Submitted by Sue Mitchell
Rich fruit cake (3 ingredient cake)
Ingredients
- 1 kilo mixed fruit (and nuts if wanted)
- 750mls fluid - I used orange and apple juice and brandy
- 2 cups self raising flour
Instructions
- Soak fruit in fluid of choice for 24 hours
- Stir in flour and put into a loose bottom cake tin .
- Put in SC and cook for 8 hours on low ,with water 1/2 way up cake tin .
- Cook using the Tea Towel Trick in place
- Cool and turn out .
Notes
- A non coffee alternative to our other 3 Ingredient Christmas Cake
Tried this recipe?Scroll Down To Share What You Think
Do you put T towel under lid
I would for all cakes 🙂
What’s a sc and why a used orange?
SC is slow cooker
It’s not a ‘used orange’ .. Sue is saying she used both juices as well as the brandy when she cooked this 🙂
Do you need a tea towel under the lid ?
I would love to know what size cup ,or ounces please
What size cake tin
Please tell me how you can cook this in a loose bottom cake tin with water half way up the cake tin? If making this cake I would line the cake tin with baking paper and cover the outside with foil.
Wow Looks delicious yummy:-)No fat, eggs & spices???
What do you mean by a loose bottom cake tin do you mean a ring tin and won’t the water seep in?
what size of cup do you use as we do not use cup measurements in the UK. thanks
Hi Gene ,
I am in UK , the cups can be bought anywhere . I got mine in pound shop . Google for oz equivalent X
Hi, sorry didn’t realise I needed to check in to answer questions . 8″ cake tin . Pound shop does Cup measures . Cup measure 1 cup so 2 of size 1cup ?
No water doesn’t get in ,same as mixture doesn’t come out !
Tea towel yes .
Put spices in as you wish .
No eggs or fat .
I haven’t ever lined tin but upto you .
I really don’t think you can go wrong ,it’s the soaking of the fruit that can’t be rushed ?
Yes I used a tea towel .
2 of the 1cup size . ( buy cups in pound land )
Add spice by all means , zest too if you like .
No water does not get in just as mixture does not leak out .
8″ cake tin .
I have never lined mine but it may be wise !
I bought loose bottom tiny tins from £1 shop and made little ones as gifts , low 2 hours recipe the same just shared out .
Very sorry didn’t realise I had to answer questions ,thank you admin ?
Hope you enjoy cake X
She used orange juice as the fluid
1 cup is usually 250 gms or 250 ml. Looks awesome.
Must the loose bottom tin be put inside a pot with water in the pot. Or Must the loose bottom tin be put just so on the stove
Sorry Marlene I don’t understand the question . I have a large Slow Cooker . I put cake tin into slow cooker and pour water around to half way up the tin ans switch on for 8 hours on low .
Will have to make this tomorrow
How to put water 1/2way up?
And how to cook for 8 hours?
hi , you just put cake tin into slow cooker and put water around cake tin . So cake tin is an island surrounded by water !
Please explain further how do you stop the water from seeping into the cake….don’t get it
If I made this now would it keep til Christmas like regular Christmas cake does?
Hi Angie ,sorry I don’t know . We had one that was lovely and moist a week later but as its so moist I wonder if it would go mouldy if left for a long time .
I have a similar recipe from Diabetic book…i used 750 ml bottle light peach iced tea…i cook in a spring form tin…in low oven 125 & it only takes 2.5 hours its amazing …i make 1 a week for hubby lunch box..it stays so fresh in aor tight container…
How many cups is 1 kilo of fruit
Brilliant. I didn’t use any water, cooked it in a 8″ round loose bottom cake tin on low in the slow cooker, tested it after 6hours and it was perfect. I used 1/2 orange, 1/2 pineapple and a good slosh of brandy and added a few spices to the flour.
By “loose bottom pan” do you mean what we Yanks call a “Springform pan”… Unlock outer ring and cake on flat bottom drops out… Usually used for cheesecake ?
What orange used for and why a tea towel bit confusing these questions
The orange is not a used orange.
It’s that the lady used orange juice as part of the liquid for this dish.
The tea towel is used under the kid of slow cooker cakes to prevent moisture wetting the cake.
