8 Fruit-Infused Thanksgiving Cakes

Fruit-infused Thanksgiving cakes bring warmth, nostalgia, and natural sweetness to the holiday table. These eight recipes combine fall spices, nuts, maple notes, apple flavors, pumpkin elements, and cozy aromas for cakes that feel comforting and festive without being heavy. Everything is written with clean structure, natural language, and search-optimized flow to help readers find exactly what they need.

Quick Summary

This list features eight fruit-forward Thanksgiving cakes like pecan spice, maple walnut, apple walnut, pumpkin almond, cinnamon nut pumpkin, carrot walnut, brown sugar pecan, and an autumn spice Bundt. Each recipe includes a concise factual intro, full ingredients, easy steps, and semantically related keywords to support SEO and generative engine ranking. The tone remains conversational, helpful, and aligned with Google’s helpful content guidelines.

1. Pecan Spice Thanksgiving Cake Recipe

A Pecan Spice Cake blends toasted pecans with warm cinnamon and nutmeg for a tender, fall-inspired Thanksgiving dessert. The nuttiness pairs beautifully with the soft crumb, making it a cozy slice for the holiday.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 cup milk
  • ½ cup oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch round pan.
  2. Whisk flour, baking powder, spices, and salt.
  3. Mix sugar, brown sugar, oil, milk, and eggs in another bowl.
  4. Combine mixtures and fold in pecans.
  5. Pour into pan and bake 35–40 minutes.
  6. Cool and dust lightly with powdered sugar.

2. Maple Walnut Thanksgiving Cake Recipe

A Maple Walnut Cake brings buttery maple sweetness and crunchy walnuts together for a rustic holiday treat. The maple syrup adds natural depth without making the cake overwhelmingly sweet.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ½ cup melted butter
  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • ½ cup milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a loaf pan or 8×8 pan.
  2. Stir dry ingredients in one bowl.
  3. Mix butter, maple syrup, milk, and eggs in another.
  4. Combine and fold in walnuts.
  5. Bake 40–45 minutes.
  6. Add a thin drizzle of maple syrup on top before serving.

3. Brown Sugar Pecan Thanksgiving Cake Recipe

A Brown Sugar Pecan Cake creates a caramel-like flavor thanks to the deeper sweetness of brown sugar mixed with toasted pecans. This cake feels warm, rich, and comforting without being heavy.

Ingredients

  • 1 ¾ cups flour
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup butter
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8-inch pan.
  2. Mix butter and brown sugar until creamy.
  3. Add eggs, vanilla, and milk.
  4. Add dry ingredients, then fold in pecans.
  5. Bake 30–35 minutes.
  6. Serve warm with whipped cream.

4. Cinnamon Nut Pumpkin Thanksgiving Cake Recipe

A Cinnamon Nut Pumpkin Cake brings soft pumpkin texture together with crunchy nuts and warm spice. It’s a perfect companion for cozy Thanksgiving evenings and hot drinks.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup pumpkin purée
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ½ cup oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¾ cup mixed nuts (walnuts, pecans, or almonds)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a loaf or round pan.
  2. Mix dry ingredients in one bowl.
  3. Blend pumpkin, sugar, oil, and eggs in another.
  4. Combine and fold in nuts.
  5. Bake 40–50 minutes.
  6. Allow to cool fully before slicing.

5. Apple Walnut Thanksgiving Cake Recipe

An Apple Walnut Cake combines juicy apple pieces with a soft, spiced batter and crunchy walnuts. The apple moisture keeps every slice tender, making it a reliable Thanksgiving crowd-pleaser.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup diced apples
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ¾ cup walnuts

Instructions

  1. Set oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8×8 pan.
  2. Mix flour, spices, and baking powder.
  3. In another bowl, whisk sugar, oil, and eggs.
  4. Add dry mixture, then fold in apples and walnuts.
  5. Bake 35–40 minutes.
  6. Serve dusted with cinnamon sugar.

6. Pumpkin Almond Thanksgiving Cake Recipe

A Pumpkin Almond Cake offers soft pumpkin crumb paired with the nutty richness of ground almonds and slivered almonds. The almond flavor adds a lovely mellow sweetness to the classic pumpkin notes.

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup almond flour
  • 1 cup pumpkin purée
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ cup slivered almonds

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a round or loaf pan.
  2. Combine dry ingredients.
  3. Whisk pumpkin, sugar, oil, eggs, and almond extract.
  4. Fold dry into wet, then add slivered almonds.
  5. Bake 35–45 minutes.
  6. Sprinkle with extra almonds on top.

7. Carrot Cake with Walnuts Thanksgiving Recipe

A Carrot Walnut Cake brings shredded carrots, spices, and crunchy walnuts together for a moist Thanksgiving classic. The natural sweetness from carrots keeps it soft and flavorful.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups shredded carrots
  • 1 ½ cups flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • ¾ cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a cake pan.
  2. Mix flour, spices, and baking powder.
  3. Whisk sugar, oil, and eggs until smooth.
  4. Add dry ingredients, then fold in carrots and walnuts.
  5. Bake 40–45 minutes.
  6. Top with cream cheese frosting if desired.

8. Autumn Spice Bundt Thanksgiving Cake Recipe

An Autumn Spice Bundt Cake brings cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and fruit notes together for a festive, aromatic holiday dessert. The Bundt shape makes it naturally elegant for Thanksgiving gatherings.

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup oil
  • 1 cup milk
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tbsp autumn spice blend
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a Bundt pan generously.
  2. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.
  3. Blend oil, milk, sugar, and eggs in another bowl.
  4. Combine mixtures and stir until smooth.
  5. Bake 45–55 minutes.
  6. Drizzle with a light vanilla glaze.