Heavenly Moist Fruit Cake Recipe
This Heavenly Moist Fruit Cake is a perfect dessert featuring a rich blend of dried fruits, warm spices, and a delightful orange syrup glaze. Moist and flavorful, this classic treat is ideal for any festive occasion or as a comforting sweet to enjoy with tea or coffee.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 75 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes (including 48 hours resting time)
- Yield: 1 (8x3 inch) fruit cake, approximately 10 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Ingredients
Scale
Fruit Mixture
- ¾ cups unsalted butter
- ¾ cups soft brown sugar
- 2 cups dried fruits (raisins, currants, cherries, peel)
- ½ cup dates, pitted and chopped
- ⅔ cups sweetened orange juice
- 1½ tbsp orange zest
- 2 tbsp molasses
Dry Ingredients
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1½ tsp cinnamon powder
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp all spice
Wet Ingredients
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
Add-ins
- 1 cup walnuts, halved
Orange Syrup/Glaze
- 3 tbsp fresh orange juice
- 1¾ tbsp sugar
Instructions
- Prepare Fruit Mixture: Add unsalted butter, soft brown sugar, mixed dried fruits, chopped dates, sweetened orange juice, orange zest, and molasses to a saucepan. Simmer gently over low heat until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and allow to cool before proceeding.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Tin: Preheat your oven to 140°C (285°F). Grease an 8×3 inch cake tin and line it with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon powder, ground ginger, nutmeg, and all spice to evenly combine the spices with the flour.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate small bowl, whisk the vegetable oil and eggs until well blended. Stir this wet mixture into the cooled fruit mixture, ensuring thorough incorporation.
- Fold in Walnuts and Dry Mix: Gently fold in the halved walnuts, then sift and fold the dry flour and spice mixture into the wet fruit mixture until just combined. Avoid overmixing to maintain cake tenderness.
- Bake the Cake: Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake tin. Bake in the preheated oven for 75–85 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a skewer into the center; it should come out clean.
- Cool and Remove: Allow the cake to cool in the tin for about 30 minutes before carefully removing it to a wire rack or plate.
- Prepare and Apply Orange Syrup: Warm fresh orange juice and sugar together until the sugar dissolves completely. Brush this syrup generously over the warm cake to glaze it.
- Store and Rest: Once glazed, wrap the cake tightly in foil and store it in an airtight container. Let the cake rest for 48 hours to allow flavors to mature and the texture to become even moister before serving.
Notes
- Ensure not to overmix the batter once flour is added to keep the cake tender.
- The resting period of 48 hours enhances the fruit cake’s flavors and moisture.
- You can substitute walnuts with other nuts like pecans or almonds if preferred.
- This cake keeps well and can be stored in the refrigerator wrapped airtight for up to one week or frozen for longer storage.
- Use fresh orange juice for the syrup to achieve the best bright citrus flavor.
Keywords: fruit cake, moist fruit cake, holiday dessert, spiced cake, walnut fruit cake, orange glazed cake
Find it online: https://thefoodrecipe.com/heavenly-moist-fruit-cake-recipe/
