Dried Fruit and Nut Cake
User Reviews
4.8
Dried Fruit and Nut Cake
Description
This cake combines a complex mix of dried fruits chopped to uniform size and walnut halves with all-purpose flour, leavening agents, salt, and lightly packed brown sugar for sweetness. Eggs beaten with vanilla extract are incorporated to coat the dry ingredients, ensuring even distribution. The dense batter is poured into prepared loaf pans lined or sprayed to prevent sticking.
It bakes at 300°F over about an hour or slightly longer for a larger loaf, achieving a deep golden brown top and set batter around the fruit pieces and nuts. The final cake is moist from the preserved moisture in the dried fruits, with contrasting textures from the nuts and a sweet, warmly flavored crumb.
The loaf cools completely in the pan to set structure before slicing. It serves well sliced thin for tea or as a portable snack with a balance of sweetness, texture, and richness from the nuts and fruits.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (3.4 ounces) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (5.25 ounces) light brown sugar such as light muscovado or grated piloncillo, firmly packed; or dark brown sugar or raw sugar
- 1 cup dried apricot or a mixture (to measure, leave apricots or similar-size fruit whole and cut larger fruit in halves or thirds
- 1 cup dried plum
- 1 cup dried pluot
- 1 cup dried pear
- 1 cup dried peach
- 2 cups date or any other favorite dried fruits, quartered, moist
- 3 cups (12 ounces) walnut halves
- 3 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Spray the loaf pans (either one 9-by-5-inch 8-cup loaf pan or two 8-by-4-inch 4-cup loaf pans) with vegetable oil spray or line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the baking soda, baking powder, and salt to combine. Add the brown sugar, all the dried fruit, and the nuts, and mix thoroughly with your fingers. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, beat the eggs with the vanilla 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 pans.
- Bake until the top is deep golden brown and the batter clinging to the fruit seems set, about 1 hour for smaller loaves, 10 to 15 minutes longer for a large loaf. Tent loosely with foil if the cake appears to be browning too much. Cool completely in the pans on a rack.
- When completely cool, remove the cake from the pans.
- To serve, cut into thin slices with a sharp heavy knife.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 12servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 376 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1serving | |
| Calories | 376kcal | 19% |
| Carbohydrates | 48g | 16% |
| Protein | 8g | 16% |
| Fat | 20g | 31% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 47mg | 16% |
| Sodium | 143mg | 6% |
| Fiber | 5g | 20% |
| Sugar | 34g | 68% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.8
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