Cranberries. Almonds. Cherries. Mango. It’s a shame that the fruitcake gets such a bad reputation. You would think that with its fruits it would be the most loved, but it’s quite the other way. This recipe includes of dried fruits instead of sugar-coated candy. It is also less dense and more cake-like than many other fruitcake recipes. This cake works well around the holidays or just for a tea party. I like to make this cake during the Winter time because of its sweet aroma that fills the house. Either way, this cake goes well all year long, so you can bake it whenever you want.
For this cake, you are going to need:
- ⅛ cup of dried cherries
- ⅛ cup of chopped dried mangos
- ¼ cup of dried cranberries
- ¼ cup of dried currants
- ½ cup of butter
- ¼ cup of packed brown sugar
- 1 egg, ½ cup of all purpose flour
- ⅛ teaspoon of baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- ¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons of milk
- ¼ cup of chopped pecans.
The fruits and nuts added to this recipe can be changed to your liking. I prefer to add in walnuts, almonds, and pecans. These nuts can add a powerful flavor to your cake, and it will not slow down the rise in the oven. You can also add other dried ingredients such as figs. Please keep in mind that you do not want to add many things, as this can slow down the process of baking and rising in the oven.
The first thing you are going to do is preheat the oven to 325 degrees fahrenheit. Next, mix all of your dry ingredients together. Dry ingredients could include flour, salt, and nuts. When these ingredients are all nicely combined, with no lumps of flour, mix up your wet ingredients. To get the lumps of flour out, keep mixing for around ten minutes. Mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl, so the ingredients can be easily mixed when the time comes. Wet ingredients could include egg, milk, and butter. Be careful not to over mix your wet ingredients. When mixing them, if you feel that it is smooth and creamy, don’t keep mixing, as this will not let the cake rise as much in the oven.
Then, you are going to do is combine all of the ingredients together. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients a little at a time, so they can be mixed in properly. At the same time you are pouring them in, make sure to keep mixing. You can tell if the mixture is properly included together, when the consistency of it is like a batter. It has to be creamy and has to have a smooth texture. When you have reached this consistency, pour the batter into the mold or tin pot.
The last step is to bake. Bake at 345 degrees fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Keep in mind that the settings can/will be altered when in use in a different oven. The outcome you are looking to find is when the whole cake is cooked through and it is golden-brown. You can tell it is cooked through if you put a toothpick through the cake and it comes back out clean, with no cake batter. Wait for this cake to cool down if you want to put something on top.
The sweet aroma should fill the room as you wait for it to cool. It should look golden-brown and not burnt from any of the sides. The cake should be filled with fruits that are evenly dispersed throughout the cake. Finally, enjoy your wonderful cake filled with different assortments and amazing flavors.
