Fruitcake Hater's Fruitcake

A Christmas fruitcake with no candied fruit; just dried fruit and nuts

Adapted from Gourmet Magazine

December, 1977

By Gary Rubin

Makes four 9 inch [230 mm] x 5 inch [125 mm] loaves or Eight 3 1⁄2 inch [90 mm] x 7 inch [180 mm] loaves, Grease pans and line with greaseproof or baking parchment

Oven 250° F [130° C]

Ingredients

3 lb [1.4 Kg] dried apricots

1⁄2 lb [220 g] pitted dates

2 lb [900 g] pecans or walnuts

1 lb [450 g] sultanas

4 c [450 g] sifted flour

2 tsp [8 g] cinnamon

2 tsp [8 g] baking powder

1 tsp [4 g] allspice

3⁄4 tsp [3.8 g] salt

1 lb [450 g] butter, room temp.

2 1⁄4 C [425 g] brown sugar

1 C [240 ml] honey

10 eggs, room temp.

1 C [240 ml] apricot nectar [can substitute peach puree]

2 Tb.[30 ml] lemon juice

1⁄2 C [120] light cream

1 C [240ml] brandy

1⁄4 C [120 ml] orange liqueur

1. Measure flour into a large bowl.

2. Place apricots and dates in a second large bowl and sprinkle with some of the flour from the first bowl.

3. Place metal colander or large sieve over first bowl and “drain” the apricots and dates, shaking the sieve to remove excess flour (and recombine it with the rest of the original 4 cups of flour

4.  Slice apricots and dates coarsely, chop nuts [chopping is optional] and mix with sultanas and put into very large bowl or stockpot.

5.  Mix remaining dry ingredients with flour and either sieve or sift to combine well. Add about 1/4 of dry ingredients to fruit and nuts; reserve the rest.

6.  Cream butter and sugar in a mixer

7.  Add honey and eggs, one at a time. Mixture may separate or look curdled if eggs are added too fast but don’t worry; it doesn’t affect the finished loaves

8.  Add remaining 3/4 of dry ingredients to batter and mix briefly

9.  Add apricot nectar, lemon juice and cream to batter and mix thoroughly but do not overmix.

10. Pour batter over fruit and mix thoroughly. You can use a large wooden spoon to mix, but it’s easier to use your [scrupulously clean] hands.

11.  Spoon mixture into prepared pans and press down a bit to fill gaps. Can decorate top with a few candied cherries and nut halves.

12.  Bake 2-3 hours until it tests done [inserted toothpick comes out dry and free of crumbs] done, depending on size.

13.  Mix brandy and orange liqueur and sprinkle over warm loaves.

14. When cool remove loaves from pans and wrap in plastic and foil

15. Age for at least 1 week

16. Will keep for months if refrigerated.

*Metric units are approximate

Added by: Gary Rubin

Related products

All Purpose Flour (Gluten-Free)
Shipton Mill gluten-free plain white flour is great for everyday and keeping the cupboard stocked for lots of eventualities.

Organic Gluten-Free Baking Powder - 1kg
Large tub of organic baking powder, now certified gluten-free.

Organic Gluten-Free Baking Powder - 30g
3 sachets containing 10g each of Bioreal Organic Baking Powder and now certified Gluten-Free too.

Soft Cake and Pastry Organic White Flour (117)
Made from English organic wheat, which because of the cool maritime climate and the lower natural soil fertility is seldom rich in protein.

Organic Self-raising White Flour (113)
Blended with a specially selected slow acting raising agent, this flour delivers best results when baking cakes or crumpets.

Related articles

This and That Bread

A lovely, rich flavoured and versatile bread with beautiful texture made from a mix of different bread flours

Chocolate, Banana Oat Bread

Delicious and healthy take on traditional banana bread that isn't too sweet and makes a perfect breakfast alternative with butter

Apricot Teabread

Fruity and delicious

Orange or Lemon Polenta Cake

Scrumptious flavoursome orange or lemon with grittiness of the polenta and tender rubble of ground almonds!

Sourdough chocolate brownies

Chocolatey, dense but not too sweet