Christmas Fruitcake Loaf (Alcohol-free)
Ready to eat the day it's baked, this fruitcake loaf requires no month-long seasoning, making it the perfect last-minute dessert for Christmas.
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup milk
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup shortening
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¾ cup candied fruit
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Spray a 9-inch bread pan with non-stick spray or line with parchment paper,
- Mix milk, orange juice, and extracts together. Set aside
- Place shortening and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until blended and creamy. Scrape the side of the bowl as necessary.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk flour with the powder, baking soda and salt.
- Add ⅓ of flour mixture to the shortening and sugars, beating on low speed.
- Slowly pour in ½ the milk mixture.
- Add in ½ the remaining flour mixture.
- Add the remaining milk mixture followed by the remaining flour mixture.
- Once the flour is mixed in, turn off the mixer and fold in the candied fruit. (Don't overmix the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, check for doneness. Bake until center is cooked through.
- Cover loosely with foil if the top of loaf starts to brown too much.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Slice and serve once cooled.