This recipe for the Best Tropical Fruit Cake is a rum-infused twist on a holiday classic that’s packed with candied tropical fruit and macadamia nuts. It’s not the holidays at my house unless I’ve made a batch of these Best Tropical Fruit Cakes and Black Currant Truffles to enjoy and give away as gifts to friends.
Even if you don’t like traditional fruit cake, I’d like to encourage you to try this recipe. It’s delicious and very different. I’ve even had a few converts over the years.
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The story of Kon-Tiki and the Best Tropical Fruit Cake
In 1947, explorer Thor Heyerdahl embarked on a remarkable journey across the Pacific. He set out to prove his theory that early settlers of Polynesia came from Peru.
Merciless waters, a profound fear of sharks and a high probability that I might not live to see land again would have been enough to dissuade me. How he managed to convince five of his friends to build a balsa wood raft by hand and sail across the Pacific with little more than a theory, a sextant and the ocean’s current to guide them is beyond me.
Although scientists and historians still debate the exact origins of the people of Polynesia, no one can argue that the life of the Norwegian explorer was anything less than remarkable. His determination and passion for Polynesia remains contagious to this day.
How does one prepare for a 4,300 mile trip by raft?
The thought and precision that went into preparing for their journey was extraordinary. They carefully planned and packed their navigation and communications equipment, shark repellent (something I’ve never had to factor into a trip), first aid and food supplies. Vessels for capturing fresh water, non-perishable and preserved foods – including this recipe for the Best Tropical Fruit Cake – proved essential to their survival.
OK, that part was a lie. But let’s not allow the truth to get in the way of a good story or a really good fruitcake for that matter.
A really good fruit cake
Best Tropical Fruit Cake is a rum-infused twist on a holiday classic that’s packed with candied tropical fruit and macadamia nuts.
In place of candied citrus and cherries found in a traditional fruit cake, you’ll find dried pineapple, kiwi, mango, papaya and coconut in this version. Dry roasted and salted Macadamia nuts are blended with walnuts for a unique texture and flavor. And the salt from the macadamia nuts helps to balance the sweetness of this cake. And then there’s the rum.
A tale of two rums
In keeping with the tropical theme, two types of rum replace the brandy often used in a traditional fruit cake. I prefer the following two rums for this recipe; Trader Vic’s Spiced Rum and Two James Doctor Bird Rum.
Two James Doctor Bird Rum: In early versions of this recipe, I tried to infuse banana without great success. Mashed banana altered the color and texture of the bake heavily. In another version, I used dried banana chips. But they didn’t hold their crunch and fell short on flavor as well.
I wanted to infuse the essence of banana without altering the texture of the cake. I turned to Doctor Bird. It’s a pretty funky rum that delivers heavy fruit notes. And because it’s so dramatic, you don’t need much. By soaking the dried fruit in it, I was able to infuse a light banana flavor throughout the cake without weighing it down.
I love all-things Michigan, so being able to use a rum crafted by Two James Distillery, a Michigan-based business, is important to me.
Trader Vic’s Spiced Rum: I like this rum for two reasons. The delicate vanilla notes work in harmony with the flavors in this fruit cake. I had tried other spiced rums in early test batches and found their spice blends to be too strong.
It’s a lighter rum, which helps preserve the blond color of the cake. And at 70 proof, it’s less potent than other rums. For my everyday baking needs, I find it is a good addition to the pantry.
Patience pays off in the end
In the notes section, I encourage you to be patient with this bake. Something magical happens the longer it sits. The flavor and texture improve. The rum mellows, and the color of the fruit becomes like wet beach glass.
And perhaps one of the most interesting changes of all, the cake becomes easier to cut. Resist the temptation to cut into this cake immediately. You can, but it will crumble and the rum flavor will be too forward – working against the flavors in the cake, instead of with them. Let it rest for at least 2 days before cutting into it. Trust me, your patience will be rewarded.
So if you want to keep with tradition, but still explore something new, give this recipe for Tropical Fruit Cake a try. You may just discover a new favorite.