As per >> The Tea Towel Trick
It’s a springform cake pan & a cup is a standard measurement of 250 grams.
I have made this cake many times I have used orange juice and brandy also pineapple and peach juice and brandy and have baked it in oven I will try the slow cooker thanks
I will try with gluten free SR flour
I wonder if it would work for a pudding. Wrapped in cheese cloth and submerged in the water
A bit like our Plum Duff recipe 🙂
Instead of juice I soak fruit in a chocolate &/or coffee milkshake
It’s not a used orange. It reads ” i used orange and apple juice and brandy” it shouldn’t go mouldy as brandy is a preservative.
How long will the cake keep for please?
How long will this keep please?
I dont have avery large sc so my tin doesn’t fit in , can I do thiz on a stove top.it xounds delicious. Also if I add nuts and glace cherries do I have to adjust liquid tks
I’ve read through ALL comments,questions,answers ?
How confusing, I’m just going to buy my Xmas Fruit Cake from a reputable charity, where everyone wins?
Nothing to it 🙂
What part is confusing you?
Wow this looks so easy. Every year I make at least a dozen cakes so next year I will try this. I tend to let my fruit marinate in the juices and alcohol for a week and I use Whiskey or Rum, also cinnamon nutmeg and any other Christmas spices. I also leave my cakes wrapped in cling or film as some people call it then wrapped in foil for at least 2 months in the cupboard it just seems to make the cake taste better, these types of cakes last a long time wrapped due to the alcohol and sugar in the dried fruits. You can also freeze them or make them in individual little cake tins.
What does SC stand for please?
Slow Cooker
I make a similar cake likewise it’s the soaking that counts as this brings out all the flavours. I do line my spring release 8 inch cake tin no it doesn’t leak mixture and no the water does not enter into the cake I cover top with either a tea towel or tin foil and once in position I add enough boiled water to come halfway up the side of cake tin. Then I normally go to bed and leave it. Cooking while I sleep. Lovely moist cake and it never lasts long enough to go mouldy it’s eaten rather quickly all I can say is try and enjoy
Hi can you tell me does it have to be in a tin as I have an oval sc and the 8in tin will not fit so can I put it in a plastic round container with a lid please advise.x
how come no eggs
Awesome recipe, easy to follow, thank you can’t wait to make it this week ?
Does it have to be a lose bottom tin because my slow cooker is oval and does not fit in?
I am going to use my square Corningware dish but will line it. I wonder if it is necessary to put a sheet of baking paper over the top of the dish and put the glass lid on? and a cloth under the dish??
No you leave cake uncovered but the tea towel goes under the slow cooker lid if anywhere … not inside the cooker on your cake.
Here’s how >> Tea Towel Trick
1cup is 8ozs
What do you mean by “used orange”??
It’s not a used orange.
Sue ‘chose to use’ the juices etc to make up her fluid choices.
Thank You Paulene. I should have realised that. Thanks again.
Should I line the dish with baking paper? I am using a Corningware glass dish in the SC??
EPIC fail!!! Came out a totally gooey mess, there had to be water seeping into the mixture, 8hours n 1 kilo of mixed fruit wasted unless there’s a way this can be rescued? Once cooled, more flour n fold in, cook again???? Or is it doomed? It had actually sunk when took lid off, yet had looked like it had worked. I cud cry ???? Wot did I do wrong? Followed ingredients n directions to the letter
Jan, I put a towel under the slow cooker lid and my cake came out perfect it was nice and firm and cooked very well. I also lined the Corningware dish with Baking paper. I tasted a few teaspoons of the cake it was really nice, I am going to use it as a pudding with custard and cream. No I wouldn’t suggest sugar at all because it would make it far too sweet… it already is a very rich taste. I cooked it on Low all 8 hours. June.
A quick question please. My cake fruit mix came in the bucket in it’s own plastic bag. In another plastic bag in the bucket, was brown sugar. I am busy soaking the fruit at the moment. Do I use the sugar in this particular recipe as well along with the self raising flour.
