Dried Fruit and Nut Cake

Submitted by Bren in LR

"From Alice Medrich's book Pure Dessert. These are basically fruit and nuts with a bit of flour and eggs to bind them together. Exceptionally easy to make, delicious and nutritious, this cake makes not just a fantastic snack, but also a perfect addition to the cheese platter. The fruits can be varied, and as long as they are natural, unsulfered and of a good quality, the end result will be terrific."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 45mins
• Ingredients: 10
• Yields: 2 small loaves

ingredients

• 3⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3⁄4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 3 cups total coarsely chopped dried fruit (ie -- figs, dates, apricots, prunes, peaches, nectarines, cherries, pears...choose what you want)
• 1 1⁄2 cups walnut halves, may use broken pieces
• 1 1⁄2 cups pecan halves, may use broken pieces
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

directions

1. Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line the bottom and sides of one large 9 x 5 inch loaf pan or 2 smaller 8 x 4 loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the salt, baking powder and baking soda to combine. Add the brown sugar, all the dried fruit, and nuts and mix thoroughly with your fingers. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, beat the eggs with the vanilla extract until light. Pour the egg mixture over the dry ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon or your hands until all the fruits and nuts are coated with batter. Scrape into the prepared pan (pans).
4. Bake until the top is deep golden brown and the batter clinging to the fruit seems set, about 1 hour for smaller loaves, 10-15 minutes longer for a large loaf. Tent loosely with foil if the cake appears to be browning too much. Cook completely in the pan(s) on a rack.
5. When completely cool, remove the cake from the pan(s). The cake keeps, wrapped airtight in foil or plastic wrap, for several weeks at room temperature or at least 3 months in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen for at least 6 months.
6. To serve, cut into thin slices with a sharp heavy knife.