Cakes were being baked even during the Classic Age (500-336 BC) of the Ancient Greek Civilization. Roman senator Marcus Porcius Cato, wrote De agricultura in 160 BC, among some other recipes he mentioned a sacrifice cake to be presented to the Gods to show their gratitude. With the availability of dried fruit during the Middle Ages, fruit bread entered the western European kitchens. During the Crusades soldiers ate cakes with dried fruit and spices to get the energy they needed. With the cheaper sugar arriving from the colonies Europe was introduced to the modern fruit cakes. Baking fruit cakes for weddings and special days was popular during the 18th & 19th centuries.
I personally do not like dry and sweet cakes, they stick to my palate and burn my throat. Using a scientific trial and error method I reached the recipe that I am sharing with you. I am sure that you can play around with the flexible ingredients to find the taste to your liking.
ingredients
- 6-7 dried fig
- 6-7 date (if they are medjool date, use 3-4)
- 1 tbsp cognac or apple juice
- 3 tbsp apple juice (orange juice would work too)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup honey or 2 tbsp agave syrup
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp ginger powder
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup dried blueberry or raisin or dried mulberry or prune
preparation
- Soak dried fig & date in water for half an hour to soften. Strain, chop. Add cognac and apple juice, puree with an immersion blender.
- Add egg, olive oil, milk and vanilla extract, blend well.
- Add honey and sugar, mix well.
- Sift flour, baking soda and ginger on, whisk 2-3 min.
- Fold in chocolate chip and blueberry using a spatula. Pour into oiled loaf tin.
- Start in a preheated 300°F (150°C) oven, bake for 30 min. Lower to 285°F (140°C), keep baking for 40 more min. Remove from the oven. Let it cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.
- 1 çbk = 1 çorba kaşığı = 1 table spoon = 15 ml
- 1 tsp = 1 tatlı kaşığı = 1 tea spoon = 5 ml
- 1 cup ~ 1 su bardağı = 1 cup = 240 ml
- measurements
- ps: Substitute 1 cup banana puree for dried fig, date, cognac and apple juice puree.
- ps: Can substitute cooked firm fruits like apple or pear. You'd need 1 cup fruit puree.
- ps: Can try substituting not-too-sweet jam or marmalade for dried fruit puree. You'd need 1 cup puree.
- ps: Can substitute any kind of nut for chocolate chip.
EN 
TR
Muhtesem oldu.Unu yari yariya badem unu ve glutensiz kullandim.1/4 pekmez yetti,seker koymadim.
Eline sağlık Serap’cığım. Ben pekmezle denememiştim, sayende lezzetli olduğunu öğrendim. Teşekkürler.