Festive Apricot Cherry Fruitcake

Fruit
1 cup dried apricots, chopped
½ cup candied dates, chopped
½ cup dried triple cherry blend, snipped
1 ¼ cup 7 fruit blend (mix of apricots, tart cherries, cranberries, currants, pineapple,
blueberries, & raspberries
1 cup dried pineapple, chopped
½ cup orange marmalade
½ cup apricot pineapple preserve
½ cup peach nectar


In a medium saucepan, stir together the marmalade, the preserves and the nectar until blended thoroughly.
Add all of the dried fruit pieces and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
Set fruit mixture aside to cool.

Cake
2½ cups cake flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg

Stir these dry ingredients together and set aside.

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
5 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
8 oz. crushed pineapple, drained

¾ cup apple cider or apple juice (for brushing)


Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
Beat butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy.
Add flour and spice mixture and eggs, combining in increments and ending with 1 egg.
Mix in pineapple.
When batter is completed, gently stir in the cooled fruit mixture.
Pour into prepared (well buttered) pans and bake at 275, accounting for size of pan:
Pudding mold – 2 hrs.
6″ cake pan – 1½ hrs.
Mini bundt molds – 1 hr.
8″ loaf pan – 2 hrs
Cake is done when a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.
Cool cakes and then brush with apple cider and place in an airtight container.
Cakes will keep up to 2 weeks.
Decorate with marzipan and icing.

Decoration – Marzipan: Use decorating marzipan or make your own
Marzipan:
Use decorating marzipan
-OR make your own:—
8 oz. almond paste
¼ cup light corn syrup
½ pound powdered sugar


Place almond paste, powdered sugar, and ¼ cup corn syrup into a food processor and pulse 10 – 12 times. Gather and knead marzipan by hand until it is smooth. Wrap in plastic until ready to use

Decoration – Icing
1 cup powdered sugar
¼ tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. milk or orange juice


In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients, adding an additional teaspoon of milk or juice until it reaches drizzling consistency.

Assembling Finished Fruit Cake


Roll out marzipan: Lay a paper towel on counter and lightly mist with water. (this is to keep wax paper from sliding around)
Place a piece of wax paper on top of paper towel and lay desired amount of marzipan on the wax paper.
Place a second piece of wax paper over flattened disc of marzipan .
Roll out marzipan to desired size, keeping it smooth by adjusting wax paper as it wrinkles and replacing it smooth.
Remove top sheet of wax paper and place on top of cake.
Peel off wax paper and adjust, smooth and trim if needed.
Drizzle with icing, using piping bag or spoon.
Let icing dry completely before adding holly, ribbons, candycanes or other festive decorations.

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