The best holiday cake you’ve ever had!
ingredients
HOLIDAY CAKE:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (room temperature, for greasing)
1 cup red wine
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried apricots (finely chopped)
1/2 cup dried figs (finely chopped)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 cups canola oil
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
2 cups carrots (peeled, finely grated)
1/2 cup walnuts (roughly chopped, plus 2 tablespoons for garnish)
1/2 cup pistatchios (roughly chopped, plus 2 tablespoons for garnish)
GLAZE:
8 ounces cream cheese (softened)
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 orange (zested)
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
directions
In a medium bowl, add red wine, raisins, apricots and figs and allow to soak while preparing the batter.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together, all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, salt and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, light brown sugar, canola oil, eggs, vanilla extract, apple sauce and grated carrots.
Strain the re-hydrated fruits, reserving 2 tablespoons of red wine. Stir the reserved red wine into the sugar mixture. Whisk the flour mixture into the sugar mixture. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the re-hydrated fruits, 1/2 cup of walnuts and 1/2 cup of pistachios.
Remove batter into prepared pan and bake until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 50-55 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove from tube pan and allow to cool completely.
For the Glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract orange zest and salt. Pour over the cooled cake and top with remaining walnuts and pistachios.
Tip: Make it your own! Use any combination of dried fruits and nuts to give your holiday cake your own personal touch!
