Description
A rich, moist holiday treasure featuring a dense crumb packed with alcohol-soaked dried fruits and warm Mediterranean spices. This dark, fudgy cake improves with age, offering a sophisticated alternative to traditional fruitcakes.
Ingredients
- 1 cup diced dried pineapple
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup chopped dried apricots
- 1 cup chopped dates
- 1/2 cup candied red cherries
- 1/2 cup rum, brandy, or apple juice (for soaking)
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3 large eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp black cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup boiled cider or dark corn syrup
- 1/4 cup juice or water
- 1 cup toasted nuts (almonds, pecans, or walnuts)
- Extra rum, brandy, or simple syrup for brushing
Instructions
- Combine the dried pineapple, raisins, apricots, dates, and cherries in a bowl with the rum, brandy, or juice; cover and let rest overnight.
- Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C) and generously grease your loaf pans or line muffin tins with papers.
- In a large bowl, beat the room-temperature butter and dark brown sugar together until well combined and creamy.
- Beat in the salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and baking powder.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the bowl to ensure a smooth mixture.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour and cocoa powder, then add this mixture along with the boiled cider (or corn syrup) to the batter.
- Stir in the juice or water, the soaked fruit (including any remaining liquid), and the toasted nuts until evenly distributed.
- Spoon the batter into your pans, filling them about 3/4 full.
- Bake on the middle shelf: 65–70 minutes for small loaves or about 2 hours and 15 minutes for a large 9×5 loaf until a tester comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven, wait 5 minutes, then turn out and brush generously with spirits or simple syrup while still warm.
Notes
To ensure the best flavor, wrap the finished cake in parchment and foil and let it rest in a cool place for at least a few days before slicing. If the cake begins to brown too quickly during the long bake time, tent it loosely with aluminum foil to protect the top.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 2 hours 15 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mediterranean