Japanese Fruit Cake

A 4-layer spice cake full of nuts, raisins, and coconut is filled with cooked citrus and coconut filling.

• Preparation Time: 60 mins
• Cooking Time: 40 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 40 mins
• Calories: 211 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 cups flaked coconut
• 2 cups raisins
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 lemons, peeled and seeded
• 2 oranges, peeled and seeded
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 6 large egg yolks
• 6 large egg whites
• 0.25 cup all-purpose flour
• 1.5 cups water

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour four (9-inch) round cake pans.

Step 2

Toss together raisins, coconut, and pecans with 1 cup flour in a medium bowl until well coated. Set aside.

Step 3

Cream sugar and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Sift together remaining 2 cups flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a separate bowl. Add flour mixture to egg mixture in batches, alternating with milk, beating briefly after each addition. Fold in raisin mixture until incorporated.

Step 4

Whip egg whites in a separate clean bowl to stiff peaks. Fold into batter until no streaks remain. Divide batter into the prepared cake pans.

Step 5

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to finish cooling.

Step 6

Make filling: Combine sugar and flour in a saucepan; add water and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Chop oranges and lemons into small pieces and add to water mixture in the saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until thick, about 10 minutes. Stir in coconut and set aside to cool.

Step 7

Assemble cake with filling between cooled cake layers; end with filling on top.