Fruitcake has to be one of the best fruit and nut cakes. It has an undeserved reputation of being hard and too sweet; this comes from certain commercial fruitcakes which use super sugared pieces are fruits. This recipe is guaranteed to inaugurate you as a new fruitcake fan!

1 Week Before Baking Day

Candied Fruits
Add 1/4 cup of Grand Marnier, Brandy or Calvados to
1/4 cup raisins
zest of 1 small orange
4 snipped mejdool dates, pitted
1/4 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup dried cranberries

Baking Day

Dry
1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp freshly ground cloves
1/2 tsp. freshly ground allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg (preferably freshly ground)
1/2 cup walnuts

Wet
2 eggs
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup apple juice
1/4 cup orange juice
1/3 cup no salt butter
2 tbsp. molasses
1/4 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. liqueur (Grand Marnier, Brandy or Calvados)

2 days prior to baking the cake create the candied fruit mixture and keep in the refrigerator

Pre-heat oven to 300 F. Butter an 8X4X2-inch bread pan

Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl, add flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, ground cloves, ground allspice, and walnuts, then mix well.

Wet Ingredients
In a medium bowl, add beaten eggs, brown sugar, apple juice, orange juice, butter, and molasses and mix. Add candied fruit mixture and mix.

Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until combined. Do not over-mix. Pour mixture into baking pans. Bake on 300F for 55 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack.

Cut some cheesecloth to a size big enough to wrap cake in. Wet the cheesecloth with a liqueur of your choice and wrap around fruitcake.

Tip: Add liqueur to a small spray bottle and spray cheesecloth daily for 2 week, then cut fruitcake and eat.