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Tropical Spice Fruit Cake (or muffins)

"Sonia Martinez" <cubanwahine@hawaii.rr.com>
Mon, 10 Jan 2011 09:40:27 -1000
v111.n003.4
TROPICAL SPICE FRUIT CAKE

I made these for the holidays and it was a winner recipe with 
everyone who tried them.

The applesauce and dollop of sour cream helps make this cake moister 
than the usual fruitcake - These can also be made in muffin pans.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 3/4 cups white sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups applesauce
Dollop of sour cream
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts
1/4 cup chopped dried mango
1/4 cup chopped dried pineapple
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup chopped candied ginger
1/4 cup whole red candied cherries

Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, white sugar, spices and salt 
into a large mixing bowl. Mix in the butter, buttermilk, and 
applesauce. Beat for 2 minutes with an electric mixer on medium 
speed. Beat in eggs. Fold in the chopped nuts and assorted dried and 
candied fruit.=20

Pour batter into a greased and floured (*) 9 x 13 inch pan, 2 
standard bread loaf pans or 4 smaller bread pans.

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 50 minutes. It will bake faster in 
the smaller pans so check after 30 minutes.

(*) Sonia's note: Of course you can use any combination of fruits and 
nuts you wish.  The above is what I used.

If you first mix all the nuts and chopped dried fruit and then place 
in a plastic baggie and pour in a small amount of flour and sugar to 
coat them by shaking, the nuts will not all fall to the bottom of the 
batter and lay there.  Be sure to not add any extra flour to the 
batter when adding the nuts and fruit or it might make the fruitcake 
denser than you wish.

A tip from one of my NC cousins: after greasing your sweet bread or 
cake molds (including pound cake), use refined sugar instead of flour 
to coat your molds.  It gives the outer surface a nice slight little crunch.

Sonia in Hawai'i