Chocolate Chip Cherry Fruitcake Loaf
"This is my version of a recipe originally found in an old issue of Taste of Home magazine. I make this each year and it is always a hit. My family likes this particular version because only contains fruit & nuts they like(cherries, dates or raisins and pecans)plus chocolate chips - no tangy sour bits of rind and also no alcohol so children can enjoy this as well. You also don't need to make this too far in advance as it requires no aging - I make this the day before Christmas Eve and serve it as part of our holiday meal. You can substitute any finely chopped nut you prefer for the pecans if they are not available in your area. They should be chopped finely, but still have some texture - do not use ground nuts. Prep time assumes you have already shelled and chopped your nuts. Cook time is 1 1/4-1 1/2 hours."
photo by HeatherFeather
- Ready In:
- 1hr 30mins
- Ingredients:
- 10
- Yields:
-
10 slices approximately
ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans (measure after chopping)
- 1 1 cup raisins or 1 cup sultana
- 1 cup candied red cherries, halves (also known as glazed fruitcake cherries)
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 5 -6 extra candied red cherries, halves,to taste,for garnishing the top of the loaf
directions
- Preheat oven to 325 F and have ready a greased 9x5" loaf pan.
- Beat eggs and sugar in a large bowl until well combined.
- In another large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add flour mixture to egg mixture and mix well.
- Add nuts, dates or raisins, 1 cup cherry halves,& the chocolate chips and stir gently to combine.
- Pour into a greased 9x5" loaf pan(mixture will be very thick).
- Garnish top with a row of cherry halves down the center of the batter- press gently so they stick.
- Bake in a preheated 325 F oven for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours or until golden and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out mostly clean (there will be streaks of melted chocolate but not gobs of beige batter) - DO NOT OVERBAKE or it will be as hard as a rock.
- Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool completely.
- Usually I slice the loaf after it has cooled and seal it in a plastic zip-top bag, which helps keep it from hardening up.
Questions & Replies
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I tried this recipe this year. When I baked it, I tested the doneness with a toothpick and it came out clean. The top was domed nicely, however, as it cooled, the center collapsed significantly. The outside was firm and crispy, except in the middle, and the inside was more moist in the middle. I worry that if I'd baked it much longer, it would have been too hard on the outside. Would the center collapse indicate it was underbaked?
Reviews
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Heather another good recipe. We served this loaf with a cuppa at the end of the evening. It is so easy to make and the sliced loaf looks fantastic with the cherries and choc chips. I was heavy handed with the cherries. I served some of the loaf with butter and some without. I personally like the loaf without the butter. I thought that we would have a bit of the loaf left over for our afternoon tea the next day. :-( No such luck. We will be adding this recipe to our regular baking recipes of goodies for mornos and arvos (morning and afternoon tea). Thank you for making it very clear not to over bake the loaf and letting me know that the mixture will be thick.
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My mother always made this for Christmas. She used candied cherries, chocolate chips, and pecans in her recipe. She died a few years ago so now I'm making this recipe for Christmas with the family. This cake will be hard on the outside but it should be moist and soft on the inside. The batter also gets very thick and difficult to stir before you put it in the loaf pan. This is wonderful with a cup of coffee after everyone has opened their Christmas presents. I like my slice a little warm so I'll put it in the microwave for about a minute to warm it up and get the chocolate chips a little melty. -
At last a fruitcake that gets rave reviews from family and friends! This loft caught my eye when I didn't see any candied fruit rind. I made it for my coworkers to enjoy at coffee time. Boy, did they enjoy it! Thank you for posting this delicious loaf cake recipe, HeatherFeather!
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I used raisins, cherries and the chocolate chips, it was ready in just under an hour and a quarter. When it cooled the outside was quite hard. I found the cherries and chocolate just a little to sweet for my taste. I sliced as Heather suggested and have it in a zip lock bag. Thanks for sharing.
