TROPICAL SPICE FRUIT CAKE
I made these for the holidays and it was a winner recipe with
everyone who tried them.
The applesauce and dollop of sour cream helps make this cake moister
than the usual fruitcake - These can also be made in muffin pans.
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 3/4 cups white sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups applesauce
Dollop of sour cream
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts
1/4 cup chopped dried mango
1/4 cup chopped dried pineapple
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup chopped candied ginger
1/4 cup whole red candied cherries
Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, white sugar, spices and salt
into a large mixing bowl. Mix in the butter, buttermilk, and
applesauce. Beat for 2 minutes with an electric mixer on medium
speed. Beat in eggs. Fold in the chopped nuts and assorted dried and
candied fruit.=20
Pour batter into a greased and floured (*) 9 x 13 inch pan, 2
standard bread loaf pans or 4 smaller bread pans.
Bake at 350 degrees F for about 50 minutes. It will bake faster in
the smaller pans so check after 30 minutes.
(*) Sonia's note: Of course you can use any combination of fruits and
nuts you wish. The above is what I used.
If you first mix all the nuts and chopped dried fruit and then place
in a plastic baggie and pour in a small amount of flour and sugar to
coat them by shaking, the nuts will not all fall to the bottom of the
batter and lay there. Be sure to not add any extra flour to the
batter when adding the nuts and fruit or it might make the fruitcake
denser than you wish.
A tip from one of my NC cousins: after greasing your sweet bread or
cake molds (including pound cake), use refined sugar instead of flour
to coat your molds. It gives the outer surface a nice slight little crunch.
Sonia in Hawai'i