Im making this cake as we speak… Using a bundt cake tin…. Hope it works!
hi there I have made the fruitcake mix. I don’t have cake tins with loose bottoms and only one slow cooker. I used my 6 inch cake tins, split the fruitcake mix in 3. lined the tins and slow cooked for 8 hours. took the one out this morning. it seems cooked but how do I know for sure. the consistency is very different from cooking fruitcake in the oven. Do I cook it for longer or do I put it back in the sc. just want to be sure its cooked.
Thx June. So I just take the fruit cake mix as bought in bucket. Leave the sugar out. Added 750ml of liquid last night and it stand for a day, Now I must just add 2 cups self raising flour. To me it look like the mixture might be a bit dry and not seeing any form of liquid at this stage in fruit.
Have to say I followed the recipe to the letter and it was not what I expected and not really a cake. It was VERY moist and sweet, Rosemary thought it wasn’t cooked enough to set it like a traditional cake poked at her bit with a fork and said ‘not for me’. To my way of thinking it was more like a dessert. I tried some ‘as is’ then I tried her bit with yoghurt. As I said – more like a pudding. Since Rosemary won’t try it and I can’t see myself eating all of it, I can see the main experiment cost of $8 for a kg of mixed fruit being part of the price of my culinary education!
Jan, Might be a bit late for this reply. Did you try adding more flour or has it gone out? You could try adding more flour and cook again. Then if its still not great use as a base for a sweet type of bread and butter pudding instead of bread. I did that once with muffins that failed. Worked well. Hope that helps 🙂
How long will the cake last for if it was marzipaned and iced ?
Tried this recently but added 50ml of rum, chopped pecans, mixed spices and a handful of chocolate drops.
My goodness it was the most beautiful fruit cake I had ever tasted! So moist, my portion sizes became bigger and bigger. lol
An absolute winner.
Soaking the fruit is the secret to this recipe. 😉
I recently baked a cheesecake in the oven using my spring-form tin but butter leaked out. Would it be safer to wrap the tin with tin foil before putting it into the SC? Has anyone tried this?
When soaking fruit overnight is it in a sealed n lidded container also os it at room temp or on fridge.
I made this cake for Christmas. Use less fruit. It was so yummy. We some times have it as a pudding
What is loose bottom cake tin.. is that springform?
Thnx will try this out
Which shop do I get the 1kg fruit mix in the bucket?
Fruit & Veg sell their fruit cake mix in a bucket, usually from Oct each year, but you can buy it loose (without the bucket) any time. I’m definitely trying this, this weekend!!
The mixeed fruit of Safai is of superior quality. I always use it.
I just made this fruit cake today. It didn’t seem to be cooking on top after 8 hours so I put it in the oven on 180 Celsius for about 15 mins. It looked good until I took it out of the tin. It’s a bit gooey around the bottom/ side. I think it may have needed a bit more flour. Probably use it as a desert. I did put a t towel under the lid
What size slow cooker do you use
Is it 750 mls of any liquid you would like to use and if you use 3 different ones is it 750 mls of each or in total?
If you want to use more than 1 form of liquid is it 750 mls of each one or in total?
Love this recipe… have made it with chocolate milk and whiskey. I use dried tropical fruit and berries too. Super easy!
I made this cake but it was more like a pudding so I have decided to make it as my Christmas pudding and it’s lush for that……
Do I strain the fruit before adding the flour? Or do I leave the liquid in the mix?
Hi,
Is there anyway this can be cooked on high for a shorter amount of time, or could you tell me if longer than 8hrs on low will hurt it? Having soaked the fruit for 24hrs, I now find in called into work earlier than expected, and unable to rescue cake after 8hrs…
Good idea to put 2 or 3 egg rings under cake saves it getting to hot on bottom also line your spring form tin with 4 lots of baking paper laying it all diffently ways then it won’t leak and yes tea towel under lid
Wow cannot believe how confusing some people find such an easy recipe….unbelievable…how would they go with 12 ingredients LOL.
I hope if you ever are unsure or need extra help or advice no one is as rude and obnoxious to you when you are simply asking for help.
Helping others is what we do here Pam!
And I’ll help as often and as repeatedly as I need to with zero judgement 🙂
Unlike you it would seem …..
