Free Range Fruitcake

Ameliahead's Note:

An Alton Brown recipe (from Good Eats). This is not the kind of fruitcake with green cherries stuck all over the outside of it. It's actually pretty good (and easy--I am not a baker and I still successfully made it). My family likes it even more than I do. Most of the ingredients (nuts, dried fruit, spices, etc.) can easily be adjusted or changed. I added extra nuts and left out the dried blueberries. I also poured extra brandy over the finished cake. Prep time includes time to macerate the fruit. It will be significantly less if you microwave it instead.

• Total Time: 25 hrs
• Prep Time: 24 hrs
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 10

• 1 cup golden raisin
• 1 cup currant
• ½ cup sun-dried cranberries
• ½ cup sun-dried blueberries
• ½ cup sun-dried cherries
• ½ cup dried apricot , chopped
• 1 lemon, zest of , coarsely chopped
• 1 orange, zest of , coarsely chopped
• ¼ cup candied ginger , chopped
• 1 cup golden rum
• 1 cup sugar
• 5 ounces unsalted butter (1 1/4 sticks)
• 1 cup apple juice , preferably unfiltered
• 4 whole cloves , ground
• 6 allspice berries , ground
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 eggs
• ¼-½ cup pecans , toasted and broken
• brandy , for basting

Directions:

1. Combine dried fruits, candied ginger and both zests. Add rum and macerate overnight, or microwave for 5 minutes to re-hydrate fruit.
2. Place fruit and liquid in a non-reactive pot with the sugar, butter, apple juice and spices. Bring mixture to a boil stirring often, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for at least 15 minutes.
3. (Batter can be completed up to this point, then covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before completing cake.) Heat oven to 325°F.
4. Combine dry ingredients and sift into fruit mixture. Quickly bring batter together with a large wooden spoon, then stir in eggs one at a time until completely integrated, then fold in nuts.
5. Spoon into a 10-inch non-stick loaf pan and bake for 1 hour.
6. Check for doneness by inserting toothpick into the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean, it's done. If not, bake another 10 minutes, and check again.
7. Remove cake from oven and place on cooling rack or trivet. Baste or spritz top with brandy and allow to cool completely before turning out from pan.
8. When cake is completely cooled, seal in a tight sealing, food safe container. Every 2 to 3 days, feel the cake and if dry, spritz with brandy. The cake's flavor will enhance considerably over the next two weeks.