Best Tropical Fruit Cake
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Intermediate4
cakes45
minutes1
hour30
minutesThis recipe requires a fair amount of prep work in terms of chopping, and the bake time is long, however it’s worth the effort. This recipe yields 4 standard size loaves or 16 mini loaves. Mini loaves will bake for approximately 70 minutes. Large loaves will require approximately 90 minutes.
Ingredients
- For the batter
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
5 eggs
1 1/3 cups A.P. Flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
- For the fruit
1 tsp. lime zest
2 tsp. lime juice
1/4 cup Two James Doctor Bird Rum
1/4 cup Trader Vic’s Spiced Rum
2 cups dry roasted, salted macadamia nuts, roughly 1/4 inch diced
2 cups walnuts, roughly 1/4 inch diced
2 cups dried, candied pineapple, 1/4 inch diced
1/4 cup sweetened coconut
1 cup dried, candied mango, 1/4 inch diced
1 cup dried, candied kiwi, 1/4 inch diced
1 cup dried, candied papaya, 1/4 inch diced
- For brushing the fruitcakes after baking
An additional 1/2 cup Trader Vic’s Spiced Rum
Directions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line your loaf pans with either baking cups or slips of parchment paper for easier removal. Set aside.
If using baking containers designed for sharing, you can skip this step. See notes section on quantities. - Prepare the fruit
- In a large glass or stainless steel bowl, mix together the chopped fruit and nuts.
- Mix together the rums, lime juice and zest. Pour over the fruit and nut mixture and let stand for 30 minutes. This gives the fruit time to absorb the liquid.
- Prepare the cake batter
- Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the vanilla and the eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl between additions.
- Sift the flour and baking powder into the butter mixture and blend thoroughly.
- After the fruit has rested for 30 minutes, add it to the batter.
- Mix the batter until all the fruit is evenly incorporated. You may need to use a spatula to finish mixing.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared baking pans and level the tops of the batter with a small spatula or the back of a spoon.
- Bake at 300 degrees F. until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean. For small loaves, this will be roughly 70 minutes. Larger loaves may take 90 minutes.
- Brush the cakes with rum
- After removing the cakes from the oven, and while the cakes are still warm, brush them lightly with an additional 1/2 cup of Trader Vic’s Spiced Rum. Rotate through all the cakes until all the rum is used. Allow the cakes to finish cooling to room temperature. Store in an airtight container for two days before slicing.
Notes
- How many fruit cakes does one recipe make? If you are using a standard-size fruitcake loaf pan as pictured above, you can expect to get between 3 – 4 large fruitcakes from one recipe. If you are using miniature loaf pans, you can expect 14-16 small loafs. This is my personal favorite size to include in a holiday cookie assortment.
- Why do I need to let the cakes rest for two days before cutting? Trust me, your patience will be rewarded. The texture of this cake actually improves the longer it sits. The moisture from the fruit and the rum creates the beautiful, smooth texture of this cake as everything marries. The flavor of the rum mellows, the color of the fruit becomes like wet beach glass and the cake becomes so easy to cut. You can cut into the cake immediately, but it will crumble and the rum flavor will be too forward – working against the flavors in the cake, instead of with it.
- Can I use a food processor to chop the fruit and nuts? I do not recommend using a food processor for this recipe. The candied fruit is sticky and can gum up the blade, without giving you an even dice on the fruit. I also do not recommend using the food processor for the macadamia nuts. Because macadamia nuts are so soft and fatty, I found they just mushed up with just a few pulses. Better to chop my hand.
Hi again! I just wanted to let you know that I made this recipe last year and it was absolutely DELICIOUS!!! I am making it again this year! It worked perfectly with just macadamia nuts and no walnuts.
Hi Sarah! So happy to hear you are enjoying this recipe and making it your own. I agree. Just as delicious with just macadamia nuts. Great suggestion for anyone who is not a walnut fan! I hope you have a wonderful holiday! Best, Maria
Thanks so much for this recipe – I’m going to give it a whirl this weekend. I was wondering if you had ever tried to add a teensy bit of banana extract/flavoring to your rum before soaking the fruit in it. Neither one of the 2 rums used in your recipe are available in my area – all I have is a bottle of Captain Morgan spiced rum and a bottle of banana bakery emulsion. It is quite strong, so I would likely add just a drop or two to my soaking rum. Thoughts?
