Flourless fruitcake emphasizes positive elements

“The trouble with fruitcakes is that they tend to be all cake and not enough fruit.”

Lots of people might argue fruitcake has more negatives than just the fruit-to-cake balance, but let’s go with that premise, as expressed by Argyl Bacon, a dedicated fruitcake baker — of a certain type.

Bacon was among the first to email us here at Crave in response to a call-out for those who dare to love fruitcake. We were collecting responses for the article written by Pat Gee, which you surely read on your way here.

But Bacon had such an interesting perspective, and I saw it first, so I waylaid his recipe for this space.

The retired orthopedic surgeon was no particular fan of fruitcake until about 30 years ago, he said, when a nurse handed him a fruit-cupcake. He was impressed and got the recipe.

It was called Evie’s Fruitcake, and it called for no flour, just candied fruit, nuts, coconut and dates, with only sweetened condensed milk to hold it together in some kind of fruitcake magic. He’s been making it ever since, with his adaptations, the main one being that he uses macadamia nuts.

Google Evie’s Fruitcake and several references will pop up, all about the same, and none explaining who Evie is (if anybody knows, I’m listening).

No matter. Bacon, now 94, makes about three dozen of these every holi­day season, giving away half and freezing the rest to hand out over the rest of the year.

“If someone does something nice for me, I give ’em a fruitcake,” he said.

I admit, when I saw this recipe I thought it would be awful, basically candied fruit and nuts stuck together. But Bacon sent over a loaf after his first baking session of this season and I tried it, because that’s my job. It was quite simply a revelation. More nutty than fruity, chewy and rich, but not overwhelmingly sweet. I plan to slice it thin and dare people to try it.

Here is Evie’s recipe, as modified by Bacon. He’s altered the original enough that I think he deserves shared credit. He encourages further adaptation.

“I think that it is important to play with the recipe until it becomes, not Evie’s, but ‘my’ cake.”

EVIE AND ARGYL’S FLOURLESS FRUITCAKE

By Argyl Bacon

• 8 cups mixed nuts (see note)
• 2 pounds dates, chopped
• 1 pound EACH candied cherries and pineapple, diced, or 2 pounds fruitcake mix
• 2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
• 2 (4-ounce) cans shredded coconut, about 2-2/3 cups

Heat oven to 225 degrees. Line 11 to 12 small loaf pans (6-by-3-by-2 inches) with waxed paper.

Combine nuts, dates and candied fruit. Add condensed milk and coconut. Mix with hands until ingredients are well combined. Fill prepared loaf pans, pressing firmly to pack mixture in well. Bake about 90 minutes, until no milk oozes out when cake is pressed. Let cool.

Unmold cakes, wrap in foil and refrigerate or freeze. Cake will be easier to slice once chilled. Makes 11 to 12 loaves, depending on how well you pack them.

>> Note: The traditional nut mixture is pecans and walnuts, but Bacon uses pecans and macadamia nuts — plain, roasted or any of the sweet glazed varieties, especially honey- roasted.

FOR THOSE who prefer to have cake in their fruitcake, here are recipes from other readers who responded to Pat Gee’s fruitcake call-out.

Both have stood the test of time. Try one, and perhaps this is the year that you will be converted.

ALBERTA’S FRUITCAKE

By Alice Alberta Pavao

Kathleen “Kathy” Pavao shared her mother Alice Alberta Pavao’s recipe, which is distinguished by its use of date “juice,” the cooking liquid left from simmering chopped dates. Pavao thinks that’s why the cake is so moist.

She adds that you can add a pinch more of each of the spices, except the cloves, which are quite strong.

Note that you need at least a week to make this.

• 18 ounces mixed candied fruit (Pennant brand preferred), also sold as fruit cake mix
• 4 ounces (1/2 cup) apricot or other brandy
• 1 cup chopped dates
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 block) butter or margarine
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1-1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon EACH cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and cloves
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Soak fruit in brandy 1 to 2 weeks, turning container occasionally.

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease 3 large or 5 to 6 small aluminum loaf pans. Place each greased pan inside another pan (this double layer keeps the cakes from baking too fast).

Simmer dates in water 15-20 minutes; strain. Let fruit and liquid cool separately. You should have 3/4 cup of the date juice, if you are short, add water or orange juice. Add vanilla to date juice.

Cream sugar and butter. Add eggs; mix well.

Sift together flour, baking soda and spices. Add to creamed mixture, alternating with date juice, mixing well after each addition.

Fold in nuts, brandy-soaked candied fruit and cooked dates. Mix well. Fill pans 2/3 full with batter. Bake 15 minutes, then lower heat to 275 degrees and bake another 2 hours or slightly longer, until cake begins to pull away from sides and a pick inserted into the center comes out clean.

GOLDEN FRUITCAKE

Originally published in “Parade” magazine

Mae Mikami of Kapahulu makes multiple batches of this cake, from a recipe she first tested in 1960.

The longtime schoolteacher said she was working for a test kitchen that summer in Chicago, and she eventually saw the recipe published in the “Parade” Sunday magazine.

>> Fruit/nut mix

• 3/4 cup golden raisins
• 3/4 cup dark raisins
• 1 cup pitted dates, chopped
• 1 cup blanched almonds, pecans or walnuts
• 1 and 1/2 pounds candied fruit mix
• >> Dry ingredients:
• 1-1/4 cups sifted flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground dried ginger

>> Wet ingredients

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 eggs, well-beaten

Heat oven to 300 degrees. Place a pan of water at bottom of oven to create steam to keep cake moist.

In a large bowl, combine fruits and nuts.

In a separate bowl, sift together dry ingredients.

In a third bowl, cream honey and butter, then mix in eggs.

Divide dry mixture into 2 parts, and the wet mixture into 3 parts to make blending easier. Combine 1 part of dry with 1 part of wet, blend only until smooth, then add the rest, alternating dry with wet and blending until smooth after each addition (don’t over mix).

Pour batter over fruits and nuts; mix. Turn into a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan and bake 90 minutes, until pick inserted in center comes out clean (make sure not to poke a fruit when testing).

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Nutritional information unavailable.

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