss the mixed fruit into a bowl with the sweetened condensed milk and Baileys, then pop it in the fridge overnight so the fruit can plump up and absorb the flavours. The next day, you fold in the flour, pour the mixture into a cake pan and bake it for 1½-2 hours. That’s all there is to it.

The ABR community is certainly impressed and the reviews make me want to raid the pantry for the four ingredients and get baking. Here is the full recipe.

“Wow, I’ve just made this cake and it’s the easiest fruit cake I’ve ever made and so delicious 😋, and over all not too expensive, which is always good!” says Tracey.

“I made this cake in October and packed it away until today when I couldn’t resist opening it up and sampling it with a cup of tea. It was delicious and the alcohol had matured the fruit beautifully. This cake is my Christmas cake from now on,” says Vikki.

Tips for top fruit cakes

Fruit cakes are pretty fool-proof, but here are some tips just in case you need that extra edge…

  • Any mixed fruit can be used in fruit cakes as long as it’s pretty finely chopped and totals the amount specified in your recipe. Some people don’t like their fruit cakes too citrusy and hate biting into orange peel, and others avoid glacé cherries at any price. So leave things out that you’d rather not eat – it’s your choice.
  • As a lot of dried fruit is used in fruit cakes, it will take the cake a long time to cook (around 2-3 hours) so it’s important to line the pan well to reduce the heat building up in the base and on the side of the pan. The best way to do this is to use a triple layer of baking paper. Some recipes also suggest to line the outside of the pan with a few layers of newspaper and tie with kitchen string. The cake is cooked on a low heat and so the paper won’t burn.
  • If you want to decorate the top of your cake with almonds, do so before baking. Use blanched almonds and gently place them in a pretty circular or flower pattern over the top of the batter.
  • If you’re worried about your cake sinking after or during baking, ensure the oven is fully preheated before adding the cake pan, use the right size of pan for your quantity of cake batter, don’t open the oven door too early, and check for doneness in the centre with a skewer before turning off the oven.
  • Once the fruit cake is baked, leave it in the pan to cool, then remove it from the pan without taking off any of the baking paper. This layer of paper creates a seal that keeps the cake moist until you’re ready to eat it.
  • Fruit cakes contain alcohol and so they can last quite a long time. To store your fruit cake, wrap the cake or remaining cake in a layer of plastic wrap, and then foil, and store in a cool dark place for up to a month, or in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Adding flavours to fruit cakes

There are just so many ingredients people add to fruit cakes, you can be forgiven for thinking there is no room left for the “cake” bit. That’s quite okay – it’s often the plump pieces of fruit, tart peel, nuts and warming alcohol and spices that keep us going back for another slice.

Want to change up the flavour of your next fruit cake? Look for recipes containing:

I also like to slather the outside of a slice of fruit cake with butter – I really like the flavour it adds, and it seems to cut back the richness a bit, too. I’ll leave that one for you to try.