Wintercake
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and butter a 9-inch round cake pan before lining the pan with parchment. Place the mixed, dried fruit and citrus in a medium pan and cover with the freshly squeezed orange juice. Bring the juice to a simmer over medium-low heat and simmer for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat, pour the juice and fruit into a heat-proof bowl and refrigerate until needed.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer, whip together the softened butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add the extracts and mix another few seconds to combine.
In a separate, large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and spices until well-combined. With the stand mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture until it is all added and moistened. Turn the mixer up to high and continue to beat the batter for 2 more minutes, until well-mixed.
Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and gently fold the slivered almonds, plumped, dried fruit, and the orange juice that is with the fruit, into the batter with a rubber spatula until the fruit and nuts are well-distributed. Scrape the cake batter into the prepared spring form pan, smoothing the top with the spatula. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 30 minutes before removing it from the pan and continue to cool on a cooling rack. Allow cake to cool to room temperature before icing.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla, and melted butter. Add the orange juice, 1 Tablespoon at a time, whisking after each addition, until a thick but spreadable icing forms. The icing should not be so thin that it just soaks into the cake, but not too thick to spread easily. Add extra powdered sugar as needed to thicken the icing, or extra orange juice to thin it out. Once icing is the right consistency, use an offset spatula or rubber spatula to spread it over the cake, allowing some icing to drip off the sides a bit. Sprinkle extra dried fruit, slivered almonds, or sprinkles on top of the icing, if desired.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and butter a 9-inch round cake pan before lining the pan with parchment. Place the mixed, dried fruit and citrus in a medium pan and cover with the freshly squeezed orange juice. Bring the juice to a simmer over medium-low heat and simmer for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat, pour the juice and fruit into a heat-proof bowl and refrigerate until needed.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer, whip together the softened butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add the extracts and mix another few seconds to combine.
In a separate, large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and spices until well-combined. With the stand mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture until it is all added and moistened. Turn the mixer up to high and continue to beat the batter for 2 more minutes, until well-mixed.
Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and gently fold the slivered almonds, plumped, dried fruit, and the orange juice that is with the fruit, into the batter with a rubber spatula until the fruit and nuts are well-distributed. Scrape the cake batter into the prepared spring form pan, smoothing the top with the spatula. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 30 minutes before removing it from the pan and continue to cool on a cooling rack. Allow cake to cool to room temperature before icing.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla, and melted butter. Add the orange juice, 1 Tablespoon at a time, whisking after each addition, until a thick but spreadable icing forms. The icing should not be so thin that it just soaks into the cake, but not too thick to spread easily. Add extra powdered sugar as needed to thicken the icing, or extra orange juice to thin it out. Once icing is the right consistency, use an offset spatula or rubber spatula to spread it over the cake, allowing some icing to drip off the sides a bit. Sprinkle extra dried fruit, slivered almonds, or sprinkles on top of the icing, if desired.