Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 32 ounces mixed dried fruit (raisins, cherries, pineapple, apricots, etc.)
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup orange juice
- ¼ cup softened butter (unsalted preferred)
- ¼ cup molasses
Mixed dried fruit and pecans give classic holiday fruit cake vibes, while the small amount of leavening (baking powder) keeps the texture dense and sliceable instead of airy like a regular cake.
Step-by-step instructions
1. Prep the pan and oven
- Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C).
- Grease a large loaf pan or a tube pan very well; for extra insurance, you can line the bottom with parchment.
A tube pan or deep loaf pan helps this heavy batter bake evenly from the center out.
2. Mix the dry ingredients
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.
Starting with a well-mixed dry base helps coat the fruit later so it doesn’t all sink to the bottom.
3. Add fruit and nuts
- Stir the mixed dried fruit and chopped pecans into the flour mixture until everything is well coated.
This coating step is important; it helps keep the fruit and nuts evenly distributed throughout the finished cake.
4. Add eggs and wet ingredients
- In the same bowl, add the eggs, orange juice, softened butter, and molasses.
- Stir until the batter is thick and all of the flour mixture and fruit are moistened and combined; don’t worry if it looks dense—that’s correct for fruit cake.
You don’t need to beat the batter; just mix until everything comes together and there are no dry pockets of flour.