The holidays are a time to come together but there’s one festive treat that can cause a great divide at the dinner table: Christmas Fruit Cake.
To keep the peace in your house this season, our Minna Rhee caught up with Food Network Chef Lynn Crawford at her shop, “Ruby Eats” for a new take on an old classic.
CHRISTMAS SPICE & FRUIT CAKE
Makes 1 Ten-Inch Cake
14 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus more for pan
1¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup dried pears, finely diced
½ cup dried apricots, finely diced
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup sundried cranberries
¼ cup candied orange rind, finely chopped
¼ cup walnut pieces, lightly toasted
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3 large eggs
2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¾ cup milk
Preheat oven to 350*F. Butter a 10-by-2-inch round cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and butter parchment. Set aside.
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In small saucepan over medium heat, melt 6 tablespoons butter with ¾ cup brown sugar, cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is combined and bubbling, about 5 minutes. Pour into prepared pan and swirl to cover bottom evenly. Let cool completely. Sprinkle the dried fruit and walnut evenly onto the bottom of the pan.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream remaining 8 smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating until combined after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk and beginning and ending with the flour. Set aside.
Pour batter to the prepared pan and bake until a cake tested inserted into center comes out, about an hour. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool in pan 20 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate.
Recipe prepared by Chef Lynn Crawford
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