Kopikala Fruitcake
"Not your Grandma's holiday door stop. This blend of tropical friuts and a golden ginger-spiced batter make for a lighter and very delicious holiday treat. Use any combination of dried fruits you like, but one-quarter of the fruit mixture should be candied ginger for the right taste. Also, if you prefer to "brandy" the fruitcake--place on a large square of cheesecloth, brush generously with additional spiced rum and wrap before sealing in foil. Brush with additional rum every couple of days for two weeks before serving. This recipe makes 2 regular or 4 mini loaves."
- Ready In:
- 2hrs 10mins
- Ingredients:
- 20
- Yields:
-
2 loaves
ingredients
- 1 cup macadamia nuts
- 1⁄2 cup dried pineapple, chopped
- 1⁄2 cup dried mango, chopped
- 1⁄2 cup dried papaya, chopped
- 1⁄2 cup candied ginger, chopped
- 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
- 3⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons ginger
- 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1⁄4 teaspoon clove
- 1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
- 6 tablespoons spiced rum or 6 tablespoons pineapple juice
- 6 tablespoons buttermilk
- 1⁄4 cup fresh orange juice
- 1 cup sugar
- 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (1 stick)
- 1 tablespoon orange zest, finely grated
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
directions
- Toast macadamia nuts in a skillet over medium heat, stir or shake constantly to avoid burning. Transfer to bowl and let cool completely. If dried fruits and ginger are in larger pieces, chop into pieces no larger than the nail of your little finger, approximately 1/4-inch dice. Transfer to the bowl with the nuts, add coconut and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 275°. Butter loaf pans, or lightly spray with cooking spray, then coat with flour and set aside.
- In a mediumbowl, combine dry ingredients, flour through baking soda; set aside.
- In medium bowl, whisk together the rum or pineapple juice, buttermilk and orange juice; set aside.
- With an electric mixer, cream sugar, butter and orange zest in a large bowl until fluffly. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in ingredients alternately with buttermilk mixture in several additions until just combined. Fold in fruit mixture.
- Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake for 50 minutes at 275°. Rotate pans in oven, if necessary, then raise temperature to 350° and bake an additional 30-40 minutes. Cakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Turn off oven and let cakes rest in cooling oven for 10-15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and generously brush with additional rum or pineapple juice, if desired. Let cool in pans for 15-30 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely before wrapping tightly in foil. Store in refrigerator for 2 days before serving or freeze up to 3 months.
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Reviews
-
Although now-a-days I tend to stay away from using candied 'anything' in the fruitcakes I make, I made an exception here since ginger is . . . well, it's ginger! So I made the recipe pretty mush as written, but used pineapple juice instead of the alcohol, AND I used a nicely rounded measure of orange zest! All for a good cause, too, because THIS FRUITCAKE IS ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS, DEFINITELY DIFFERENT from the usual ~ A really wonderful combo of fruit flavors to enjoy! Thank you so much for a great keeper of a recipe ~ This fruitcake will now be a nice addition to my winter holiday kitchen enjoyment! [Tagged, made & reviewed for one of my adoptees in the current Pick A Chef]
Tweaks
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Although now-a-days I tend to stay away from using candied 'anything' in the fruitcakes I make, I made an exception here since ginger is . . . well, it's ginger! So I made the recipe pretty mush as written, but used pineapple juice instead of the alcohol, AND I used a nicely rounded measure of orange zest! All for a good cause, too, because THIS FRUITCAKE IS ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS, DEFINITELY DIFFERENT from the usual ~ A really wonderful combo of fruit flavors to enjoy! Thank you so much for a great keeper of a recipe ~ This fruitcake will now be a nice addition to my winter holiday kitchen enjoyment! [Tagged, made & reviewed for one of my adoptees in the current Pick A Chef]
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Semi-professional--have worked in restaurants for 25+ years and working in the kitchen is my best therapy. I love to try new and different ingredients and techniques and parse out most of my experiments to friends & family and any other willing guinea pigs.
My favorite cookbook, right now, is "The Art of Simple Food", by Alice Waters--amazing recipes, information and advice for any level of cook.
Here in the desert, you've gotta try Wangs, Roscoe Grill, Copley's, Tyler's...to name a few.
My all-time favorite restaurant is Huggo's on The Big Island of Hawaii--the food is pretty good, but the ambience & location are what put it over the top.
