Description
This Spiced Raisin and Walnut Cake is a cozy, comforting dessert that combines warm spices, tender raisins, and crunchy walnuts in every bite. The rich, moist cake is perfect for an afternoon tea or as a sweet treat during the colder months. The blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves brings out the best of the fruit and nuts, creating a cake that’s both flavorful and satisfying.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup milk
- 1 cup raisins
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- ½ cup orange juice (optional, for added moisture and flavor)
- Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9-inch round or square cake pan.
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Beat in the eggs, one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and mix well.
- Alternate Adding Dry and Wet Ingredients: Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk. Start and end with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
- Add Raisins and Walnuts: Gently fold in the raisins and walnuts, ensuring they’re evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and spread it out evenly. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool and Serve: Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, dust with powdered sugar if desired and serve.
Notes
- For extra flavor, you can soak the raisins in warm water or rum for about 10 minutes before adding them to the batter.
- If you prefer, you can swap the walnuts for other nuts like pecans or almonds.
- This cake can be made a day ahead of time; the flavors will develop even more as it sits.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30-35 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: spiced cake, walnut cake, raisin cake, fall dessert, easy cake, cinnamon, nutmeg