Chilean Christmas Fruitcake
A special Christmas dessert throughout Chile, this sweet cakelike bread is laced with nuts, spices and candied fruit. It is traditionally eaten while presents are opened on Christmas day. Argentines enjoy a similar Christmas bread called pan dulce.
Yield: 16 servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup mixed candied fruit
- 1 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup chopped almonds
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon anise seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs, divided
- 1 (12 fluid ounce) can Nestlé Carnation Evaporated Milk
- 2 teaspoons powdered sugar
Instructions
- Heat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease a 9 inch springform pan. Line bottom with a 9 inch circle of wax paper. Grease top of wax paper.
- Combine candied fruit, raisins, nuts and orange zest in a medium bowl; set aside.
- Combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, anise seeds and cloves in a medium bowl.
- Beat butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a large mixer bowl until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
- Add four eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Gradually stir in flour mixture alternately with evaporated milk until blended.
- Stir in candied fruit mixture.
- Spoon into the prepared springform pan.
- Bake for 45 minutes. Remove cake from oven.
- Beat remaining egg in a small bowl. Brush top of cake with beaten egg and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
- Bake for an additional 40 to 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean. Cover cake with foil if it starts to brown too quickly.
- Cool cake completely in pan on a wire rack.
- Run knife around edge of cake; remove side of springform cake. Turn cake over onto a plate; remove wax paper.
- Store cake tightly wrapped in plastic wrap in refrigerator for 1 day before slicing.
- Store refrigerated for up to 7 days.
Attribution
Recipe and photo used with permission from: Nestlé® and meals.com