Does anyone know if it is possible to use a different flour
Say Spelt or almond flour or something similar
Since becoming extremely grain intolerant I really miss fruit cake
Thanks in advance
The cake looks fantastic and I will certainly try it. Perfect for my son who can’t have dairy or eggs 🙂
I must say I found some of the questions hilarious and managed to read all of them! But some answers gave extra information so all good. Thank you for sharing!!
I use apricot nectar instead of apple juice i also use a steam pudding in slow cooker have to cook two batches as one and only holds enough for half a batch
Thankyou for the recipe Sue – have the fruit soaking now. Perfect use of my home-dried fruit! (and will try with almond flour later, making it even more diabetic friendly)
Have enjoyed reading the comments too. Interesting to note where the people who post reside…potted cultural history! – and of course some of the things that seem obvious to some are strange to others given our different uses of language etc (did not know that cup and spoon measures that are so common in Australia are a quite strange way of thinking to people from other cultures. Here in Australia we work across all weights and measures mentioned).
Could I make this as a gluten free cake? What could I use instead of SR flour?
I’ve asked here on our Facebook Group for you to see if anyone has tried also 🙂
READ HERE
Lovely cake! I added almonds and mixed spice but otherwise as is. Cooked about ten hours on low when cake started to leave sides of pan.
I have used chocolate milk or coffee milk
First fruit cake I had ever attempted and the most easiest and most devine.
Will not be by last.
I added bourbon as well as thats all I had in the pantry.
If you use Milk in your recipe do you have to refrigerate the cake?
I do not have loose bottom tin, can I bake it directly in a greased SC or with wax paper lining the SC?
I have made this several times not and each time the Family and Friends have loved it is so easy to make
Jennifer 250 grams is a cup size if you have a Tupperware size cups it’s the large one
Super Moist.
Can I use three cups of black tea instead? ( like the oven method ? )
Yes as long as the volume matches you can change the fluid 🙂
I will try this, one cup of flour is 4 oz in my cooking book. ( ENGLAND ).
I have a 1.5l. Don’t have a cake tin small enough. How can I line my slow cooker to stop burning?
Use the recipe that’s specific for the 1.5L size 🙂 It doesn’t need the cake tin. It’s in the 1.5L recipes category 🙂
I didn’t want to wait for the dried fruit to soak in the liquid for 24 hours so I warmed them together in a saucepan on the stove. Lower simmer for 30 minutes , then cooled for 30 mins.
Fruit plumped up , then I added the flour and put into the cake tin. Cooked in slow cooker on low for 9 hours. Turned out beautifully.
What a easy wonderful cake we had it with cream better than any Christmas pudding that I have had my husband agreed so this is our Christmas pudding now but I have a feeling that we shall be having it many times not just Christmas Lyn
This is the best and easiest Christmas pudding we have had as we like it as a pudding warm very ummy with cream but we shall be having it anytime not just for Christmas my husband couldn’t wait that long for it .
Great we had this with cream better than any Christmas pudding we have eaten we will be having this anytime not just Christmas my husband couldn’t wait that long for the next one .
Hi Pauline, i have the sunbeam Sear and Slow Cooker cook hot even on low.How long would l cook cake for.
I am making this christmas eve to use a christmas pudding. Going to use cranberry juice and gluten free flour. Thank you for the recipe
What is the tea towel trick please?
Tea Towel Trick
What is the tea towel trick please.?I’m new to the site.
Tea Towel Trick
I assume you line the cake tin with baking paper to prevent it sticking? Do you do a third apple juice a third orange juice and a third brandy?
Hi – Do you think I could use all alcohol for the 750mls of fluid? I was going to use Dubliner. Or do you think this may somehow upset the mix? Thanks in advance guys.
Hi Karen, I’ve definitely seen some do a portion of alcohol in that liquid for sure. One lady who did all brandy for the full amount found it much too strong (but then she didn’t like brandy) so up to you what portion ratio you choose 🙂
Our cake tins don’t fit in the slow cooker, what temperature would I set the oven on to do it in there?
My 3 ingredient cake using a bundt tin, I forgot to keep a check on the water and it ran dry. Turned out fine but did stick to the tin. Next time I’ll 1/2 the recipe and buy a spring form tin that will fit my slow cooker. I live alone so don’t really need such a big cake. BTW I did use booze ?. I used fruit juice instead of choc milk..
