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Old Fashioned, Never Fail Moist Fruit Cake Recipe

Close-up of a moist fruit cake recipe loaf, partially sliced, showing rich dried fruit and nuts.
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Follow these instructions to make a rich, dense, and reliably moist traditional fruit cake perfect for the holidays. This recipe avoids dryness.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (225g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200g) packed dark brown sugar
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (240ml) strong brewed black tea or brandy/rum
  • 1 pound (450g) mixed dried fruit (raisins, currants, candied peel)
  • 1 cup (120g) chopped pecans or walnuts

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C). Grease and line a 9-inch round cake pan or a standard loaf pan with parchment paper, allowing excess paper to hang over the sides for easy removal.
  2. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
  3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, and salt.
  5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
  6. Gently fold in the mixed dried fruit and chopped nuts.
  7. Slowly pour in the liquid (tea or alcohol), mixing until the batter is uniform and thick. The batter will be heavy.
  8. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Press a piece of parchment paper directly onto the surface of the batter to help retain moisture during baking.
  9. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 45 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. For extra moisture, pierce the cooled cake several times with a skewer and brush with 2-3 tablespoons of brandy or rum. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil for storage.

Notes

  • To keep this cake moist, use strong brewed tea or alcohol to hydrate the dried fruit before mixing.
  • For a traditional look, soak the dried fruit overnight in your chosen liquid before starting the recipe.
  • If you prefer a lighter color, substitute dark brown sugar with granulated sugar.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://delishdreams.com/fruit-cake-recipe/