Recipes with Julie Van Rosendaal: 'Tis the season for fruitcakes of all kinds

'Tis the season for fruitcakes of all kinds.

But with copious quantities of dried fruits, nuts and often spirits, current grocery prices can make them cost-prohibitive.

Here's a simple, nut-free fruitcake that doesn't require a month of aging, a mincemeat cake that's quick to stir together and requires no chopping, and a treat to make with any fruitcake you might not be thrilled to be on the receiving end of.

A simple, inexpensive fruitcake

This fruitcake makes use of any dried fruit you have in the house, and contains no nuts, which makes it more affordable. If you'd like nuts, feel free to add a cup of chopped toasted walnuts or pecans. You could top the finished cake with marzipan, if you like, or brush it with brandy, rum, sherry or other spirits, or simply dust it with icing sugar. Its flavour and texture will improve after a day or two on the countertop.

• 4-5 cups dried fruit, such as raisins (dark and light), chopped apricots, dates, figs, cranberries, cherries, candied peel
• 1 cup orange or apple juice or tea
• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup canola or other vegetable oil
• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ cup molasses
• grated zest of an orange
• 3 eggs
• 1½ cups flour
• 2 tsp cinnamon (or a combination of warm spices)
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• Icing sugar, for dusting

Put all your dried fruit into a bowl, warm your juice (or steep the tea) and pour overtop. Let sit for at least half an hour, while you preheat the oven to 350 F. Beat the butter, oil, sugar, molasses and orange zest in a large bowl for a minute or two, until light. Beat in the eggs.

In a smaller bowl, stir together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Add to the butter mixture along with the soaked fruit and any juices in the bottom of the bowl. Stir or beat on low speed (using a paddle attachment) until just combined.

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Scrape the batter into two 8x4-inch loaf pans that have been lined with parchment. Bake for about an hour, until deep golden and springy to the touch. Let them cool in their pans, or remove after 15 minutes to a wire rack. Once cool, dust with icing sugar. The cakes will improve after a day or two, and can be brushed with rum, brandy or other spirits, if you like. They can be frozen for longer storage.

Makes: 2 cakes; serves about 12.

Mincemeat cake

I adore mincemeat, and this is one of my favourite cakes.

For those who love fruitcake but not so much making fruitcake, here's your solution.

It's quick to mix together, requires no chopping, and is wonderfully moist, flavourful and not too sweet — perfect for breakfast, even, or a cup of tea.

• ½ cup butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• zest of an orange
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp fine salt
• 2 cups mincemeat (I use all-fruit)
• icing sugar, for dusting (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 F and spray a Bundt pan with a 6-cup capacity, or a deep 8- to 9-inch square, round or springform pan. If you use a round pan, you can line it with parchment instead.

In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar and orange zest for a minute, then beat in the eggs and vanilla. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture along with the mincemeat, and stir just until combined.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for an hour, or until deep golden and springy to the touch. Turn the cake out of the pan onto a wire rack while it's still warm. If you like, dust the top with icing sugar.

Serves: About 12.

Fruitcake truffles

You can flavour truffles any way you like — with extracts, finely grated zest, or steep the cream with loose tea leaves, strips of orange zest or slices of fresh ginger, and strain it before adding the chocolate to the flavoured cream. A teaspoon of instant espresso powder works well, too. Or make fruitcake truffles by stirring in some chopped surplus fruitcake. The technique works well with sugar cookies, shortbread and other holiday baking, too.

• 1 part cream
• 3 parts semi-sweet or dark chocolate (chopped or chips or nibs)
• finely chopped/crumbled fruitcake (about as much as you have chocolate + cream, optional)
• cocoa or finely chopped toasted nuts, for rolling

In a smallish saucepan, bring your cream to a simmer and then turn off the heat. If you're using extract, add it now, then dump in the chocolate and let it sit for several minutes. Give it a stir until it's smooth, stir in the chopped fruitcake, and chill until firm.

Roll into balls and roll the balls in cocoa to coat.

Store in the fridge but serve at room temperature (chocolate should never be served cold).