Drunken Fruit Cake

• From: Eclectic Recipes

Ingredients

• 1 cup golden raisins

• 1 cup currants

• 1 6 oz bag, dried cranberries

• 1 4 oz bag, dried blueberries

• 1 5 oz bag, dried cherries

• 1/6 cup dried apricots, chopped

• 1/6 cup dried pineapple, chopped

• 1/6 cup dried mangos, chopped

• 1 lemon, zested and zest chopped

• 1 orange, zested and zest chopped

• 1/4 cup candied ginger, chopped

• 1 cup spiced rum

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter

• 1 cup unfiltered apple cider

• 4 whole cloves, ground

• 6 allspice berries, ground

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp ground ginger

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 2 eggs

• 3/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped

• Cherry brandy for basting and/or spritzing

For a fruit cake that won't disappoint, continually baste with cherry brandy and store for two weeks before eating!

Directions

• Combine all the dried fruits, the zests, and the candied ginger in a large bowl. Add the rum and let them macerate overnight.
• Add the fruit and rum the next day to a non-reactive saucepan. Add sugar, butter, apple cider, and spices. Bring mixture to a boil while stirring constantly. Boil for 10 minutes over medium heat. Let this mixture cool completely.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Chop the pecans and roast until fragrant, about 5–10 minutes. Turn heat down to 325°F.
• Add fruit mixture into a large mixing bowl. Sift the dry ingredients into the fruit mixture. Stir until just combined. Stir in the eggs one at a time until incorporated. Fold in pecans.
• Pour batter into a 10-inch, nonstick loaf pan or a well-greased loaf pan and bake for 1 hour at 325°F. Cake is done when it passes the toothpick test.
• Let the cake cool completely in the pan before removing. Place cake in an airtight container and baste with brandy.
• Continue to baste every 2–3 days. The cake will be wonderful in about 2 weeks.