Christmas Cake with Dried Fruit

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 65 minutes
Difficulty: 1
Spiciness: 0
Number of Servings: 8

A rich and juicy holiday cake that will delight you with its simple preparation and excellent taste.

Cut the dried fruit into pieces if necessary and place them in a bowl. Also, chop the candied cherries into pieces and mix them with the candied peel into the dried fruit. Pour orange juice over everything. For flavor and aroma, you can also add a little rum or brandy. Let the fruit soak for at least one hour. The longer it soaks, the juicier and more aromatic it will be.
Coarsely chop the nuts. In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients, i.e., flour, baking powder, and spices.
In another bowl, cream the softened butter and brown sugar (you can also use white sugar).
Gradually, one by one, mix the eggs into the butter mixture. Then mix in the vanilla extract, grated zest, honey, and finally the oil.
Sift the dry ingredient mixture into the wet mixture. Before mixing, add the soaked fruit and chopped nuts. Mix everything well with a spatula. Finally, mix in apple or orange juice, or you can use milk instead.
Lightly grease a narrow, oblong baking pan (approximately 23 x 12 x 8 centimeters) with butter, then line it with parchment paper. Pour the prepared batter into the pan and spread it evenly with a spatula, smoothing the top.
Bake the cake for 55-65 minutes in an oven preheated to 160 degrees Celsius. The cake is done when the top turns golden brown, and a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool before slicing.