Pan de pascua, the Chilean Christmas fruitcake, is the most typical holiday recipe in Chile. It is a spiced, buttery cake full of rum-soaked raisins, walnuts, and candied fruit, and it is made to share and to give as a gift.
This recipe makes two loaves, so you can keep one and give one away.
A practical tip: soak the raisins in the rum for a few hours, ideally overnight, before you start. Once baked, let the cakes rest for 1 day before bagging or slicing them. Refrigerated, they keep for up to 3 weeks.
Chilean Pan de Pascua
Pan de pascua is the most typical Christmas recipe in Chile, made to share and to give as a gift.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups butter or margarine 350 g, about 3 sticks; at room temperature
- 1 1/8 cups light or dark brown sugar 250 g; packed
- 1 tbsp honey
- 4 cups all-purpose flour 500 g; not self-rising
- 5 eggs
- 3 tbsp rum
- 1 pinch ground cloves
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 orange or lemon zest only
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
- 1 3/4 cups walnuts 200 g; roughly chopped
- 1 1/3 cups raisins 200 g
- 9 oz candied fruit 250 g
- 3 tsp baking powder
Instructions
- Soak the raisins in the rum for a few hours, ideally overnight.
- Set aside.
- Beat the butter with the sugar until well combined and slightly fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing very well after each one, then add the honey and keep beating until well combined.
- Mix and sift the dry ingredients together: flour, baking powder, cloves, nutmeg, orange zest, and cinnamon.
- Add them to the butter mixture in 2 or 3 additions and keep beating until the batter is smooth.
- Add the dried fruit and nuts (soaked raisins and walnuts) and the candied fruit. Stir well.
- Divide the batter between 2 pan de pascua molds or loaf pans, buttered and floured.
- Bake in an oven preheated to 350°F (180°C) for 1 hour, or until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out completely clean.
- Let them cool in the pans, then let them rest for 1 day before bagging or slicing. Enjoy! ¡A disfrutar!
Notes
This pan de pascua keeps for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Calories: 1400kcal
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