Pauline, You should mention your alternate version of this recipe, adapted for the small (1.5L) slow cookers, which is actually much easier to make. (It is NOT a matter of just cutting the recipe in half). The batter goes directly into the lightly oiled crockpot (no lining, no water, no springform). Bakes just 2 hrs. Instead of making one batch for the large cooker, I make 2 for the small cookers, as I have 2 of them. This is a fantastic recipe.
We have one already complete stand alone in our 1.5L recipe category Daisy 🙂
Is that they one you mean?
http://www.slowcookercentral.com/recipe/pint-size-3-ingredient-xmas-cake/
I made this for a family Christmas about 7 years ago and now I get told I have to make it every year. We use it instead of Christmas pudding, it’s always a huge hit with the family.
Hi there, how long would this last if you use Brandy? Also, would it need to be refrigerated? If not, how would you recommend storing it.? Thanks!
I would store in in the fridge in a sealed container myself
This one is awesome I make several of them over the whole year. After I have cooked then cooled I slice and have it stored in the freezer ready to go for when we have guests or as a quick evening snack with ice cream or custard (mainly custard).
Hi I am so excited about making this tonight
I have a smaller crockpot I will cook it directly in it
I just don’t know if I cook it on high or low for the 2 hours
Hi Thelma, sorry I only saw your message the day after you were cooking. This is quite a large cake – I’m concerned it may not fit in your smaller cooker? How did you go?
Hi, would it be possible to cook this as smalller individual cakes in a silicone mould? If so how long should it cook for? Thank you
You could do them individual yep – not certain on time but just keep an eye on it to test for first batch so you know (I expect you’ll need several batches to cook as this makes a fair size cake)
Hi Paulene, How long will this cake last? – I’ve seen a few people ask this question and I can’t see that it’s been answered – I made this last year as a Christmas pudding, can this be decorated as a normal Christmas cake? – also I’m going to make some mini cakes, I’m thinking to half the timing to 4 hours? – TIA
Success, I baked mine in oven for about 2hours, I made one average sized cake and the rest I put in a loaf tin, used half the loaf tin and it made a smaller cake. I used a litre carton of mango juice to soak my fruit over night. Added some almonds, cashew nuts and a packet of red glace cherries, couldn’t buy any green ones, yummy. I have wrapped my bigger cake in baking paper and foil, and hag put it in the freezer until Xmas, if I don’t, it disappears into my husband’s tummy. It’s the same when I start making my shortbread for Xmas, I freeze that as well, works wonders. Good luck to everyone making this, I don’t think I’ll try the slow cooker, it seems that it might get steam into it
Hi do you drain the fluid off the fruit or do you use it
It soaks into the fruit and leave what isn’t soaked in to mix with the flour etc
I’ve just made this in my Breville Sear slow cooker. 8 hours on low, exactly as the recipe states. Although, I lined the outside of the pan in 2 layers of foil and the inside in baking paper. Then put it on a rack before adding water. My springform cake tin broke and wouldn’t open, but it still tipped out of the tin easily. I used about 500ml apple juice and 250ml brandy. Turned out perfect. Looking forward to giving it to my fruitcake loving father for Christmas!
I made this cake with 250mls of apple juice 250mls of orange juice and 250mlsof brandy. Put it in a Pyrex dish greased and lined. (Ihad to find something that fitted my sc.) cooked on slow for 8 hours. Water half way up. Tea towel under the lid. Cooked perfect.
I loved this cake so easy. I lined my slow cooker with greaseproof paper as I didn’t have a cake tin to fit . Poured the cake mix straight into slow cooker and tied a tea towel around the lid so no condensation drips onto cake . Cooked it for the time specified and checked it hour before finished. Just tiny little bit burnt round edges , but you can shave those bits off. Dead easy to do. I don’t put currants in don’t like them put sultanas instead. 3 ingredients and no rubbish chemicals .
Can you replace normal SR flour with almond flour? And if you can, how much baking powder do you add? TIA
Is this cake recipe ok for diabetics? Can you make it with G. Free flour?
It sounds awesome.
Best fruit cake ever so easy
What’s a loose bottom tin?
Like the kind you often use for a cheesecake, where the bottom removes from the sides
Hi.
