Heavenly Moist Fruitcake 🍰

Heavenly Moist Fruitcake 🍰
Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup mixed dried fruit (such as raisins, currants, chopped apricots)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (such as walnuts or pecans)
1/2 cup orange juice
Instructions:

1. Preheat and Prepare:
   Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan (or line it with parchment paper).
2. Cream Butter and Sugar:
   In a large mixing bowl, cream together the room temperature butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add Eggs and Vanilla:
   Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
4. Combine Dry Ingredients:
   In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
5. Mix Dry Ingredients into Wet:
   Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients, alternating with the orange juice. Mix until just combined; do not overmix.
6. Fold in Dried Fruit and Nuts:
   Gently fold in the mixed dried fruit and chopped nuts until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
7. Pour Batter into Pan:
   Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.
8. Bake:
   Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top starts to brown too quickly, you can cover it loosely with aluminum foil.
9. Cool and Serve:
   Allow the fruitcake to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and serve!