Cranberry, Pecan, and Chocolate Fruitcake

From the book The Basic Gourmet Entertains by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, and Kathleen Taggart

Serves	20
Yield	2 9-inch cakes

Introduction

All right, you’ve all heard the theory that there is only one fruitcake in the world and it is continually being passed. Everyone loves to hate fruitcake–until now! Our tasters requested seconds on this fruitcake. The problem is really very simple–garbage in, garbage out. If you use old, dried fruit, your fruitcake will taste old and musty. Use good-quality dried fruit that is still moist, good butter, fresh pecans, and fine chocolate. Feel free to vary dried fruits, keeping the total proportion at 3 pounds.

Ingredients

	1	lb. golden raisins
	1	lb. dried cranberries
	8	oz. dried apricots, cut into 2 or 3 pieces each
	4	oz. dried figs, cut into 2 or 3 pieces each
	4	oz. candied lemon rind
	½	cup bourbon whiskey, plus 1 to 1⅓ cups bourbon for brushing cakes
	½	lb. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus butter for coating pan
	1	cup brown sugar
	1	cup granulated sugar
	4	large eggs
	1	cup all-purpose flour
	1	tsp. baking powder
	¼	cup cocoa
	½	tsp. ground cinnamon
	¼	tsp. ground mace
	1	cup pecan halves
	1	cup chocolate chips
	2	oz. semisweet chocolate (optional)
	2	oz. white chocolate (optional)
	2	Tbsp. whipping cream

Steps

1. At least a week before baking, pour ½ cup of bourbon over dried fruits in a large mixing bowl. Cover and allow to marinate at least 1 week, stirring every couple of days.
2. Preheat oven to 250°F. Butter two 9-inch round cake or springform pans with 1½- to 2-inch sides. Cut aluminum foil or parchment paper to fit bottom of pans. Butter one side of foil or paper and place, buttered side up, in pans.
3. In a very large mixing bowl, cream butter with an electric mixer until soft. Add both sugars and continue to beat until mixture is soft and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. The mixture may look curdled. Add dry ingredients and stir until blended. Add pecans and chocolate chips to fruit mixture and toss well. (If bowl is not large enough, divide mixture between 2 bowls.) Pour batter over fruit and nut mixture. It will seem like a small amount compared with fruit and nuts. Toss completely. All fruits, nuts, and chocolate chips should be coated with batter. Turn mixture into prepared pans, dividing evenly. Press mixture down firmly with a large spatula or with the back of a large spoon.
4. Bake cakes for 3½ hours. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pans for 30 minutes. Loosen cakes from sides of pan with a thin-bladed knife. Turn each cake gently onto a cooling rack, then turn over, right side up, onto another wire rack. (Be careful at this point as cakes are fragile.) Cool completely. Brush each cake with bourbon. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Brush every 2 or 3 days with more bourbon.
5. When ready to serve, decorate if desired by melting the semisweet chocolate and white chocolate separately, with 1 tablespoon whipping cream, either in a heavy-bottom 2 cup saucepan over very low heat, or in a microwave. Drizzle melted chocolates over cakes in a zigzag pattern. You can use all of one type of chocolate on one cake or mix the colors. Cut small slices with a sharp knife and serve, well chilled.

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