Forget the candied lemon peel and glace cherries. Make a fruitcake even fruitcake haters will love.
Fruitcake should be made at least two weeks ahead to give the fruit and brandy time to age, so be sure to leave yourself enough time.
Combine the raisins, currants, mixed dried fruit, ginger, and citrus zest in the nonreactive pot. Then pour the bourbon or rum over the fruit and let it soak overnight.
To the soaked fruit, add the apple juice, sugar, butter, cloves, cinnamon, and ground ginger. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Then the reduce heat and let it simmer. After 10 minutes, remove from heat.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a bowl, mix the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
When the fruit mixture has cooled for 15 minutes, sift the flour mixture into it. Then combine using the wooden spoon.
Mix in the eggs one at a time, and then fold in the chopped nuts.
Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for one hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Using the brush, baste the top with some of the brandy or fruit juice. Let the loaf cool completely before removing it from the pan.
Wrap the cake in parchment paper, then in aluminum foil or plastic wrap, and store in a cool, dark place. Check the cake every few days and, if dry, brush it with enough brandy or juice to moisten—not soak—it. Then rewrap tightly.
Fact:
Did you know? In 17th-century England, when fruitcake was served at weddings, unmarried guests would take a slice home and put it under their pillows so they would dream of the person they would marry.
