Hankering for fruitcake? What’s old is new again

What would Christmas be without fruitcake recipes? Well, here’s a fruitcake you can proudly give as a gift — one that won’t be relegated to use as a doorstop. (See photo, page C1.) Wonderfully moist and simple, it gets its flavour from rich brewed coffee. Cooking and baking with coffee is big nowadays. But there’s nothing trendy about this fruitcake. The recipe first appeared in Gourmet magazine in 1956. Coffee Fruitcake 3 Star Tested Scaled down from the Gourmet version. (The original overflowed the pans.) Unsulphured molasses is premium grade and mellower. If you’re using a less powerful mixture, beat the butter and sugar a couple of minutes longer. Vegetable oil to grease pans 2- 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 1- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 3/ 4 tsp each: salt, ground cloves, grated nutmeg 3/ 4 lb ( 350 g) each: raisins, dried currants ( each about 2 cups) 3/ 4 tsp baking soda 3/ 4 cup lukewarm, double- strength, brewed coffee 3/ 4 cup unsalted temperature 1- 1/2 cups packed brown sugar 3 large eggs 3/ 4 cup fancy or unsulphured molasses butter, at room PREPARATION: Brush 2 loaf pans ( 5by-9-inch size) lightly with oil. Line with foil so that bottoms and insides of pans are completely covered, pressing foil into corners to shape and adhere.

Sift together flour, cinnamon, salt, cloves and nutmeg into large bowl.

In medium bowl, toss raisins and currants with 2 tablespoons of flour mixture.

Stir baking soda into coffee.

In large bowl, using electric stand mixer with paddle attachment at mediumhigh speed, beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes. Scrape sides of bowl. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in molasses. Scrape sides of bowl. Reducing speed to low, beat in a third of flour mixture until just smooth. Blend in half of coffee mixture. Beat in third of flour mixture until just smooth. Blend in remaining coffee. Beat in remaining flour mixture until just smooth. Using large spatula, fold in dried fruit mixture.

Divide batter between prepared pans. Gently rap bottom of each pan against counter to help smooth tops.

Bake in preheated 250F oven until tester inserted in centre of each cake comes out clean, 2- 1/2 to 2-3/ 4 hours. Cool on rack 10 to 15 minutes. Loosen foil from sides and turn out cakes on to racks. Carefully peel off foil and discard. Cool cakes completely on rack. Wrap in plastic and store at room temperature overnight to allow flavours to ripen. Transfer to airtight containers for storage at room temperature up to two weeks. Makes 2 fruitcakes. Email: ssampson@thestar.ca.