Featured Recipe
Four-Quarter Fruit Loaf
By Kate
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A dense, moist loaf with fruit soaked in Grand Marnier, blended with chopped pecans and ground almonds for added texture. Cream cheese and butter create a tender crumb, balanced with subtle vanilla notes. Finished with a mascarpone-orange frosting modified with hazelnut spread for richness. A rich, textured cake loaf suitable for slicing thick or thin, ideal for afternoon coffee or brunch. Uses standard pantry staples with elegant liqueur flavor, takes about an hour from start to finish.
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Prep:
25 min
Cook:
55 min
Total:
Serves:
16 servings
dessert
brunch
loaf
baking
Introduction
Loaf batter thick, dense but pliant; not runny. Butter and cream cheese balance dryness, give body. Fruit rehydrates in booze — critical or chunks stay hard and dry. Pecans and almonds build texture beneath sweetness. Oven warmth rich, precise temp needed. Cake puffs then settles slightly, cracks on top indicate moisture loss early. Want that gentle jiggle when tested — means moist crumb. Mascarpone glaze richer with Nutella twist, offers counterpoint to tart fruit. Spread over cool cake so it stays thick, not slide off. Slicing clean edges tricky; use serrated, wipe blade each cut. Keep colds in mind — too hot, glaze runs. Freeze halves wrapped foil if batch too big. Reheat slices gently for coffee breaks. Reliable, with simple pantry bits elevated by alcohol-soaked fruit.
Ingredients
Mascarpone Glaze
- 280 g mascarpone cheese
- 25 ml (2 tbsp) powdered sugar
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) Grand Marnier
- 100 ml (1/2 cup) Nutella or hazelnut spread
About the ingredients
Fruit soak: Don’t skip soaking fruit in liqueur. Alcohol softens and flavors, helps distribute moisture inside dough. If lacking candied fruit, use mixed dried fruit but check for dryness — can add a splash more milk or liqueur then. Ground almonds add fat and absorb moisture; sub with finely ground hazelnuts for different note. Butter must be room temp but not melted — too soft and creaming fails. Cream cheese adds tang and moisture; if unavailable, full-fat Greek yogurt is a stretch substitute but expect less structure and more moisture. Nuts: pecans add buttery crunch; walnuts or toasted almonds work too. Keep nuts chopped moderate size so they don’t weigh batter down. Flour: use unbleached all-purpose for texture and color. Overworked batter develops gluten, tough crumb. Folding is key technique here.
Method
Cake Preparation
- Chop fruit if large. Toss with liqueur in a bowl; let sit to absorb flavor, at least 20 minutes. Liqueur softens fruit and adds aroma; no skipping.
- Preheat oven to 175 °C (350 °F). Grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans; line bottom with parchment if possible to avoid sticking.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, and ground almonds in a shallow bowl. This step avoids lumps and evenly distributes rising agents.
- In large mixing bowl, beat softened butter, sugar, and cream cheese until light and slightly fluffy. Use a hand or stand mixer; key is aeration here for tender texture.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating after each. Incorporate milk and vanilla extract next. Mixture looks rubbery but smooth — no overmixing or gluten will toughen cake.
- Fold in fruit and liqueur, then pecans. Use a wooden spoon or spatula; folding preserves the air you just incorporated.
- Add flour mixture in two batches. Stir gently to just combine. Look for a thick batter, slightly sticky but cohesive. Avoid overworking.
- Pour evenly into pans. Tap pans gently on countertop to release large air bubbles. This avoids unwanted tunnels in crumb.
- Bake center rack for about 55 minutes. Don’t trust timer alone. Start checking at 50 minutes. Insert toothpick or skewer — it should come out with a few moist crumbs, no wet batter.
- Pans will smell warm, aroma thickening in kitchen. Cake shrinks slightly from pan edges and edges turn golden brown. Jiggle test: cake should be firm but spring back slightly under finger.
- Remove from oven; let cool 15 minutes before removing from pans. Warm cakes are fragile.
- While cakes bake, combine mascarpone, powdered sugar, Grand Marnier, and Nutella in a bowl. Whisk until smooth but still thick enough to spread.
- If glaze too loose, chill momentarily to stiffen; too stiff, add a teaspoon milk or liqueur.
- Cool cakes completely on wire rack before frosting. Warm glaze melts and runs off.
- Spread glaze generously on top; use an offset spatula or back of spoon for controlled spread. Thick layer helps keep loaft moist once sliced.
- Slice with serrated knife. Cleaning blade between cuts prevents tearing. Keep leftovers wrapped in foil or sealed container, refrigerate if warm climate. Loaf freezes well wrapped tightly.
- Common swaps: if no mascarpone, cream cheese plus cream heavy works but loses some silkiness. Substitute Grand Marnier with Cointreau or triple sec. Pecans can be walnuts or hazelnuts. Ground almonds optional but give a subtle moistness and nutty depth.
- Pitfall watches: don't rush creaming — under-creamed butter means dense cakes; overbake and dry texture ruins cake. Cooling crucial to prevent cracks when frosting.
Mascarpone Glaze
Technique Tips
Start with soaking fruit, a slow step but flavor building. Crema: beating butter, sugar, and cream cheese till ribbon-formed means well aerated, key for rise and crumb lightness. Add eggs one by one; adding all at once causes curdling and dense cake. Incorporate wet then dry ingredients, alternating avoids heavy batter or lumps. Folding keeps air, grains intact. Oven temps vary; watch cake surfaces, golden edges, and toothpick test—wet batter on test means more time. Cooling 15 minutes before turning out prevents cracks and bottom separation. Glaze mixing doesn’t require speed; smooth uniformity is goal. Spread chilled cake for best hold. Store covered to maintain moisture. Timing varies; depend on sensory clues more than only clocks.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Fruit soaking matters. Liqueur softens, flavors. Don’t skip this step. Build flavor from the start. Tasks might slow down, but worth it.
- 💡 Creaming butter, sugar, and cream cheese properly is crucial. Light and fluffy? Yes. Too soft means dense cake. Consistency matters; aeration key.
- 💡 Overmixing is a problem. Watch that batter. Thick yet cohesive is ideal. Two batches for flour help avoid lumps; be gentle.
- 💡 Glaze consistency can vary. Too runny? Chill. Too thick? Add milk or liqueur. Spread it thickly for moisture retention in slices.
- 💡 Nuts can swap easily. Pecans, walnuts — sure, hazelnuts too. Each brings something unique. Keep them moderate-sized for even distribution.
