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!
Ingredients
- dates, pitted and: 0.5 cup (chopped)
- cherries: 0.5 cup (dried)
- golden raisins: 0.5 cup
- blueberries: 0.5 cup (dried)
- apricots: 0.5 cup (chopped, dried)
- crystallized ginger: 0.25 cup (chopped)
- spiced rum: 0.5 cup
- strongly brewed chai tea: 0.5 cup
- orange juice: 1 cup
- unsalted butter: 0.75 cup
- white sugar: 0.5 cup
- orange, zested: 1 piece
- lemon, zested: 1 piece
- cinnamon stick: 1 piece
- ¾ cups all-purpose flour: 1 piece
- ½ teaspoons salt: 1 piece
- baking soda: 1 tsp
- baking powder: 1 tsp
- ground cinnamon: 0.25 tsp
- ground allspice: 0.25 tsp
- ground nutmeg: 0.25 tsp
- baking spray:
- eggs, lightly: 2 piece (beaten)
- unsalted mixed nuts: 0.75 cup (chopped)
- spiced rum: 1 fl oz (to taste)
- confectioners' sugar: 1 Tbsp (to taste)
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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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.
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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.
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In the meantime, combine flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg in a medium bowl.
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Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Spray 4 mini loaf pans with baking spray.
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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.
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Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean, about 1 hour.
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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.
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Place cooled cakes in airtight containers and store in the refrigerator for 6 to 7 weeks. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
