A Fruitcake to Love

Name: A Fruitcake to Love
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 Nonstick vegetable oil spray; 1.25 cup chopped pitted Medjool dates; 0.75 cup chopped candied orange peel; 0.33 cup chopped dried Mission figs; 10 oil-cured olives; 2 tbsp Nocello or Frangelico; 2 tbsp water; 1.75 cup all purpose flour; 2 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp coarse kosher salt; 0.5 tsp ground nutmeg; 0.5 tsp ground cloves; 0.25 tsp ground cinnamon; 0.5 cup plain whole-milk yogurt; 2 tbsp olive oil; 0.75 cup unsalted butter, room temperature; 0.75 cup sugar; 3 large eggs; 2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts; 0.75 cup shelled unsalted natural pistachios

From the kitchen of Carly

Dense and jewel-toned, this fruitcake ditches the doorstop reputation. Medjool dates, candied orange peel, and figs soak in walnut liqueur, then fold into a tender crumb spiked with warm spices. Finally, a fruitcake worth the slice.

Dates, figs, candied orange, and pistachios meet walnuts and warm spices in a loaf that actually tastes like something you'd want to eat. The secret is soaking the fruit in walnut liqueur first, so every piece stays tender and moist, and the crumb stays dense but yielding. This is fruitcake redeemed, nothing artificial or hard.

Prep: n/a
Cook: n/a
Total: n/a
Servings: 4
Difficulty: medium

Ingredients

4 servings

1Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 1/4 cupchopped pitted Medjool dates
3/4 cupchopped candied orange peel
1/3 cupchopped dried Mission figs
10oil-cured olives
2 tbspNocello or Frangelico
2 tbspwater
1 3/4 cupall purpose flour
2 tspbaking powder
1 tspcoarse kosher salt
1/2 tspground nutmeg
1/2 tspground cloves
1/4 tspground cinnamon
1/2 cupplain whole-milk yogurt
2 tbspolive oil
3/4 cupunsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cupsugar
3 largeeggs
2 cupcoarsely chopped walnuts
3/4 cupshelled unsalted natural pistachios

Instructions

Set a rack in the center of the oven and heat it to 350°F. Butter two 8 1/2x4 1/2x2 1/2-inch metal loaf pans, spray them with nonstick spray, and dust with flour. Combine the dates, candied orange peel, figs, olives, walnut or hazelnut liqueur, and water in a medium bowl and let the mixture sit for 15 minutes to let the flavors meld. Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking powder, kosher salt, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon together into a separate medium bowl.
Whisk the yogurt and olive oil together in a small bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until blended, then add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. With the mixer running, add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the yogurt mixture in 2 additions, starting and finishing with the flour. Fold in the walnuts, pistachios, and the soaked fruit mixture, then divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the tops flat.
Slide the pans into the oven and bake for about 50 minutes, until a tester inserted into the centers comes out clean and the cakes start pulling away from the sides of the pans. Let them cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks and cool completely. To store, wrap in foil, seal in resealable plastic bags, and keep at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw frozen cakes in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.

Tips from the kitchen

Soak the fruit mixture for the full 15 minutes before folding it in. The liqueur and water plump the dried fruit so it stays tender through baking instead of drying out further.
Alternate your wet and dry additions carefully: flour, yogurt mix, flour, yogurt mix, flour. This keeps the batter from getting tough and ensures even distribution of the tender fruit and nuts.
Let the cakes cool in the pan for 30 minutes before turning them out. This helps them set enough to release cleanly without breaking apart at the edges.

Variations

Skip the liqueur and use 1/4 cup strong brewed black tea instead. You'll lose some richness but gain a subtle tannin edge that pairs beautifully with the spices.
Swap half the walnuts for toasted pecans and use dried cherries or cranberries in place of the figs. The tart cherries keep the cake from feeling too heavy.
Make it boozy: brush the cooled cakes with additional walnut liqueur or a splash of cognac for deeper flavor and better keeping qualities.
Dust the top of each unbaked cake with a mixture of demerara sugar and a pinch of fleur de sel before baking for a subtle sparkle and contrast to the dense crumb.

Make ahead and storage

Wrapped tightly in foil and sealed in plastic bags, these keep at room temperature for 3 days or frozen for up to a month. If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then bring to room temperature before serving so the crumb softens back to its proper texture.