Chunky Nut And Dried Fruitcake - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup butter flavor shortening
1 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1 1/2 cups flour, all purpose
1/3 cup orange juice
1 1/4 cups brazil nuts, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup whole almond, blanched (4 oz.)
1 cup dried apricot, halved
1 cup dried cherries (6 oz. )
1 cup pecan halves (4oz.)
3/4 cup dried blueberries (4 oz.)
3/4 cup dried cranberries (3 oz. )
3/4 cup dates, pitted, chopped coarsely (4 oz. )
2 tablespoons brandy or 2 tablespoons orange juice

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325\u00b0F Grease and flour 10 inch tube pan;, set aside. In very large bowl beat butter and shortening with electric mixer on medium speed 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extract. Alternately beat in flour and orange juice, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Stir in nuts and fruits until combined. Spoon batter into prepared pan, spreading top evenly.
Bake 1 1/4 hours or until wooden skewer inserted into cake comes out clean. If necessary, cover top of cake with aluminum foil anywhere from the last 30 minutes to the last 15 or 20 minutes to prevent over browning. Cool cake in pan on wire rack 15 minutes. Remove cake from pan; cool completely on rack. Wrap cake in cheesecloth that has been soaked in brandy or orange juice. Wrap cake in foil and refrigerate up to 1 month. Moisten cheesecloth every week.