Recipes
Desserts
Cakes
Banana, bourbon fruitcake

Banana, bourbon fruitcake

Cakes

I don’t know where this recipe originally came from but it has been in my handwritten recipe collection for at least 15 years. When I first made it, I macerated the dried fruit in amaretto liqueur overnight. As my taste has become more sophisticated, I switched to bourbon. If you don’t want to use alcohol, you can use a really strong flavored tea, such as earl gray. I love making this at the end of the year to use up all the odds and ends of dried fruit in the pantry. You can change up the dried fruit as long as you follow the recipe as to quantities. I’ve tried this using whole wheat pastry flour and even maple syrup sugar. The results were good but the basic recipe yields a better tasting loaf, or I should say loaves because this recipe yields two 9X5 cakes. They are chock full of fruit and nuts, and don’t resemble any of the traditional “fruit cakes” that might come to mind. A slice or two is perfect with breakfast or a cup of tea in the afternoon. If you want to be really decadent, add a smear of cream cheese or a dollop of whipped cream. The batter is really thick and it needs a slow bake. They freeze beautifully, and it’s easier to slice when just out of the freezer.