Noel Fruitcake

Don't like fruitcake? You may change your mind with this one. Dried apricots, raisins, pecans, candied lemon and orange peel, candied cherries, chopped cranberries, and a can of cranberry sauce are folded into a spiced batter in this holiday favorite. Store the cake for several weeks in a covered container to mellow the flavors.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 3 hr
• Total Time: 3 hr 30 mins
• Calories: 665 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 eggs
• 3 ½ cups sifted all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 ½ cups shortening
• 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ cup orange juice
• 1 ¼ cups raisins
• 12 ounces dried apricots, chopped
• 8 ounces candied cherries, halved
• 4 ounces candied lemon peel
• 4 ounces candied orange peel
• 1 cup jellied cranberry sauce
• 2 ½ cups packed light brown sugar
• 1 ½ cups chopped cranberries

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan. Line with parchment paper and grease the paper.

Step 2

In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and cloves together. Add raisins, pecans, apricots, cherries, lemon and orange peels. Toss to mix.

Step 3

In a small bowl, beat the orange juice and jellied cranberry sauce together until smooth. Set aside.

Step 4

In a large bowl, beat shortening, brown sugar and eggs together until fluffy. Add flour mixture alternately with the orange juice mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Stir in the chopped cranberries just until the ingredients are well blended.

Step 5

Turn batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 3 1/2 to 4 hours or until the cake is golden brown. Cool cake in the pan. Remove from the pan and remove the paper. Store the cooled cake several weeks in a covered container to mellow flavors. You may also wrap the cake in a brandy-, whisky-, or rum-soaked cheesecloth before storing. If desired, garnish with orange slices and cranberries.