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Easy, Super Moist Traditional Christmas Fruit Cake Recipe

Close-up of a dense slice of fruit cake recipe, packed with dried fruits and nuts.
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Bake a classic holiday fruit cake that stays moist and tender. This traditional Christmas cake recipe uses simple steps to deliver rich, festive flavor without complicated preparation.

Ingredients

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  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 pound mixed dried fruit (raisins, currants, candied cherries, citron)
  • 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
  • 1/2 cup brandy, dark rum, or orange juice (for soaking fruit)
  • 1/4 cup orange juice (for batter)

Instructions

  1. Prepare the fruit: Place the mixed dried fruit in a bowl. Pour the brandy, rum, or orange juice over the fruit. Cover and let it soak for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight. Drain any excess liquid before using.
  2. Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C). Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan or a standard loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper.
  3. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
  4. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
  5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking powder, and salt.
  6. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
  7. Gently fold in the soaked and drained dried fruit and the chopped nuts until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
  8. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top.
  9. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Baking time varies based on pan size.
  10. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes before inverting it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  11. If you desire a boozier cake, pierce the top of the warm cake several times with a skewer and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of additional brandy or rum.

Notes

  • For the moistest result, soak the dried fruit in alcohol overnight. If you avoid alcohol, use orange juice or apple juice for soaking.
  • To prevent the cake from drying out, check for doneness early; a slightly moist crumb clinging to the skewer is better than a completely dry one.
  • Wrap the cooled cake tightly in cheesecloth soaked in brandy, then wrap again in foil. Store in an airtight container for up to a month before serving for deeper flavor.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://mistyplate.com/easy-moist-fruit-cake-recipe/