Classic Holiday Fruit Cake

Dry Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon — ground
• 1 teaspoon allspice — ground
• ½ teaspoon cloves — ground
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg — ground

Wet Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups sugar
• ¾ cup butter — softened
• 3 egg — room temperature
• ¾ cup buttermilk — room temperature

Fruit & Nut Mixture

• 1 package mixed candied fruit — 16 oz
• 8 oz candied cherries — roughly chopped
• 8 oz candied pineapple — roughly chopped
• 16 oz raisins and currants — combined
• 1 cup walnuts, almonds, or pecans — chopped
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

1. Prepare the Pans: Place an oven rack in the center position and preheat the oven to 300°F. Grease three 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pans and line the bottoms and long sides with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang to lift out the cakes.
2. Prepare the Fruit: In a large bowl combine the mixed candied fruit, cherries, pineapple, raisins, currants, and nuts. Sprinkle with 1 cup flour and toss until everything is evenly coated and no heavy pockets of loose flour remain.1 package mixed candied fruit, 8 oz candied cherries, 8 oz candied pineapple, 16 oz raisins and currants, 1 cup nuts, 1 cup flour
3. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg until evenly combined.2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp allspice, ½ tsp cloves, ½ tsp nutmeg
4. Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl beat the softened butter and sugar on medium speed for 3–4 minutes, until lighter in color and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed.¾ cup butter, 1½ cups sugar, 3 eggs
5. Finish the Batter: With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredient mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk in two additions and beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix only until combined.Dry ingredient mixture, ¾ cup buttermilk
6. Fold in Fruit: Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold the prepared fruit and nut mixture into the batter until evenly distributed. The batter will be very thick.Prepared fruit and nut mixture
7. Fill the Pans: Divide the batter evenly among the prepared loaf pans, filling each about ¾ full. Smooth the tops gently and tap the pans lightly on the counter once or twice to settle the batter.
8. Bake: Bake on the center rack for 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, beginning to check the loaves at 1 hour 20 minutes. If the tops become deeply browned before the centers are set, tent them loosely with aluminum foil. The cakes are done when a skewer inserted into the cake near the center, avoiding a large piece of fruit, comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter; the centers feel set and lightly spring back; and an instant-read thermometer registers approximately 200–205°F as a secondary check.
9. Cool: Let the cakes cool in the pans for 15 minutes. Lift them out using the parchment overhang, remove the parchment, and transfer them to a cooling rack. Cool completely before wrapping. For the most settled flavor and texture, wrap the cooled loaves tightly and let them rest for 24–48 hours before slicing.