Chocolate-Cherry Fruitcake

Name: Chocolate-Cherry Fruitcake
Yield: makes two 9-inch (23-cm) loaf cakes
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups (180 g) dried sour cherries, coarsely chopped; 1/3 cup (80 ml) plus 6 tablespoons (90 ml) kirsch or light rum; 1 1/4 cups (175 g) all-purpose flour; 1/2 cup (50 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-process; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 cup (4 ounces/115 g) plus 2 tablespoons (1 ounce/30 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature; 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar; 2 large eggs, at room temperature; 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 2/3 cup (160 ml) buttermilk or plain yogurt (whole-milk or low-fat); 1 cup (100 g) walnuts or pecans, toasted and finely chopped; 3/4 cup (120 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips; 2 cups (225 g) powdered sugar, sifted; 6 to 8 tablespoons (90 to 125 ml) kirsch or light rum

December 9, 2011

To boost the reputation of the much-maligned fruitcake, I wanted to create a version quite different from those sticky, oversweet loaves riddled with iridescent fruit and soggy pecans. This recipe was my answer: an exceptionally moist loaf, chockablock with freshly toasted nuts, perky dried cherries, and a double wallop of chocolate flavor, courtesy of cocoa powder and lots of chocolate chips. I was glad that my modern-tasting fruitcake made converts out of those who tried it. But I didn’t expect that so many would want to give it a traditional soaking of spirits to preserve the cake. I set to work and experimented a few times, but I had a hunch that something was amiss when I noticed some movement underneath the gauze wrapping. I unwrapped the cake and . . . well, let’s just say I discovered I was only one of the many creatures who enjoy this fruitcake. That was the end of my experiments. Instead, I just use kirsch-flavored glaze that can be added at the last minute.

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