Dark Fruitcake Batter dry ingredients 3 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt (if and only if butter not salted) 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon nutmeg ½ teaspoon mace ½ teaspoon ground cloves (if no coffee available) 1 teaspoon Cafix 1 tablespoon cocoa powder 2 sticks butter 2 packed cups brown sugar (or 2 cups Splenda + 3 tablespoons molasses) ½ cup molasses grated zest and juice of 1 orange + 1 lemon (NOTE: grate finely!) ¾ cup prune juice (if coffee available) 1/4 cup strong coffee 6 cups dried fruit 3 cups nuts Remove butter from refrigerator and pecans from freezer to come up to room temperature. Chop dried fruit into ¼ - ½" chunks. Coarsely chop the nuts. Put fruit and nuts into a gallon ziploc bag along with all the nut powder. Seal and toss to thoroughly mix. The nut powder will make the fruit chunks less sticky. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, cloves, Cafix and cocoa powder in large bowl and whisk to combine. Cream butter, then add brown sugar and beat (using the paddle attachment) about 3-5 minutes until it turns light and fluffy. Beat in molasses, zest and orange/lemon juices. Add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with prune juice (and coffee, if using), scraping sides as necessary. Add fruit/nut mix and mix on low to combine. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Grease and line the bottom of a 10" tube pan with parchment paper. Scrape the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake for 3½ hours. The cake may appear done at 2½ hours; ignore this. If the cake is getting too dark on top, tent it loosely with foil for the last 30 to 60 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a rack for a full hour, then remove from the pan and let cool right side up on the rack. Fruits: (Never put in figs, the seeds taste gritty.) Fresh Medjool dates (10 large dates ~= 1 cup) Dried pineapple, mango, papaya, apricots, cranberries, prunes, cherries Golden raisins & currants Nuts: Walnuts, pecans (cashews) Fred Meyer List (for two cakes): Costco List (for two cakes): 2 large heavy oranges + 2 large lemons 1 pkg fresh Medjool dates 1 box ea. golden raisins, currants 1 bag ea. walnuts, pecans 1 lb. prunes, pitted, soft black & gooey 1 bag Craisins 3/4 lb. ea dried organic non-sulphured: pineapple, mango, papaya, apricot