A dense gluten-free fruit cake filled with dried nuts and fruits and spiked with spiced rum that just happens to be gluten free. It will change your mind on fruitcakes. No re-gifting here!
Preparation Details
Prep Time: 40 mins
Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins
Total Time: 1 day 2 hrs 25 mins
Servings: 12
Ingredients
- ¼ cup raisins
- ¼ cup golden raisins
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup dried cherries
- 5 ½ fluid ounces spiced rum
- 1 orange, zested and juiced
- ½ cup brown rice flour
- ½ cup almond meal
- ⅓ cup potato starch
- ¼ cup tapioca starch
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 6 dates, pitted and chopped
- 2 large dried figs, chopped
- ¼ cup candied mixed fruit, chopped
- ⅔ cup butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup raw cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ cup whole raw hazelnuts
- ¼ cup raw walnut halves
- ¼ cup raw pecan halves
- ¼ cup raw whole almonds
- 1 ounce candied mixed fruit slices
- 3 tablespoons cherry brandy liqueur
Steps
- Put raisins, golden raisins, cranberries, and cherries in a bowl. Pour rum and orange juice over dried fruit. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Butter a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- Whisk brown rice flour, almond meal, potato and tapioca starches, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, and ginger together in a bowl. Set aside 3 tablespoons of this mixture. Add baking powder to remaining larger portion; mix well.
- Combine orange zest, dates, figs, and 1/4 cup candied mixed fruit in a bowl. Sprinkle in 2 tablespoons reserved flour mixture and toss to coat.
- Beat butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until creamy. Mix in vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in applesauce.
- Drain dried fruit, reserving soaking liquid. Add drained fruit to date mixture and toss with remaining 1 tablespoon reserved flour mixture.
- Mix soaking liquid into butter mixture. Gradually add flour mixture, stirring just until combined; do not overmix. Fold in hazelnuts, walnut halves, and pecan halves.
- Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Decorate top with almonds and candied fruit slices.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Reduce oven temperature to 290 degrees F (145 degrees C). Continue baking until browned on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes more.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 15 minutes before removing from the pan. Brush cherry brandy on top. Let cake rest 24 hours for best results.
