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Heavenly Moist Fruitcake

A delightfully moist and flavorful fruitcake recipe, perfect for the holidays and surprisingly easy to make. Forget dry, dense fruitcakes; this one is a game-changer!
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings 10 slices

Equipment

  • 9x5 inch loaf pan Greased and floured
  • Large bowl
  • Separate bowl
  • Wire rack
  • Wooden skewer or toothpick

Ingredients
  

Main ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 0.5 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 0.5 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 0.5 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 0.5 cup orange juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups mixed dried fruits (raisins, currants, chopped dates, chopped dried apricots) Feel free to mix and match your favorites.
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
  • 1 zest orange
  • 1 zest lemon

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C). This lower temperature is key to a moist cake that bakes evenly. Then, grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan. This ensures your beautiful fruitcake slides out with ease.
  • In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and packed brown sugar. You want to beat them until they're light and fluffy – think pale yellow and airy. This step is important for a tender cake texture.
    1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • Now, beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure to mix really well after each addition. This helps to incorporate them smoothly into the butter and sugar mixture.
    1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together your all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Giving these a good whisk ensures all those spices are evenly distributed, so you don't get pockets of flavor.
    1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • This is where it all comes together! Gradually add the dry ingredients to your wet ingredients, alternating with the orange juice. Start and end with the dry ingredients. Mix until everything is just combined. Overmixing can make your cake tough, so be gentle here!
    1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • Now for the fun part – stir in the vanilla extract, all those delicious mixed dried fruits, your chopped nuts, and the zesty orange and lemon. Give it a good stir to make sure everything is evenly distributed throughout the batter.
    1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • Pour your lovely batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it out evenly. Make sure it reaches all the corners.
  • Pop it into your preheated oven and bake for about 1 hour and 30 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes. The best way to check if it's done is to insert a wooden skewer or toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, it's ready!
  • Let your beautiful fruitcake cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. This allows it to firm up a bit. Then, carefully invert it onto a wire rack to cool completely. Patience is key here for the best texture!

Notes

Once completely cooled, wrap the fruitcake tightly in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil or an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to 1 week, or refrigerate for 3-4 weeks. It gets better with age!