From memory past, pretty boxes of this cake would be given to wedding guests. I am anti-raisin for some forgotten reasons and disliked the sugar laden dessert. Until I ate the cake given out for SSO's 29th anniversary concert, I never knew fruit cake can taste so nice. Probably giddy from Mendelssohn's "Italian" or tickled pink by the SSO playing 'Happy Birthday' with a humongous cake on stage , this cake seemed special in a new way. In the process, hubby decided to support our national orchestra and made himself a Friend of SSO. The cake may also have helped in a little way, I guess.
That little slice of delight had a right balance of tartness without being overly cloy, heady with cinnamon and sweet. Only thing I would like better : more crunchy nuts. So to put things right, I embarked on my many fruit cake trials, to the delight of my husband.
Brave guy he is , to stomach my many cake anomalies : half baked, burnt, sodden , you name it. Now finally, I am on the way on something I don't mind fighting over with him.
Wet ingredients :
1 cup dehydrated pineapple cubes ( not those green/red 'cherries'. No thanks! )
1 C raisins/currants
1/2 cup golden rum
1/2 cup apple fruit juice ( sugar-free version )
30 g butter,unsalted
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 cloves, grounded
1 egg
1/2 cup toasted walnut, chopped
Dry ingredients :
0.8 C plain flour
1/2 tsp of each : baking soda, baking powder, salt
Soak dried fruits in rum overnight. Add fruit juice, cinammon,butter the next day, bring to a boil and simmer 10 minutes until fruit mix is sticky. Cool completely before proceeding.
Whisk dry ingredients, pour into fruit mix ( cooled ) and mix well. Add egg, whisk. Stir in walnuts.
Transfer batter to greased pan ( 10 inch ) and bake at 160 C for 40 minutes.
Leave oven door ajar and leave cake to cool in the oven.
When completely cooled, remove cake from pan. Slice and serve, with ice cream or whipped cream if so desired.
At this stage, I am ready to be a fruit cake convert.
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