Later, she gave me the recipe when I was an adult and I was surprised at how easy it was for me to adapt it to suit my own tastes. To begin with, it had no eggs in the recipe, and no butter — so it was basically a vegan cake. And because it was made with 1 and 1/2 cups of applesauce, chances were good that it would be sweet enough for me without any added sugar.
The secret to making this fruitcake really great is storing the baked cakes in the freezer for at least two weeks, allowing them to "mellow." They can stay in the freezer for 2 or 3 months and taste even better. Grandma would thaw the fruitcakes first and then pour a boiled syrup she made out of light corn syrup and water over the top, which made them nice and moist.
I've found over the years of making my own versions that the syrup on top isn't really necessary, but if I want the cake to be more moist, then boiled water alone does the trick just as well! Here is my version of the recipe:
Grandma's Applesauce Fruitcake
250ºF oven
2 hours
2 loaf pans, greased and floured
STEP 1: Boil 5 minutes and then cool:
1 1/2 cups applesauce (I made mine using apples from our garden)
1/2 cup oil (olive or coconut)
STEP 2: Mix together:
2 1/4 cups flour (any mix of whole grain flours, like 1 cup rye + 1 cup wheat + 1/4 cup oat)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, unrefined
1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cloves
STEP 3: Add and mix:
1/2 pound dates, pitted and chopped
1/2 pound raisins
1/4 pound (4 ounces) dried apricots (unsulfered)
1/2 pound walnuts, broken into pieces (these are even better when I soak them in distilled water first for about 6 hours)
STEP 4: Add the cooled applesauce-oil mixture (see step 1) and blend all together.
STEP 5: Spread the cake batter evenly between two loaf pans that have been greased and dusted lightly with flour.
STEP 6: Bake in a 250-degree (F) oven for two hours. (Check half-way through for burning and cover if needed.)
STEP 7: Cool the cakes in their pans on a rack, and then remove them from the pans.
STEP 8: Wrap each cooled cake first in waxed paper, and then in aluminum foil, and then in plastic zip-lock freezer bags. Store in the freezer for at least 2 weeks.
STEP 9: Remove from freezer, thaw, and cut into thin slices. (A serrated bread knife works well.)
OPTIONAL TOPPING: Boil 1/2 cup light corn syrup and 1/4 cup water, cool, and glaze cakes. (Other types of sweet syrups will work and so will just boiled water.)
This is a pretty versatile recipe, allowing you to substitute any kind of dried fruit, nuts, or whole grain flours that you want. The cakes look like bricks of gold and taste just as valuable. Cheers!
Related Blog Articles:
The Benefits of Unrefined Sea Salt
Trying Out New Cookie Recipes
RECIPES
