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Ingredients
2 cups mixed diced glacéed fruits
2 cups golden raisins
1 cup dark raisins
1 1/2 cups dried currants
1/2 cup halved glacéed red cherries
plus additional for garnish
1/2 cup chopped glacéed angelica
(available at specialty foods
shops)
plus additional for garnish
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon dark rum
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
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1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
5 large eggs
1 cup blanched almonds, toasted lightly, cooled,
and ground fine in an electric spiced grinder
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup apricot jam
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Instructions
In a large bowl combine well the glacéed fruits,
the raisins, the currants, 1/2 cup of the cherries,
1/2 cup of the angelica, and 3/4 cup of the rum and
let the fruits macerate, covered, overnight.
Line the bottom of a well-buttered 9 1/2-inch springform
pan with a round of wax paper and butter the paper.
Into a small bowl sift together the flour, the baking
powder, the salt, the nutmeg, and the ginger. In the
bowl of an electric mixer cream together the butter
and the brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy
and beat in 4 of the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well
after each addition. Drain the fruit mixture in a sieve
set over the batter and beat the juices into the batter.
Pat the fruits dry between several thicknesses of paper
towels and in a bowl toss them with 1/3 cup of the flour
mixture. Stir in the remaining flour mixture into the
batter, one fourth at a time, stir in the fruit mixture,
the ground almonds, and the walnuts, stirring until
the mixture is just combined, and turn the batter out
into the prepared pan.
Put 2 loaf pans, each filled with hot water, in a preheated
300°F. oven and put the springform pan between them.
Bake the cake for 1 hour, brush the top with the remaining
egg, beaten lightly, and bake the cake for 1 hour more.
While the cake is baking, in a saucepan melt the apricot
jam with the remaining 1 tablespoon rum over moderate
heat, bring the mixture to a boil, and strain it through
a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing hard on the solids.
Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 30 minutes,
remove the side of the pan, and invert the cake onto
the rack. Remove the pan bottom and the wax paper very
carefully, invert the cake onto another rack, and let
it cool completely. Arrange the additional cherries
and angelica decoratively on the cake, brush the top
of the cake with some of the apricot glaze, reserving
the remaining glaze for another use, and store the cake,
wrapped in plastic wrap and foil. The cake keeps, covered,
for 6 months.
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