Fruitcake Loaf Cake. A richly flavoured cream cheese batter is the star of this quick, easy fruitcake in a smaller, more economical loaf size for those who don’t want or need a large fruitcake.
Ingredients
- 1 cup glacé cherries, quartered.
- 3/4 cup raisins, any kind.
- 3/4 cup mixed glacé fruit (or glacé mixed peel)
- 1 2/3 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup cream cheese (One 8 oz or 250 g) block)
- 1/3 cup butter
- 2 eggs (large or extra large)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp pure almond extract (optional)
Instructions
- Cut the cherries into quarters and mix together with the raisins and mixed fruit (or glacé citrus peel). Measure the cherries AFTER they are quartered. In the cake pictured, I have used a mixture of half red and half green glacé cherries for the most colourful appearance.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Lightly grease a 9×5 inch standard loaf pan and line with parchment paper.
- Measure the flour, then remove 2 tbsp to dust the fruit with later.
- Sift the remaining flour with the baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- Cream together butter, sugar and cream cheese, until smooth and fluffy,
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Next, beat in the vanilla extract (and almond extract if you are using it.)
- Fold in the dry ingredients until almost fully incorporated. A few streaks of flour in the batter should remain at this point.
- Toss the fruit mixture with the reserved 2 tbsp flour.
- Add the flour coated fruit to the batter and fold in well.
- Spread batter evenly into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. My oven actually took closer to 1 1/2 hours.
- Cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container. If freezing, wrap tightly in several layers of plastic wrap before placing it in a large ziplock freezer bag, removing as much air from the bag as you can before sealing it.
