Don't like the candied fruit either. We have a Sprout's store here that sells dried uncandied fruit. And yes it's expensive but at this stage of our life were worth the cost.
Soaked Fruit Mixture:
1¼ cups dark raisins
1¼ cups golden raisins
2 cups mixed unsweetened dried fruit, chopped (note: I like to use equal parts peaches and apricots
1 cup dried unsweetened black figs chopped
1 cup dried unsweetened tart cherries chopped
¾ cup dried unsweetened prunes chopped
¾ cup (6 oz) dark rum
Fruit Cake Ingredients:
1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter softened
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
5 large eggs room temperature
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 Granny Smith apple peeled and coarsely grated
¾ cup slivered almonds (or chopped pecans or walnuts) <--- I like chopped pecans
For Storage:
medium sherry or triple sec for soaking<--- I wet cheese cloth in triple sec to cover the cake to keep it moist. The cheese cloth should be damp not soggy. Re wet as needed to keep the exposed edges moist.
Instructions
The Day Before Baking: Combine the dried fruit in a large mixing bowl. Add the dark rum, cover, and allow the mixture to soak at room temperature for a minimum of 12 hours, or ideally 24 hours prior to preparing the fruit cake batter.
Prepare the Fruitcake: Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C) with a rack in the center position.
I use parchment paper cut to fill the inside of a 9X13 glass baking pan. I cut the paper oversize so I can make tabs to be able to lift the cake out for cutting.
1.In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, baking powder, spices, and salt. Set aside.
2.In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the softened butter and light brown sugar together over medium-high speed for 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to medium and add the eggs one at a time, beating just until each egg is incorporated.
3.Over low speed, slowly add the flour mixture until just absorbed.
Tip
I add the flour by folding it in then mix slowly until all the batter is combined. Reason= when I add the flour to the wet mix for some reason no matter the lowest setting the flour kicks out of the mixing bowl.
Time to pre heat the oven to 300 degrees.
4.Remove the bowl from the stand mixer. Add the lemon zest, orange zest, fresh orange juice, grated apple, slivered almonds, soaked dried fruit mixture (along with any liquid if it hasn’t already been absorbed)
5.Stir mixture with a large spatula, scraping the edges and bottom of the bowl several times, until all of the ingredients are evenly incorporated.
6.Bake at 300 degrees for 75 to 90 minutes or until the batter is set and the tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven and place on a rack to cool completely before removing from the pan.
7.Store in the refrigerator for up to 6 to 8 weeks.
