Dark Fruitcake

Name: Dark Fruitcake
Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour (you can get away with using part whole wheat flour); 1 tsp baking powder; ½ tsp baking soda; ¼ tsp salt; 1 tsp cinnamon; ½ tsp allspice; ½ tsp nutmeg; 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened; 2 cups packed brown sugar; ½ cup dark molasses; Grated zest and juice of 1 orange; Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon; ¾ cup brandy, rum, or grape or orange juice (or even red wine!); 2 ½ cups mixed dried or candied fruit of your choice (I use dried cranberries, dried cherries if I can afford them, figs, dark raisins, real candied orange peel if I have it, and finely chopped apricots if I’m in the mood); 2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts and/or pecans; 1 ½ cups dates; 1 ½ cups currants; 1 ½ cups golden raisins

AuthorJulie

Yields1 Serving

3 cups all-purpose flour (you can get away with using part whole wheat flour)

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp allspice

½ tsp nutmeg

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

2 cups packed brown sugar

½ cup dark molasses

Grated zest and juice of 1 orange

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

¾ cup brandy, rum, or grape or orange juice (or even red wine!)

2 ½ cups mixed dried or candied fruit of your choice (I use dried cranberries, dried cherries if I can afford them, figs, dark raisins, real candied orange peel if I have it, and finely chopped apricots if I’m in the mood)

2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts and/or pecans

1 ½ cups dates

1 ½ cups currants

1 ½ cups golden raisins

Preheat the oven to 300° F, and grease a bundt or tube pan 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 ½ hours. Joy instructs: “The cake may appear done at 2 ½ 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