Hi Debra, and thanks for reaching out! Your taste buds are on point. I recently made these fruitcakes using Captain Morgan’s spiced rum, when I was out of the Trader Vic’s. It’s a great rum substitute. I’ve never used the banana emulsion in this recipe, but I think it you double the Captain Morgan’s rum and add the emulsion to taste, you could get a similar flavor profile. Recipes are living, breathing guides, so I love that you are making this one your own. Thank you, again, and happy baking!
Looking forward to making this. Actually found a pineapple infused rum to try out.
Christine, That sounds like a lovely way to personalize the recipe! Thanks for reaching out and happy baking!
Hi. I absolutely hate walnuts, and am not a huge nut fan. I want to leave out the walnuts.
Would you recommend adding more macadamia nuts? Or substitute a different nut? If I just eliminate walnuts, how do you think that will alter the cooking time?
Hi Sarah! Thanks for reaching out. I understand: walnuts can be polarizing. Pecans are a good alternative. Macadamia nuts are very fatty, so I’m concerned that doubling up on them would dramatically change the texture of the fruitcake. Also, since the macadamia nuts are salted, doubling up on them would make the fruitcake too salty. I do not recommend doubling the macadamia nuts for these two reasons. You could leave out the walnuts altogether and just keep the Macadamia nuts at 2 cups. The fruitcake will still be delicious, but with a bit more batter between the floating pieces of fruit and Macs. This is a pretty dense cake, so the cooking time may only be shortened by a few minutes, if at all. I recommend peeking at the cakes 10 minutes early to see how they are doing and adjust from there. Hope this helps. Thanks again for your question and happy holiday baking!
Hi again, Maria;
I haven’t been able to source salted macadamia nuts or dried papaya in our small town. Suggestions for substitutions, please.
Thankyou
Hi Angela. I’m so glad you reached out. It’s certainly still difficult to find items on the shelves these days. I’ve been able to find both on either Amazon.com or Walmart.com. I’ve also found both in my local Costco store, as well. Hope this is helpful and happy baking!
Hi Maria;
I love the look of this recipe and will definitely be adding it to my Christmas baking. Two questions please; you say ” standard size loaf pan.” Is this 8 1/2 “× 4 1/2″ × 2 1/2”? Also, how long will this cake last, well wrapped. I make my regular dark fruit cake 8 weeks ahead of Christmas. Many thanks.
Hi Angela. Thanks for your kind words and questions about this recipe for Tropical Fruit Cake. You are correct in your assumption. For the larger loaves, I typically use the aluminum “gifting” baking tins that measure 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ – which you often find in stores or online during the holidays. I also use a slightly smaller version of the French Panibois Wood baking baskets that measure 7″ x 4″ x 2″. They’re so pretty for gifting. Mini loaf molds also range in size, with the mini Panibois measuring 4 1/2″ x 2 1/2″ x 1 1/2″ and the traditional aluminum pans measuring slightly larger at 5 1/2″ x 3 1/2″x 2″ total. On average, using pans of this size will yield 3-4 large fruit cakes or 14-16 small fruit cakes – or a combination thereof. When loaves are individually wrapped in plastic then stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, these fruitcakes will last 5 weeks. I usually make them right after Thanksgiving and continue to enjoy and share them throughout December and even on New Years. Thanks again for reaching out, and I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does!
4 to 16 cakes? I am guessing three loaf pans…..
Greetings! The final yield will vary on the size of the baking pans used ultimately. In the notes section at the bottom of the post, I clarify the yield as follows:
“How many fruit cakes does one recipe make? If you are using a standard-size fruitcake loaf pan as pictured above, you can expect to get between 3 – 4 large fruitcakes from one recipe. If you are using miniature loaf pans, you can expect 14-16 small loafs. This is my personal favorite size to include in a holiday cookie assortment.”
Best, Maria