Yes, it’s time. I decided that Tuesday night was as good as any to take on a large baking project – and particularly one that required me to strongarm copious quantities of batter from bowls to pans, and plenty of chopping.

My family has been making this dark fruitcake for years; it’s a low-maintenance fruitcake, not requiring aging or brushing with liquor, loaded with dried fruit and nuts – apricots, figs, cherries, dates, citron – not a green glacé candied cherry in sight. Adapted from The Joy of Cooking, the 1997 edition – the edition is important, as there are completely different dark fruitcakes in different editions. (And no, it doesn’t call for eggs.)

We don’t brush it with booze, as my mom doesn’t like things boozy – nor did we as kids, when we used Welch’s grape juice in the batter. But feel free to brush it with brandy or rum and wrap it in cheesecloth, then seal in plastic or a cake tin – whatever you like to do with your fruitcakes.

Dark Fruitcake

AuthorJulie

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. allspice

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups packed brown sugar

1/2 cup dark molasses

Grated zest and juice of 1 orange

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

3/4 cup brandy, rum, red wine, or grape or orange juice

2 1/2 cups mixed dried or candied fruit of your choice (cranberries, cherries, dates, figs, dark raisins, apricots, candied orange peel)

2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts and/or pecans

1 1/2 cup dates

1 1/2 cup currants

1 1/2 cup golden raisins

Preheat the oven to 300°F, and grease a Bundt or tube pan or a few loaf pans really well; coat with flour and tap out the excess.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar for a few minutes, until light and creamy. Beat in the molasses and orange and lemon zest and juice.

Add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the brandy, rum or juice in 2 parts. Stir in the fruits and nuts and scrape into the pan.

Bake for 3 1/2 hours. Joy instructs: “The cake may appear done at 2 1/2 hours; simply ignore this.” If the cake is darkening too quickly on top, cover it loosely with foil for the last 30-60 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack, then invert onto a plate. Store well wrapped at room temperature.

Categorycake

Ingredients