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Silver Palate Fruitcake.md

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Silver Palate Fruitcake

This recipe seems to have originated in the Silver Palate Good Times cookbook, where it's called Saint Nicholas Cake. It's an uncommon style that's popular with people who love fruitcake but hate citron. My parents make a batch for friends and family every Christmas.

This is a very polarizing dessert! People tend to be either completely in love with it or completely indifferent.

Ingredients & Instructions

  • loaf pans
  • butter
  • foil

See the Notes section for pan sizes. Line the pans with buttered foil. A "sling" of foil that goes under the long sides and bottom of each pan works nicely.

  • 8 C pitted dates (about 3 lb)
  • 8 C walnut halves (about 1 3/4 lb)
  • 1 C candied cherries (about 6 oz)
  • 1/2 C white flour

Mix chunky ingredients in a very large bowl. Break up dates as well as possible. Sprinkle with flour and toss to coat.

  • 6 egg yolks
  • 3/4 C white sugar
  • 3/4 C brown sugar
  • 6 T butter, melted
  • 4 1/2 T heavy cream
  • 6 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tsp orange zest
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract

Beat egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in butter, cream, vanilla, zest, and extract.

  • 1 1/2 C whole wheat flour
  • 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 6 egg whites

Mix whole wheat flour and baking powder, then stir these into the batter. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into the batter. Pour over the chunky ingredients and mix until everything is coated.

Spoon into prepared loaf pans, mounding slightly. Cover pans with buttered foil. Bake at 325 F for 40 minutes, then remove top foil. Continue baking until the centers are firm to touch, 15 or 20 minutes longer.

  • cheesecloth
  • rum or bourbon

Cool loaves. Cut cheesecloth into strips and soak in alcohol. Wrap each loaf in a soaked cheesecloth, then wrap tightly in foil. Age for a week or two at room temperature.

Notes

Individual loaves can be whatever size you want. Cooking times remain unchanged. One recipe makes one of the following:

  • Three 9x5x3 loaves; or
  • Five 7x3x2 loaves; or
  • Eight 5x2.5x2 loaves.

Aging these in alcohol is optional, but improves both the flavor and the shelf life. The original recipe doesn't include this step, and says that the cakes should be eaten within two weeks.

We typically use two or three cups of cherries, not just one.