Candied Fruitcake
Submitted by hotdanni
Jeweled candied fruitcake loaded with dates, candied pineapple, whole cherries, and 2 lbs of pecan halves. More fruit and nuts than batter. A stunning holiday gift cake.
YIELD
1 cakePREP
10 minCOOK
90 minREADY
100 minForget everything you think you know about fruitcake. This one is more candy than cake.
Dates, candied pineapple, whole candied cherries, and a full two pounds of pecan halves get tossed with just enough egg batter to hold everything together.
Baked low and slow, each slice reveals a mosaic of jewel-toned fruit and golden nuts that looks like stained glass.
This recipe makes two cakes, which is perfect because one will disappear before you even think about wrapping the other as a gift.
Kitchen Tips
- Make no substitutions. The recipe is emphatic about this, and for good reason. The balance of fruit, nuts, and batter is precise.
- Separate the fruit pieces with your fingers after tossing with flour. Clumps of sticky fruit create pockets without batter.
- Pack the batter into the pans firmly. Press down with your fingers and rearrange pieces to fill any gaps. Air pockets mean crumbly slices.
- A little extra baking time won’t hurt. The tops should look dry when done. When in doubt, leave them in a few minutes longer.
Ingredients
Directions
** Make no substitutions ** Assemble ingredients and let stand at room temp for 1 hour.
- Set oven at 275 degrees.
- Use 2 (9 inch) springform pans or 2 (9×5) loaf pans; or use Grease pans and line with brown paper cut to fit, then grease paper.
- Cut 3 (7 oz.) pkgs. pitted dates and 1 lb. candied pine- apple into coarse pieces. Put in large bowl. Add 1 lb. whole candied cherries.
- Put 2 cup sifted flour into sifter. Add 2 teaspoon baking powder and ½ t. salt. Sift onto fruit.
- Mix fruits and dry ingredients well with fingers, separ- ating 6. With electric beater, beat 4 eggs until frothy.
- Gradually add 1 cup sugar; beat until blended.
- Add fruit mixture, mix well with a large spoon.
- Add 2 lbs. (8 cups) pecan halves. Mix with hands until nuts are evenly distributed, and are coated with batter.
- Pack into pans, pressing down with fingers. If necessary rearrange pieces of fruit and nuts to fill up any empty andgt;andgt; spaces.
- Bake springform cakes about 1 hour and 15 minutes. loaf cakes 1 hour and 30 minutes. When done, tops of cakes should look dry. If there is any doubt. leave cakes in oven a few minutes longer, as a little extra baking does no harm.
- When cakes are done, remove from oven and let stand on cake racks about 5 minutes. Then turn out on racks and carefully pull off paper.
- Cool cakes, and turn top side up.
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