Christmas Fruit Cake
A moist and flavorful fruit cake with a delightful orange syrup glaze, perfect for festive celebrations.
Equipment
- Cake tin Greased and floured for easy release.
- Saucepan For heating the fruit mixture and syrup.
- Mixing bowls For combining ingredients.
- Wire rack For cooling the cake.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 0.75 cup unsalted butter
- 0.75 cup soft brown sugar
- 2 cup mixed dried fruits (sultanas, raisins, currants, cherries, citrus peel)
- 0.5 cup pitted and chopped dates
- 0.67 cup sweetened orange juice
- 1.5 tbsp orange zest
- 2 tbsp molasses
- 1.75 cup all-purpose flour
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 0.5 tsp salt if using unsalted butter
- 1.5 tsp cinnamon powder
- 0.5 tsp ground ginger powder
- 0.25 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp allspice
- 0.25 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup halved walnuts
Instructions
- In a saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, mixed dried fruits, chopped dates, orange juice, orange zest, and molasses. Bring to a boil and then let cool.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease and flour a cake tin. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt (if needed), cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice.
- Mix the vegetable oil and eggs in a separate bowl until combined. Stir into the cooled fruit mixture.
- Fold in the walnuts and chopped dates, then add dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 75-85 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Heat orange juice and sugar for syrup until sugar dissolves. Brush over the warm cake.
- Wrap the cooled cake in foil and store in an airtight container for 48 hours before serving.
Notes
For added flavor, soak the dried fruits in orange juice or rum overnight before using them in the cake. No alcoholic drinks allowed, please substitute with a non-alcoholic option.