Cranberry-Walnut Fruitcake

Forget the dense, gummy fruitcake you think you know. This moist fruitcake is full of sweet fruit and crunchy nuts and is drizzled with orange liqueur.

Cranberry-Walnut Fruitcake

2015-11-05 02:08:33

Makes 1 (10-inch) cake

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Ingredients

1. 1½ cups unsalted butter, softened
2. 2 cups granulated sugar
3. 6 large eggs
4. ¾ cup orange liqueur, divided
5. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6. 4 cups sifted all-purpose flour, divided
7. 2 teaspoons baking powder
8. 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
9. 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
10. 1 teaspoon ground cloves
11. 4 cups chopped walnuts
12. 3 cups diced dried apples
13. 3 cups sweetened dried cranberries
14. 1 cup golden raisins
15. 1 cup diced candied orange peel
16. Garnish: confectioners’ sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 275°. Line a 10-inch tube pan with parchment paper; spray pan with baking spray with flour.
2. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape sides of bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add ½ cup orange liqueur and vanilla, beating well.
3. In another large bowl, whisk together 3 cups flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating just until combined.
4. In a third large bowl, toss together walnuts, all fruit, orange peel, and remaining 1 cup flour until well coated. Stir walnut mixture into batter until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
5. Bake until a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean, about 2½ hours. Remove from oven, and slowly drizzle remaining ¼ cup orange liqueur onto hot cake. Cover cake with a clean towel, and let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Invert cake onto a wire rack, and gently peel off parchment. Garnish with confectioners' sugar just before serving, if desired. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Notes

1. To line a tube pan with parchment paper, trace the bottom of the pan onto parchment. Cut out the circle, then invert the tube pan onto the cut-out circle and trace the center circle. Fold parchment in half, then cut out the center. Unfold parchment, turn over so traced side is facing the pan, and slide parchment over tube into bottom of pan.

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