Arkansas Fig Fruitcake

Makes one 93⁄4-inch cake (20 servings).
You’ll need your hands to mix the very heavy dough. Don’t be tempted to buy commercially made fig preserves as a shortcut to making the fig puree; they will cause the recipe to fail.
3 C (about 14 oz) dried figs, stemmed and coarsely chopped
2 C plus 6 TBS sugar
21⁄2 C water, plus more as needed
2 C finely diced, peeled apple
One 15-oz box raisins
2 C pecans or black walnuts, in halves or pieces
4 C flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp salt
4 tsp baking soda
Combine the figs, 6 tablespoons of the sugar and 2 cups of the water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the figs are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the mixture rest for 10 minutes, then use an immersion (stick) blender on low speed to process the figs to a coarse puree, adding water as needed. Let cool. The yield is slightly more than 2 cups.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Use nonstick oil-and-flour spray to grease a 9¾-inch tube pan, preferably one with a removable bottom, or two standard loaf pans. Measure 2 cups of the fig puree and transfer to a very large mixing bowl along with the apple, raisins and nuts. Stir to mix well.
Whisk together the flour, the remaining 2 cups of sugar, the cinnamon, cloves and salt in a separate large bowl until combined. Combine the baking soda and the remaining 1⁄2 cup of water in a small bowl, stirring until the baking soda has dissolved. Stir this into the fruit mixture.
Add the dry ingredients to the fruit mixture and mix well. The batter will be extremely thick and heavy, so at this point it’s easiest to mix it with your hands. You might need to add a couple of tablespoons of water to moisten all the ingredients. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan(s) and use a flexible spatula to smooth the top. Bake for 13⁄4 to 2 hours or until a tester inserted near the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Cool for 30 minutes, then remove from the pan to cool completely. (If using a tube pan with a removable base, keep the cake on the base as it cools.) Wrap tightly and store at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Guinness Fruit Cake
Makes one 9-inch cake (20 servings).
Rum and brandy are frequently featured in holiday fruitcakes, but here’s a cake for people with a taste for beer. Despite the name, any stout will work.
31⁄2 C self-rising flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger
16 TBS (2 sticks) unsalted butter, in small chunks
2⁄3 C dried currants
2⁄3 C golden raisins
2⁄3 C good-quality candied citrus peel
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 C plus 2 TBS packed light brown sugar
3⁄4 C plus 1 TBS Guinness or another stout, plus more for serving (optional)
4 lg eggs
Confectioners’ sugar (optional)
Unsweetened whipped cream or salted butter (optional)
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. (If you have a convection oven, turn off the fan.)
Use nonstick cooking oil spray to grease a 9-inch round cake pan with high sides and a removable bottom. Line the bottom and sides of the pan with parchment paper and grease it with the spray.
Sift the flour with the spices into a big bowl. Use a fork to quickly rub the butter chunks into the flour mixture until it looks like coarse bread crumbs. Add the currants, raisins, candied peel, lemon zest and brown sugar, and mix well.
Beat the Guinness into the eggs and trickle the resulting mixture into the flour mixture, stirring until combined. Pour into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top.
Bake for 1 hour. Lower the oven temperature to just under 300 degrees and loosely cover the cake with aluminum foil. Bake for another hour, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry.
Let the cake cool on a rack. To serve, sift confectioners’ sugar over the top, if desired, or prick some holes in the top of the cake and drizzle a little Guinness over it. Serve with whipped cream or salted butter.
— Adapted from “Home Made Winter," by Yvette van Boven (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2012)
White Fruitcake
Makes two 41⁄2-by-81⁄2-inch loaves (32 servings).
21⁄2 C golden raisins
1 C dried apricots, cut into quarters (about 7 oz)
1 C chopped crystallized ginger
23⁄4 C all-purpose or cake flour
16 TBS (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 C sugar
5 lg eggs
1 TBS vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp lemon extract
1 tsp baking powder
1⁄2 tsp salt
2 tsp finely grated orange zest
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
2 C chopped pecans, toasted and cooled (see note)
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Spray two 41⁄2-by-81⁄2-inch loaf pans with nonstick oil-and-flour spray. Line with 2 pieces of parchment or wax paper, one cut to the width of the pan and the other to the length of the pan plus 4 inches of overhang to use as handles to lift the loaf from the pan.
