Apricot-nut fruitcake pt 1/2

1 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
2 cups Broken walnuts (8 ounces; 230 g)
1 cup Hazelnuts or filberts (5 ounces; 140 g), toasted, skinned, halved or coarsely chopped
1 cup Brazil nuts (6 ounces; 170 g), coarsely chopped, or halved pecans
1 cup Seedless raisins (6 ounces; 170 g)
1½ cup Firmly packed golden raisins (7 ounces; 210 g)
2 cups Firmly packed dried apricot halves (12 ounces; 340 g), cut into quarters
¾ cup Dark rum or Calvados, plus 1/2 cup unsweetened apple cider, or use all spirits
1½ cup Unsifted whole-wheat pastry flour (6 3/4 ounces; 185 g); available in health food stores
2 cups Unsifted all-purpose flour (10 ounces; 280 g)
1½ teaspoon Baking powder
¼ teaspoon Baking soda
½ teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Each of ground cinnamon and nutmeg
1½ cup Lightly slated butter (3 sticks; 340 g), at room temperature, or use 1/2 cup margarine plus 1 cup butter
1½ cup Firmly packed light brown sugar (10 1/2 ounces; 300 g)
5 larges Eggs
2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
1 cup Unpeeled grated apple, cooking type such as Granny Smith (6 ounces; 170 g)
1 cup Applesauce
Halved walnuts, almonds or pecans
Cut-up dried apricots
1 cup Apricot preserves, best quality
½ cup Apricot preserves, best quality
1½ teaspoon Unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons Kirsch, or other fruit-flavored liqueur or fruit juice
1⅓ cup Sifted confectioners' sugar (4 3/4 ounces; 135 g)
1 tablespoon Cream, or more as needed to thin the glaze (up to 2)
1 tablespoon Unsalted butter, melted
½ teaspoon Lemon or orange extract; or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

GARNISH

APRICOT GLAZE

FIRM APRICOT GLAZE

BASIC ICING GLAZE

1. A day or two before baking the cake, combine all the dried fruits and nuts in a large bowl and toss well with the rum or Calvados and cider.

Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a cool place for at least 24 hours. Toss the mixture occasionally.

2. On the baking day, prepare pans. Use one tube pan 10 x 4 inches or one 9¼-inch tube pan (9 cup capacity) plus 2 baby loaf pans, each 6 x 3 ½ x 2 inches, or the equivalent in capacity (cake consists of about 12 cups batter.) Lightly grease pan(s), cut paper liners to cover both bottom and sides, press paper in place, then grease paper. Position rack in center of oven for 1 large cake, or divide oven in thirds for several cakes. Preheat oven to 325 F (165 C).

3. Sift both flours, the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices together onto wax paper. Set aside.

To make the cake batter, use a spoon and a mixing bowl or the electric mixer to cream together the butter and sugar until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Add the flour mixture in 3 or 4 additions, beating very slowly to blend after each addition. The batter will be quite stiff. Stir in the grated apple and applesauce. Stir the macerated fruit-nut-rum mixture, then add it to the batter along with all the liquid. Stir the batter with a sturdy wooden spoon until well blended; really the best way to blend is with your bare hands.

4. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan(s), filling them about ⅔ continued in part 2

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