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–+ servings

Old-Fashioned Holiday Fruit Cake

Jennifer
This simple old-fashioned holiday fruit cake recipe is loaded with sweet, dried fruit and warm spices for a moist and flavorful holiday dessert.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Dessert
Servings 16 squares

Equipment

  • 9x9-inch baking pan
  • Parchment paper

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour plus 1 tbsp. for the fruit
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs room temp
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup orange juice
  • 1 Tbsp finely grated orange zest
  • 1 1/2 cups raisins
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup chopped dates
  • 3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x9-inch baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt.
  • In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Add the vanilla extract and fresh orange zest.
  • Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in 2-3 batches, alternating with the orange juice. Mix gently until you have a thick, smooth batter. Be careful not to over-mix.
  • Toss the raisins, dried cranberries, dates and nuts with the remaining 1 Tbsp flour. Fold the fruit and nuts into the batter until evenly distributed.
  • Spoon the thick batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
  • Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the cake is dark brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top becomes too dark during baking, loosely cover with foil for the last 15 minutes.
  • Let the cake cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack and let cool completely before cutting into squares.

*Nutritional information is a calculated guesstimate. Please note that this can change with different brands and modifications you may make to the recipe. For the most accurate information, use a nutritional calculator with the exact brands and measurements you're using with each recipe.

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