3 cups mixed dried fruit (cranberries, apricots, figs, plums, golden raisins, currants)
1/4 cup brandy
1/4 cup Amaretto
Cake:
1 cup butter
2 cups granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp orange oil, orange extract, or Fiori di Sicilia (tangerine oil)
4 large eggs at room temperature
3 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup orange juice
2 cups chopped pecans and walnuts
8 ounce tub of candied cherries
1 cup mixed candied fruit, finely diced
Syrup:
1/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup granulated sugar
Icing:
2 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
half and half or milk to thin
Preheat oven to 325F Butter and flour a 10-12 cup bundt pan. Put the dried fruits in a microwave safe bowl and stir in the brandy and Amaretto. Microwave for 90 seconds and stir again. Let cool. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the baking powder, salt, and orange oil or extract of your choice. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, letting each one get incorporated before adding the next. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Blend in the flour and orange juice alternately, beginning and ending with flour. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is fully blended. Fold in the soaked fruit (don't drain) the candied fruits, and nuts. Spoon the batter into your pan and smooth out the surface. Bake for about 70-90 minutes, just until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out without wet batter on it. If the surface seems to be browning too quickly, loosely lay a piece of foil over the top toward the end of the baking time. Let the cake cool for 15 minutes, then invert onto a plate. Brush the orange syrup over the entire surface of the cake. Let cool completely and then wrap well in plastic and set aside for 24 hours at room temperature. Mix the confectioner's sugar with just enough half and half or milk to make a thick glaze. Start with 3 tablespoons, stir well, and go from there. Add just a little at a time and stir well. I like to let the glaze sit for a few minutes to allow any lumps to dissolve. Spoon the glaze over the surface of the cake, and then let harden before slicing.