Dried Cherry-Almond Fruitcake

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon double-acting baking powder 
• 1.5 pounds apricots dried chopped
• 1.5 pounds bing cherries dried pitted
• 6 large eggs room temperature
• 0.8 cup brown sugar packed ()
• 5 ounces golden raisins 
• 0.3 cup maple syrup pure
• 0.7 cup amber rum 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1 pound slivered almonds toasted
• 0.5 cup sugar 
• 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour 
• 0.5 cup butter unsalted room temperature (1 stick)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• baking paper
• oven
• whisk
• hand mixer
• cake form

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter and flour 10-inch-diameter nonstick angel food cake pan. Line bottom with parchment paper. Toss first 4 ingredients with 1/2 cup flour in large bowl to coat.
2. Whisk remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars in another large bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, blending well after each addition. Beat in rum, maple syrup, and vanilla.
3. Add flour mixture and beat until just combined. Stir in dried fruit mixture. Spoon batter into prepared pan, flattening to eliminate air pockets.
4. Bake until tester inserted near center of cake comes out clean and cake is deep golden brown, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes.
5. Whisk rum and maple syrup in bowl. Spoon half over warm cake in pan.
6. Let stand until absorbed.
7. Cut around cake to loosen; invert onto platter. Peel off paper. Spoon remaining syrup over cake.
8. Let stand about 4 hours. (Can be made ahead. Cover and store at room temperature 1 day or chill up to 1 week.)