Zelten Fruitcake
A time honored Christmas tradition, this zelten recipe has been passed down from generation to generation, with each new baker adding special new details to make it truly unique and delicious.
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Servings: 10 slices
Calories: 563kcal
Ingredients
- 100 ml (6.76 tbsp) grappa rum or grape juice
- 100 ml (6.76 tbsp) water
- 100 grams (0.69 cups) raisins
- 50 grams (0.34 cups) dates
- 150 grams (0.63 cups) candied fruit
- 150 grams (1.01 cups) dried figs
- ½ (½) orange zest grated
- ½ (½) lemon zest grated
- 150 grams (150 grams) butter room temperature + small amont for prepping pan
- 100 grams (0.5 cups) white sugar
- 2 (2) eggs
- 200 grams (1.6 cups) all purpose flour + small amount for prepping pan
- 1 Tablespoon (1 Tablespoon) baking powder
- 150 grams (1.28 cups) walnuts
- 50 grams (0.4 cups) blanched almonds slivers
- 50 grams (0.37 cups) pine nuts
For decorating:
- 1 Tablespoon (1 Tablespoon) water
- 1 Tablespoon (1 Tablespoon) honey
- 10-20 (10-20) blanched whole almonds
- candied cherries if desired
Equipment
- 1 hand mixer to mix the batter at the beginning
- several large bowls to mix the ingredients during the various steps
- 1 24 cm/10 inch round baking pan to bake your zelten, or the shape of your choosing
- 1 small saucepan to heat the honey and water glaze
- 1 wooden spoon or spatula to fold in the ingredients
- 1 electronic kitchen scale to weigh all the various ingredients
Instructions
- Chop the figs and dates and remove seeds from dates, if any.
- Put the chopped figs and dates as well as the raisins and candied fruit in a bowl.
- Add the water and grappa (or substitute the grappa with rum or, if you prefer something without alcohol, you can use grape juice).
- Grate the zest of half a lemon and half an orange and add to the bowl.
- Leave overnight or at least 2 hours to soak.
- Finely chop the walnuts and put them in another large bowl and add the almond slivers and pine nuts. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 170°C (75°F).
- In a third large bowl, use an electric beater to mix the room temperature butter with the sugar. Add the eggs to the mixture and continue to mix.
- Now add the baking powder and flour and mix until you have a smooth, uniform batter.
- Drain the dried fruit mixture and discard the liquid.
- Fold the nut mixture as well as the dried fruit mixture into the batter and mix carefully and gently with a large spoon, folding in all the ingredients until fairly uniform.
- Coat a 24-cm (10-inch) round baking pan with butter and flour.
- Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the top until level.
- Decorate the top with the whole almonds and candied cherries as desired, making flowers or other fanciful designs.
- Bake in the preheated oven at 170°C (75°F) for 40-50 minutes or until golden brown. Check the cake half way through to make sure it isn’t getting too brown, you can cover the top with aluminum foil if necessary.
- Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of water and 1 tablespoon of honey in a small saucepan over low heat. Once hot, turn off and use a pastry brush to apply the honey mixture to the top and sides of the cake to make it shiny. Leave to dry.
Serving: 100g | Calories: 563kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 125mg | Potassium: 519mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 443IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 146mg | Iron: 3mg
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