SMART COOKIE FRUITCAKE

Smart Cookie Fruitcake image

Using naturally sweetened dried fruits and a curing time of 6 to 7 weeks ensures a beautifully flavored fruitcake that's even tastier than it is infamous. This recipe makes 4 mini loaves for easy gift-giving!

Provided by Smart Cookie

Categories Desserts Fruit Dessert Recipes Orange Dessert Recipes

Time P7DT8h52m

Yield 16

Number Of Ingredients 26

Ingredients

½ cup dates, pitted and chopped
½ cup dried cherries
½ cup golden raisins
½ cup dried blueberries
½ cup dried apricots, chopped
¼ cup crystallized ginger, chopped
½ cup spiced rum
½ cup strongly brewed chai tea
1 cup orange juice
¾ cup unsalted butter
½ cup white sugar
1 orange, zested
1 lemon, zested
1 cinnamon stick
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
baking spray
2 eggs, lightly beaten
¾ cup unsalted mixed nuts, chopped
1 fluid ounce spiced rum, or to taste
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar, or to taste

Steps:

Combine dates, cherries, raisins, blueberries, apricots, and ginger in a bowl. Pour spiced rum and chai on top and let soak 8 hours to overnight.
Mix soaked fruit with orange juice, zest, butter, sugar, zest, and cinnamon stick. Bring to a simmer and cook until butter has melted and sugar has dissolved, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 30 minutes.
In the meantime, combine flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg in a medium bowl.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Spray 4 mini loaf pans with baking spray.
Remove cinnamon stick from the soaked fruit; stir in the flour mixture until combined. Add eggs, mixing to combine, and fold in mixed nuts. Divide batter between the prepared loaf pans.
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean, about 1 hour.
Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife along the edges of each loaf and turn out of the pan. Brush warm cakes with more rum and let cool completely, at least 1 hour.
Place cooled cakes in airtight containers and store in the refrigerator for 6 to 7 weeks. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 302.3 calories, Carbohydrate 38.7 g, Cholesterol 46.1 mg, Fat 13.4 g, Fiber 2.8 g, Protein 4.4 g, SaturatedFat 6.3 g, Sodium 342.6 mg, Sugar 22.2 g