fruit and nut loaf cake

Ingredients

Dried Fruit & Nut Mix

• Dried Cranberries: 1 cup (120g)
• Raisins or Sultanas: 1/2 cup (75g)
• Dried Apricots (chopped): 1/2 cup (80g)
• Pecans or Walnuts (coarsely chopped): 1/2 cup (60g)
• Whole Almonds: 1/2 cup (70g)
• Orange Zest: 1 tablespoon (from 1 fresh orange)
• Orange Juice: 3 tablespoons (45ml)

Cake Batter

• All-Purpose Flour: 1 1/2 cups (180g)
• Baking Powder: 1 teaspoon
• Ground Cinnamon: 1 teaspoon
• Ground Nutmeg: 1/4 teaspoon
• Fine Sea Salt: 1/2 teaspoon
• Unsalted Butter (softened): 1/2 cup (115g / 1 stick)
• Brown Sugar or Coconut Sugar: 3/4 cup (150g)
• Large Eggs (room temperature): 2
• Pure Vanilla Extract: 1 teaspoon
• Whole Milk: 1/4 cup (60ml)

Instructions

1. Preheat and Prepare Equipment Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) . Grease an $8.5 \times 4.5\text{-inch}$ loaf pan with butter or non-stick cooking spray, then line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy lifting.
2. Macerate the Dried Fruits In a medium bowl, combine the dried cranberries, raisins, chopped apricots, orange zest, and fresh orange juice. Toss together and let sit for 10 minutes. This softens the dried fruit and prevents them from leaching moisture out of the cake batter during baking.
3. Whisk Dry Ingredients In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and salt until evenly combined.
4. Cream Butter and Sugar In a large mixing bowl (or standard stand mixer), beat the softened butter and brown sugar on medium speed for 2–3 minutes until light, fluffy, and smooth.
5. Incorporate Eggs and Wet Mix Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure smooth mixing.
6. Combine Wet and Dry Layers Alternately add the dry ingredients and milk into the butter mixture, starting and ending with the dry mixture (add $1/3$ dry, $1/2$ milk, $1/3$ dry, $1/2$ milk, remaining dry). Mix on low speed just until combined; do not overmix.
7. Fold in Fruits and Nuts Toss the macerated fruit mixture and chopped nuts with 1 tablespoon of extra flour (this coats them and keeps them from sinking to the bottom of the pan). Gently fold the fruits and nuts into the batter using a rubber spatula.
8. Bake Spoon the thick batter into your prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes , or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If the top browns too quickly after 40 minutes, loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil.
9. Cool and Slice Remove the loaf from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Use the parchment paper handles to lift the loaf out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely before slicing.

Nutrition

Calories: 280 kcal · Protein: 5g · Fat: 12g · Carbohydrates: 39g Dietary · Saturated Fat: 5g · Fiber: 3g · Sugar: 22g · Sodium: 135mg