Must I start with a cliche? "Not your grandmother's fruit cake..." "Fruitcake always gets a bad wrap..." "Why is history like a fruit cake? Because it is full of dates!" Everyone knows fruitcake sucks, though I'm sure exceptions exist. It's the oddest combination of dry pastry followed by a deluge of raw alcohol. Candied fruit leeches sugar out which preserves the brick-like cakes ad infinitum. It reminds me of codliver oil and limburger cheese, dated inside jokes from generations ago, preserved only in merry melodies. My experience with fruitcake has been through its philosophical opposite: Carol Beitcher's California Fruit and Nut Cake. From what I've deduced (her recipe is a well guarded secret, and rightly so, it's awesome) there's no liquor, no candy, just fruit and nuts held together by a skin of cake. Its simplicity rests wholly on the quality of ingredients used. The trick to a successful cake is ripe and succulent fresh fruit (figs and dates in mine) and high quality tried fruit and nuts from purveyors you trust. For an especially dense (in a good way) texture, I steep the dried fruit for a short amount of time, to let them plump up and get a little juicy. It creates a rich, sticky, and tender yet solid cake that slices beautifully and is the perfect companion with butter for breakfast, or with some honey and chevre on a cheese platter. They are best after a few days sitting in plastic wrap, and can last for weeks in the fridge. They, like their derivative, make for beautiful gifts that will no doubt frighten and dismay the recipient, until they take a bite of course. Enjoy!
Note: You can substitute whatever dried fruit and nuts you like. I use this combination because of the balance of sweet (apricots, dates) and tart (cherries, raisins). You can also add orange zest to the batter for a more pronounced orange flavor.
NOT LAME FRUITCAKE
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup firmly packed golden brown sugar
3 cups halved walnuts
1/4 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup flame raisins
1 cup medjool dates, pitted and halved
1 cup figs, tops removed and halved or quartered (this late in the season, I find that brown turkeys are best) 1/2 cup dried mediterranean apricots (or whatever's sweetest), halved
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the Steeping Liquid:
2 cups orange juice
1/4 cup muscat or dessert wine
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease the loaf pans (2 large or 4 small) and line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper. Heat up the steeping liquid until warm and pour over the dried fruit. Steep the fruit until plumped, but not jammy, about 30 minutes. If you over steep you'll lose the flavor of the dried fruit. Toast the walnuts in the oven for 10 minutes, or until slightly fragrant. Allow them to cool.
In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and stir in the brown sugar, walnuts, and fruit. I found it easiest to mix with a large spoon, digging from the bottom of the bowl, to coat everything.
Whisk the eggs and vanilla until pale and frothy, usually about 5 minutes. Add the egg mixture and combine until all the fruit and nut pieces are coated with the batter. Pockets of the dried ingredients pop up, so combine thoroughly. Spread into the prepared pan, smoothing the top.
Bake for about an hour in the center of the oven, or until the cake is golden brown. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. When cool, lift the loaf from the pan. To store, cover with plastic wrap and wait for a day or two to eat, to let the flavors meld. Cut into small slices with a sharp knife.
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