This Danish Christmas Cake is a moist, festive fruit cake that showcases traditional holiday ingredients like pitted dates, maraschino cherries, and chopped nuts. Enriched with orange juice and buttermilk, the cake stays tender and flavorful, while a hot orange-sugar glaze poured over the warm cake seals in its richness. This cake is a nostalgic centerpiece for any holiday dessert table, offering both old-world charm and timeless comfort.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 16 oz pitted dates
- 2 cups nuts (chopped, e.g., walnuts or pecans)
- 10 0z maraschino cherries (cut up )
- 1 ⅓ cups granulated sugar
- 3 eggs (large )
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp orange juice
- 1 cup buttermilk
For Glaze:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup orange juice
Instructions
Step 1: Prep Dry Mix
- Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Step 2: Prepare Fruit & Nuts
- Cut up dates and cherries. Combine with chopped nuts in a separate bowl.
Step 3: Cream Base Mixture
- Cream together 1⅓ cups sugar and 3 eggs until light.
- Add vanilla and 1 tbsp orange juice; mix until blended.
Step 4: Combine Wet and Dry
- Alternately add sifted flour mixture and buttermilk to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined.
Step 5: Add Fruit & Nuts
- Fold in the date, nut, and cherry mixture evenly.
Step 6: Bake
- Pour into a greased tube pan lined with wax paper on the bottom.
- Bake at 350°F for 1 hour 20 minutes.
- If using loaf pans, bake at 450°F for 1 hour.
Step 7: Make Glaze & Finish Cake
- While cake is baking, mix 1 cup sugar and 1 cup orange juice in a saucepan.
- Pour over the cake while it's still hot and in the pan. Allow to soak in as it cools.
Tips
- Add ½ to 1 tsp cinnamon or allspice for warm holiday flavor.
- Replace maraschino cherries with dried cherries for a less sweet, richer version.
- Substitute pecans or walnuts for mixed nuts.
- Pour the orange-juice, sugar glaze slowly to ensure it fully absorbs.
- Serve with whipped cream or a thin powdered-sugar icing.
- Add orange zest to intensify citrus aroma.
- Bake in mini loaf pans for edible gifts.
- Use parchment instead of wax paper if preferred.
- Let the cake rest overnight for a richer, fruit-cake-like texture.
Nutrition
Calories: 552kcalCarbohydrates: 101gProtein: 11gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.004gCholesterol: 44mgSodium: 207mgPotassium: 534mgFiber: 6gSugar: 67gVitamin A: 197IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 79mgIron: 3mg
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