Modified New Joy of Cooking Fruitcake

The California Fruitcake on page 977 of the New Joy of Cooking is very good, but I have to tinker with every recipe -- can't help myself. Here is my new and improved version.

Kebod's California Fruitcake

Stir together in a large bowl:
1 cup plus 2 TB. whole wheat flour
rounded 1/4 tsp. baking powder
rounded 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Beat until smooth:
1/2 cup honey or 1 cup brown sugar, not packed
3 large eggs
1 Tb. vanilla

Mix:
3 cups walnut halves
2 cups quartered dates
1 cup apricot halves or 1 cup dried cherries(any combination of dried fruit can be used: figs, cranberries, pineapple, mango, etc. I've used them all over past Christmases)

Mix dry ingredients with beaten egg mixture.
Fold in fruit and nuts.
Butter and flour a bundt pan or similar tube pan. If using flat-bottomed tube pan, line bottom of pan with wax paper or parchment paper. Butter paper.
Bake at 300 deg. F for 1 hour. Check with toothpick. If wet batter shows on toothpick tester, bake another 10-15 min. and check again with toothpick.
If cake browns on top too quickly, cover with foil.
Let cool in pan on rack for 10 min. Invert from pan and cool on rack right side up.

Optional (but very good and Christmas-y):
Puncture cooled cake with a skewer and drizzle up to 1 cup of warmed rum or brandy over cake.
This fruit cake does not need to be aged, as it is ready to be eaten as soon as it is cool enough to slice.

Merry Christmas!
kebo:D
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