Here’s a classic Fruitcake recipe—a moist, dense cake loaded with dried fruits and nuts, perfect for holidays or special occasions. 🍰🍒
Ingredients
Fruits & Nuts
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup currants
- ½ cup dried cherries
- ½ cup dried apricots, chopped
- ½ cup candied orange peel, chopped
- 1 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, or almonds)
Cake Batter
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ½ cup orange juice or brandy (for batter)
- Optional: 2 tbsp rum or brandy for soaking
Instructions
1. Prepare the fruits
- In a bowl, combine all dried fruits and nuts.
- Soak fruits in orange juice or brandy for 1–2 hours (or overnight for more flavor).
2. Make the batter
- Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C). Grease and line a 9-inch loaf pan.
- Cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well.
- Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and spices. Gradually fold into the batter.
3. Combine with fruits
- Gently fold soaked fruits and nuts into the batter until evenly distributed.
4. Bake
- Pour batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 60–75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cover with foil after 45 minutes to prevent over-browning.
5. Cool and optionally soak
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
- For richer flavor, brush with rum or brandy after baking and wrap tightly. Repeat every few days if storing.
💡 Tips
- For extra moist fruitcake, soak overnight in alcohol before serving.
- Use a mix of light and dark raisins, cranberries, and cherries for color and texture.
- Store in an airtight container; fruitcake can last weeks and improves in flavor over time.
If you want, I can also give you a quick, easy 1-hour fruitcake recipe that uses no soaking but still has rich flavor and texture.
Do you want me to do that?
