Just when you thought it was safe to open up your home to visitors once again, now that the tinsel dust and artificial pine scent has settled, I’ve come to ruin your day. More of a curse than a gift, it’s a dubious “treat” that has gained (and quite frankly earned) little respect over centuries of unsavory history. Not to be rude or anything, but it’s time that I dropped the F-bomb.
Fruitcake.
Pardon my language.
Yes, I know, head for the hills and don’t accept packages from strangers; I’m offering you a genuine fruitcake, of all things! Trust me, I’ve been a very vocal naysayer of this brick-like food substance, never having seen the benefit to preserving mysteriously colored fruits in a metric ton of sugar before binding them all up into an impenetrable, flavorless batter. Better employed as entertaining projectiles than food stuffs, I would gladly get out there on the field with all the other unlucky fruitcake recipients as well. But, not with this new spin on the concept.
Rummaging through a pantry overstuffed with odd ingredients, I discovered an abundance of so-called “superfoods” that had no clear destination, and little use outside of random nibbles. Instead of simply frittering them away through impulse snacking, such special ingredients deserved a greater end. Baked up into a lighter cake than the traditional take, the crumb stays impossibly moist and does indeed only get better with age. Enhanced with the complex, caramel nuances of coconut sugar, volumes of flavor can shine through without the sticky veil of syrupy sweetness. Kombucha, with its very faintly alcoholic buzz, takes the place of harder liquor or rum here, so even teetotalers can indulge with abandon.
Of course, consider the exact superfruits and nuts listed here merely suggestions. As long as you throw in 1 1/2 – 2 cups of dried mix-ins in addition to the pomegranate arils, your cake will be golden… Literally, once baked.
Super-Fruitcake
Lighter than the conventional fruitcake and packed with superfruits, this complex and flavorful take is a healthier, and dare I say, tastier version that you'll actually want to eat.
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Fresh Pomegranate Arils
- 1/2 Cup Goji Berries
- 1/2 Cup Dried Mulberries
- 1/4 Cup Dried Goldenberries
- 1/4 Cup Chopped Walnuts
- 1/4 Cup Cacao Nibs
- 1 1/2 Cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
- 3/4 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
- 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cardamom
- 1/2 Teaspoon Orange Zest
- 1/2 Cup Kombucha, Divided
- 1/3 Cup Coconut Oil, Melted
- 2/3 Cup Coconut Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Molasses
- 1 (3.5-Ounce) Packet Frozen Acai Puree, Thawed (or Applesauce, in a Pinch)
- Confectioner’s Sugar, To Serve (Optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 6-inch round, 3-inch high cake pan.
- In a large bowl, mix together the pomegranate arils, all of the dried superfruits, walnuts and cacao nibs. Add in the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, cardamom, and zest, tossing to coat all of the goodies.
- Remove 2 tablespoons of the kombucha and set aside for later. Separately, whisk together the remaining kombucha, coconut oil, coconut sugar, molasses, and acai puree until fairly smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry, and stir with a wide spatula just until the batter comes together. A few lumps are fine, especially since it’s a fairly coarse mixture to begin with.
- Transfer the batter to your prepared pan and smooth out the top. Bake for 40 – 50 minutes, until golden brown all over and a toothpick inserted into the center pulls out mostly clean, with just a few moist crumbs clinging to the sides. Immediately pour the reserved kombucha evenly over the hot cake so that it can soak in as it cools. After cooling completely, the cake sit covered at room temperature, for at least 24 hours for the best results.
- If you’d like a little pinch of additional sweetness, top with a light dusting of confectioner’s sugar right before serving.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 527Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 238mgCarbohydrates: 86gFiber: 8gSugar: 41gProtein: 11g
All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimations.