Italian Fruit Cake
This Italian fruit cake is light, fluffy, and dairy-free! A simple-to-make dessert perfect for spring and summer!
Packed with fresh fruit and a hint of citrus, this Italian fruit cake is super fluffy, made in one bowl, and perfect for sharing.
It's one of those simple, no-chocolate cakes you can whip up whenever you like, with whatever fruit you have available.
You can enjoy it as is, or serve it up with fresh cream, orange curd, Italian pastry cream, zabaglione, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
My family and friends absolutely LOVE it and I'm sure you'll love it too!
Along with my limoncello cake, strawberry cake and peach cake, it's one of my go-to summer cakes for birthdays and picnics!
Ingredients
For this easy cake with fruit, you'll need basic ingredients you most probably have in your pantry already.
As a nice added bonus, this is a completely dairy-free cake!
Here are the 7 ingredients you'll need:
- Fresh fruit: Use fresh fruit that is not too ripe. I used strawberries, blueberries, peaches and kiwis.
- Flour: I use regular all-plain flour or Italian 00 flour.
- Olive oil: I like using light extra-virgin olive oil, but you can substitute it with melted and cooled butter.
- Eggs: Opt for medium-sized eggs.
- Sugar: I use raw cane sugar, but regular granulated sugar works just as fine.
- Baking powder: A little baking powder gives the cake a soft and bouncy texture.
- Lemon: Opt for an organic lemon, because you will use both the zest and juice. You can substitute it with orange if you like.
How to make Italian fruit cake
This Italian cake with fruit couldn't be easier to make!
You only need one bowl, and it comes together in just 5 minutes.
Check out the quick recipe overview below with step-by-step pictures.
Scroll down until the end of the post for the full printable recipe.
STEP 1. Whisk eggs and sugar until pale and fluffy. Slowly whisk in olive oil, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
STEP 2. Place a sieve over the bowl and add flour and baking powder, whisk briefly to combine all the ingredients.
STEP 3. Add in chopped fruit and mix briefly to combine all ingredients.
STEP 4. Pour the batter into the cake pan, top with sliced fruit of your choice, and bake for about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, cool and serve.
After your cake is baked, brush it with apricot jam or peach jam before serving: it will make this delicious cake look even prettier!
Storage tips
- Serve: You can leave your summer fruit cake at room temperature for up to 1 hour, or longer if you place it in an airtight container in a cool dry spot in your kitchen.
- Fridge: The cake will keep well in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Freezer: Cut the cake into slices, place them on a tray, and freeze for 30 minutes, then transfer them into individual ziplock bags and freeze for up to 1 month.
Did you try this recipe?
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Recipe
Italian Fruit Cake
Ingredients
- 300 g mixed fresh fruit
- 3 medium eggs
- 150 g sugar
- 65 ml lightly-flavoured extra-virgin olive oil, or 85 g/3 oz melted butter
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 180 g all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder, (17 g / ½ oz)
To decorate:
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon apricot jam, optional
Instructions
- Chop about ⅓ of fresh fruit for the cake batter and set them aside. Slice or chop the remaining fruit for the topping, and set them aside.
- Preheat oven to 180°C/360°F and adjust a baking rack onto the middle shelf. Grease and dust with flour (or line with parchment paper) a 9-inch cake pan and set it aside.
- In a large bowl, place the eggs and sugar. Beat the mixture with an electric whisker until light and pale, then gently whisk in the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, and mix until all the ingredients are combined.
- Place a sieve/ strainer over the bowl. Add flour and baking powder, and sift into the cake batter. Whisk until just combined (do not overmix).
- Add the chopped fruit to the batter and mix until just combined.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan. Top the batter with the remaining fresh fruit.
- Bake in the oven for approximately 40 minutes. During the last 10 minutes of baking time, cover the top of the cake with foil to prevent it from browning too much. To check if the cake is ready, insert a toothpick in the center, if it comes out clean, the cake is ready.
- Remove the cake from the oven, allow to cool, then gently remove the cake from the pan.
- Brush your Italian fruit cake with apricot jam, or dust with powdered sugar and serve at room temperature. It's lovely topped with vanilla ice cream, fresh cream, or Greek yogurt.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Hi can I use dried fruit instead of fresh fruit as at the moment the weather here in Sydney very cold winter days. Thank you I love your recipies.
Catherine Vella
Just made it using a few fresh fruit hanging in the fridge and it was delicious, best fruit cake I ever had!
A simple yet delicious cake with fruit for the summer! Thank you so much Andrea