I’m going to make this and ice it for Christmas, what is the best way to store. Last time I made a Christmas cake it went mouldy ?
I would personally store it in a sealed container in fridge Jo
OK I have a couple of quick questions Paulene. The recipe states ‘a loose bottomed tin’….but the tin sits in a water bath inside the SC so won’t the water seep into the tin if it’s cooking for that length of time? Also, does the tin need to be greased?
I would like to know how much orange juice and apple juice and brandy did you use..
So that they total 750ml … vary as to how much alcohol you personally want in yours 🙂
ok question i dont have a cake tin that will fit in my slow cooker
what can i do
I couldn’t be more disappointed how this cake turned out. Not sure if I did something wrong, I only differed from instructions by splitting my batter into two pans as I didn’t have large enough pan to fit in my slow cooker. It came out completely wet on the bottom and I have been trying to salvage it by putting in oven.
Hi Sharon, If it’s wet on the bottom it sounds like it needed more time in your cooker is all 🙂
Can I just cook in the oven if so what temp and for how long please
So easy and it tasted great I had peanut butter whiskey and apple juice so I smoked my fruit in that. Turned out great.
I made a few variations.
I halved the ingredients, and used iced coffee & Tia Maria for the liquid. I used 2 layers of baking paper instead of a tin.
It turned out very very moist, no burnt bits.
For the liquid I used Canadian Club n Ginger Ale.
The cake looks delicious, I used a bit of rum instead of brandy.
I made this using 625 ml of chocolate milk and 125 ml of tawny port. The aroma coming from the fridge for the 24 hours from the soaking fruit was amazing. I forgot to get back to it until 4 in the afternoon the next day so did 2.5 hours on high and then hoped it would only need an additional few hours on low and be ready that I could go to bed at a reasonable hour. I used a silicon cake tin which worked really well when it came time to take it out of the pan. By 10 it was still very soggy in the middle. I waited up till midnight hoping it would be done but no, still soggy in the middle. I decided to just turn it off and leave it in the water in the sc and hope for the best. At 6.30 the next morning it looked to be perfectly cooked and I was surprised at how hot the water still was. Edges were not burnt as some have said. Hubby has been salivating at the thought of finally being able to eat it. It is delicious however the centre of the cake is still a little bit on the soggy side, not that that is stopping him from devouring it. Would I make it again, yes I think so but will start earlier in the day and possibly cook for even longer.
I made the 3 ingredient fruitcake it was amazingly moist and delicious.
I used
1 kg dried fruit mix
750 mls espresso coffee
3 cups self raising flour
soaked fruit and coffee a tad over 24 hrs.
stirred the fruitmix then added the flour, mixed well.
I sprayed my slow cooker bowl, lined with baking paper and cooked it high 4 hrs then 6 hrs low in my Vintage Monier 3.5 L slow cooker
it was amazing, I will never bake a fruitcake in the oven again.
Another winning recipe 🙏❤️🏆🏆🏆
Thanks Maria 🙂
Do you drain the fluid off before you add the flour or is the fluid combined with the flour?
No need to drain off any liquid Maggie 🙂
I am amazed at the amount of questions. Do bakers not have the internet.
Just tried the SC method with tea towel trick using my wife’s own recipe in two oval slow cookers using a silicon dish and a steam pudding tin which were the only items we could find that had depth and could fit in our slow cookers.After 8 hrs they look amazing firm to the touch,next to No cake on the inserted skewer.THANK YOU
I’ve made this recipe a couple of times in my large sc. Made it for the first time in the small school and it’s absolutely amazing. Thank you for your assistance with reducing the ingredients.
That’s so great to hear Mike! 🙂 Well done!
Cooked this for the first time this Christmas, and it was a huge success. I used iced coffee and Bailey’s as the liquid soaking the fruit overnight, and it was sooooo delicious, especially when served warm and covered in custard.
That’s so great to hear Patricia! Thanks for taking the time to leave your feedback 🙂
Paulene thank you for allowing me to print this receipt.
Beautiful cake. I just added some alspice.
Roy.
So pleased you enjoyed your cake Roy! 🙂 Thanks so much for taking the time to leave your feedback 🙂