Don’t wrinkle your nose; not all fruitcakes are made the same! Come to the Darkside Fruitcake, and fear no more! Packed with amazing tastes and textures, dried fruit is tenderly soaked in brandy with an added touch of freshly chopped nuts and flavorful dark chocolate bits to ensure delicious flavors in every bite. All of that is mixed in a perfectly-seasoned, rich, and thick batter, then baked until it’s moist on the inside and golden-brown on the outside. The dark side is the perfect side for Darkside Fruitcake. You will never go back to that regular side!
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried pineapple, chopped
- 1 cup golden raisins
- 1 1/2 cups dried apricots, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups dried dates, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
- 1 cup brandy
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 cups light brown sugar, loosely packed
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted then cooled
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 1/2 cups nuts, such as walnuts or pecans, chopped
- 2 (3.2-ounce) bars 70% dark chocolate, chopped
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Step 2 –Grease two 9×5-inch loaf pans and line each with parchment paper.
Step 3 –In a large, microwave-safe bowl, add the dried pineapple, the raisins, the apricots, the dates, the cranberries, and the brandy and stir to combine.
Step 4 –Set the microwave to the high setting. Microwave the fruit mixture, about 1 minute.
Step 5 –Stir the fruit mixture and microwave again, about 1 minute. Set it aside to cool completely.
Step 6 –In a large bowl, add the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, the salt, the cinnamon, the allspice, the nutmeg, and the cloves and whisk to combine.
Step 7 –In a second large bowl, add the light brown sugar and the eggs and whisk until smooth.
Step 8 –Add the maple syrup, the butter, the vegetable oil, the vanilla extract, and the water to the brown sugar mixture and whisk until it is smooth.
Step 9 –Gradually add the flour mixture to the brown sugar mixture and use a rubber spatula to stir until it is just combined.
Step 10 –Drain off any of the excess brandy from the fruit mixture. It’s okay for a little to remain.
Step 11 –Add the drained fruit mixture to the batter and stir to combine.
Step 12 –Add the nuts and the dark chocolate to the batter and fold to combine. It will be thick.
Step 13 –Evenly divide and pour the batter into the two prepared loaf pans and use a rubber spatula to smooth out the top.
Step 14 –Bake the fruitcakes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaves comes out clean and the centers are set, about 1 hour 20 minutes-1 hour 30 minutes. If at any point the tops of the loaves seem to be getting too brown, tent aluminum foil on top for the remainder of the baking time.
Step 15 –Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let the fruitcakes cool, about 30 minutes.
Step 16 –Invert the fruitcakes onto the wire rack to cool completely.
Step 17 –Slice and serve.
