Chocolate Fruitcake
This is a fruitcake sure to please any chocolate lover. It is rich, dark and packed with a lot of chocolate flavor. Aside from the use of chocolate chips and cocoa powder, it also contains honey, a rich burnt sugar syrup (browning) and lots of dried fruits and berries. This fruit cake is so good that it would keep you coming back for more. This is a personal recipe.
INGREDIENTS:
(1) 260 Grams All Purpose Flour (2 Cups)
(2) 30 Grams Cocoa Powder (1/3 Cup)
(3) 226 Grams Unsalted Butter (1 Cup)
(4) 210 Grams Dark Brown Sugar (1 Cup)
(5) 4 Large Eggs
(6) 125 Grams Walnuts (1 Cup) (Toasted and Chopped)
(7) 330 Grams Chopped Prunes (2 Cups)
(8) 150 Grams Dark Raisins (1 Cup)
(9) About 225 Grams Chopped Dried Berries (Strawberries, Raspberries, Blueberries, et cetera) (1-1/2 Cups)
(10) 90 Grams Dark Chocolate Chips (1/2 Cup)
(11) 1/2 Cup Honey
(12) 1/2 Cup Burnt Sugar Syrup (Browning. Recipe here)
(13) 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon Powder
(14) 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Allspice
(15) 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
(16) 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
(17) 2 Tablespoons Coffee Liqueur (You can substitute with rum)
PROCEDURE:
(1) Chop all your dry fruits and mix all the fruits together in a bowl along with the chocolate chips. Toast and chop the walnuts.
(2) Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.
(3) Grease and line the bottom and sides of an 8 inch cake pan with a removable bottom with parchment paper. The parchment paper should tower at least an inch over the cake pan.
(4) In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and spices together.
(5) In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light ad fluffy, about 4 minutes.
(6) With the mixer running at low speed, add the eggs one at a time.
(7) Next, add the honey, burnt sugar syrup and coffee liqueur to the batter and beat to incorporate.
(8) Next, add the flour mixture and beat to combine.
(9) Pour in the dried fruit mixture and the walnuts and fold them into the batter.
(10) Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and press it down into the pan using a spatula or a spoon. Level the top and decorate it with walnut halves.
(11) Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 3.5 to 4 hours or until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
(12) Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely before taking it out of the pan. This cake is best aged for at least 3 months. Coffee liqueurs or rum are my alcohols of choice. For a comprehensive post on how to age cakes, click here.
For other fruitcake recipes like my Tropical Fruitcake, Citrus Fruitcake and Creole Fruitcake, click here.
Terry Adido is passionate about showing people how easy it is to recreate restaurant quality meals in the comfort of their kitchens. With a style of cooking he refers to as Afro-European Fusion, his meals are influenced greatly by French and Italian Cuisine with a West African twist. If you love good food, you are in for the ride of your life.
Nice, one Terry. How long do you store Christmas fruit cakes?
A minimum of 3 months. I have aged some for up to a year.
Pls terry do u hv to melt chocolate chips or will it melt by itself together with the fruits.tank u
No you dont have to melt it. Chocolate chips are added whole to recipes. They will be soft enough to eat.
Hi Terry just wanted to ask about the yellow fats called jelly it is said that it makes sponges cakes light and fluffy since I’m failing to bake sponge cakes I even to school for baking but still I can’t get anything right I’ve tried many recipes including Victorias sponge but still so is it does the yellow fats work?
Hi Minky. I have no idea what yellow fats is. Try this recipe.
Great job Terry. I love your recipes. I will like to try out the chocolate fruit cake. Please how do I replace sugar with honey (for people who don’t want sugar)? Thanks.
I have never tried making this cake with honey before. I fear it might affect the structure. Why not try half honey half sugar.
I don’t have dried berries. Wat else can i use or leave dem out
Hi. You can or replace them with any dried fruit of your choice.
Hi Terry, thanks a lot for this recipe, I’ve been looking for something like this for a while now.
One question though. Can this recipe be doubled successfully for baking in a 4″ high 10″ cake tin?
I always seem to have problems with over baking for larger size tins.
Pls i have been having issues on my cake life spam. And i dont like adding preservatives. Pls how can i store my cake to last long enough.
Hi. I keep my cakes in the fridge.
Please how do I toast the walnuts? Can I use the Regular walnuts form the supermarket or I can use something else? Thanks
In a pan over a burner, stirring every now and then until you start to perceive the fragrance. Regular walnuts.
Hi Chef Terry pls can u change your site to the way it used to be the Back ground is not working for me,I can’t see anything am sorry,I hope to get a favorable responsemthank you for always inspiring me
I have made no changes to my website. I’m not sure what challenges you are facing.
Hi Terry, thank you for this wonderful recipe. Please what temperature readings did you use in this recipe, Celcius or Fahrenheit? Or better still, do you use only a certain temperature reading in ALL your recipes? If so, which? So I do not have to bother you with the same question all over again.
Its F = 180 C.
Thanks for this recipe. I tried the recipe, it was very fluffy. People commend on the cake. Pls I need a great recipe to bake for my sis wedding coming up April ending. Waiting for your response
Hi Terry. Thanks for this recipe. I tried the recipe, it was very fluffy. People commend on the cake. Pls I need a great recipe to bake for my sis wedding coming up April ending. Waiting for your response