Toss the raisins, apricots and ginger in 1⁄4 cup of flour until evenly coated.
Cut the butter into 1-inch pieces, add them to the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer and beat on low speed until soft, about 3 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 1 or 2 minutes, until the mixture looks like lightly whipped cream. Reduce the speed to low and add the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, gradually increasing the speed and beating until well whipped, 5 or 6 minutes. Combine the eggs and extracts in a small bowl, then add to the butter mixture in four additions, beating for 1 minute on medium-low speed after each addition. The mixture might look curdled, but all will be well.
Sift the remaining 21⁄2 cups of flour with the baking powder and salt onto a piece of wax paper. With the mixer on low speed, add half of the flour mixture to the batter, beat well, then add the remaining flour mixture and beat.
Once the flour is incorporated, use a flexible spatula to fold in the grated zests, then the nuts and dried fruit. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Tap each pan once against the counter to remove any air bubbles, and smooth the tops.
Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 11⁄2 hours or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. (The cakes will be white and might give the appearance of being underbaked even though they are not.)
Transfer the pans to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the inside of the pans to loosen the cakes. Use the parchment paper handles to remove the cakes from the pans and transfer them to the wire rack. Remove the parchment or wax paper and cool the cakes thoroughly.
Note: To toast the pecans, spread them on a baking sheet and place in a 350-degree oven, shaking the sheet occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes. Watch carefully; nuts burn quickly.
— Adapted from “Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking," by Nathalie Dupree and Cynthia Graubart (Gibbs Smith, 2012)
Ciji Wagner’s Fruitcake
Makes one 10-inch loaf or Bundt cake (20 servings).
Rum and brandy flavor this traditional fruitcake from chef Ciji Wagner at Drafting Table in Washington, D.C.
Make ahead: The cake is at its peak after 3 weeks, but it can be stored for up to 6 weeks.
11⁄2 C dried currants
1 C dried cranberries
1⁄2 C dried cherries
1⁄2 C coarsely chopped dried apricots
3⁄4 C coarsely chopped dried pineapple
1⁄2 C chopped candied ginger
Zest and juice of 2 oranges (3 TBS zest, 2⁄3 to 1 C juice)
1 C golden or dark rum, plus golden rum or brandy for brushing the cake
3⁄4 C sugar
12 TBS (11⁄2 sticks) unsalted butter
1⁄2 C unsweetened apple juice or brandy
1⁄4 tsp ground cloves
1⁄2 tsp ground nutmeg
11⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon
1⁄2 tsp ground ginger
2 lg eggs
13⁄4 C flour
11⁄2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
3⁄4 C pecan pieces, toasted (see note)
Combine the currants, cranberries, cherries, apricots, pineapple, ginger and orange zest in a medium bowl. Stir in the rum and let the mixture macerate overnight or up to 2 days, stirring occasionally.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 10-inch loaf pan or Bundt pan with nonstick oil-and-flour spray.
Transfer the fruit and its macerating liquid to a large pot and add the sugar, butter, orange juice, apple juice or brandy and the spices. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to low and cook, with the liquid barely bubbling, until the mixture has thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and cool to room temperature.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until completely incorporated. Combine the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder in a medium bowl and sift it into the fruit mixture. Stir to combine. Fold in the pecans, making sure not to overmix the batter. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. While the cake is still hot, lightly brush the top with brandy or rum. Let the cake cool completely in the pan, then remove it from the pan and transfer to an airtight container.
Check the cake every other day. If it seems dry, lightly brush more brandy or rum on top. Continue checking and soaking the cake until you serve it or give it away.
Note: To toast the pecans, spread them on a baking sheet and place in a 350-degree oven, shaking the sheet occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes. Watch carefully; nuts burn quickly.