Gumdrop Fruitcake

This gumdrop fruitcake is for everyone who thinks they hate fruitcake. Instead of the usual candied peel and dark dried fruit, it’s loaded with colorful gumdrops, white raisins, and chopped nuts in a moist, spiced applesauce batter. It looks like stained glass when you slice into it.

Tossing the gumdrops and raisins in flour before adding to the batter is the key step. Without that flour coating, they sink straight to the bottom during the long, slow bake. The flour gives them grip so they stay suspended throughout the cake.

Two hours at a low temperature bakes these loaves all the way through without burning the outside. Lining the pans with greased brown paper protects the edges and makes unmolding clean.

Kitchen Tips

• Cut gumdrops with oiled scissors. A knife sticks to them and makes a mess. Keep dipping the scissors in oil as you go.
• Omit the black gumdrops. They turn the surrounding batter an unappealing gray-brown color during baking.
• Test doneness with a skewer in the center. These dense loaves can look done on top while still being raw in the middle.

Variations

• Bourbon soaked: Brush the finished loaves with bourbon while still warm and wrap tightly. The flavor deepens over several days.
• Chocolate chip version: Replace half the gumdrops with chocolate chips for a candy-studded loaf that kids go wild for.