Description

This Healthy Christmas Fruit Bundt Cake is a festive, rich fruitcake packed with nuts, dried and crystallized fruits, warmly spiced and lightly sweetened. Baked low and slow in a Bundt pan, it offers a moist, dense texture perfect for holiday gatherings with a beautiful nut and cherry-lined presentation.

Ingredients

Scale

Nuts and Fruits

8 oz pecans (reserve 8 whole for decoration)
8 oz walnuts (reserve 8 whole for decoration)
15 small jarred cherries (48g, halved, reserve some for decoration)
1 1/4 lbs mixed crystallized fruits (367g)
12 oz pitted dates, coarsely chopped (340g)
3 oz raisins (85g)
2 oz sliced pineapple, diced (57g)

Dry Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour (125g) plus 1/4 cup (31g) for coating fruits and nuts
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients

2/3 cup granulated sugar (132g)
1/2 cup butter (113g)
2 eggs, separated
1/4 cup dark corn syrup (60ml)
1/8 cup juice from the canned pineapple and jarred cherries (30ml)

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Instructions

Prepare the Oven and Bundt Pan: Preheat your oven to 250°F (121°C). Liberally butter and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan. Set aside 8 of the prettiest pecans and walnuts along with an equal number of cherry halves to decorate the bottom of the pan later.
Prepare Nuts and Fruits: Check the remaining pecans and walnuts for any shell pieces and remove them. Roughly chop the nuts. In a large bowl, combine these nuts with the crystallized fruit mix, chopped dates, raisins, and diced pineapple. Toss everything with 1/4 cup (31g) of flour until well coated to ensure even distribution in the batter.
Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining flour, baking powder, ground allspice, ground cloves, ground cinnamon, and salt to evenly incorporate the leavening and spices. Set aside.
Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter together until the mixture is light and fluffy, providing a smooth cake base.
Combine Wet Ingredients with the Dry Mixture: Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Add the yolks to the creamed butter and sugar mixture. Then add the dark corn syrup, fruit juice, and the prepared dry ingredient mixture. Mix thoroughly until the batter is smooth and uniform.
Fold in Egg Whites and Fruit Nut Mixture: Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until foamy. Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the batter, maintaining as much air as possible. Then fold in the fruit and nut mixture carefully to keep the batter light and airy.
Assemble and Bake the Cake: Arrange the reserved whole pecans, walnuts, and cherry halves evenly on the bottom of the prepared Bundt pan for a decorative finish. Pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake in the preheated oven at 250°F (121°C) for approximately 3 to 4 hours, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. The long, low-temperature bake will produce a moist, richly flavored fruitcake.

Notes

Make sure to coat the fruit and nuts with flour to prevent them from sinking during baking.
The baking time is long due to the low temperature and dense batter; check doneness with a skewer or toothpick.
Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan before inverting to maintain the decorative nut and cherry pattern.
This cake improves in flavor if wrapped and stored for a few days before serving.
If desired, soak the dried fruits overnight in a spirit like rum or brandy for an enhanced flavor.