12 Days of Baking ~ Day 7 (and a Contest!)

This is a beautiful recipe.  It is the end of a long day at the end of a long week, so I'm fearful that my communication of the greatness of this cake is going to be lacking.  I'm not sure I have it in me to effectively describe the yumminess of it.  Here's how it came about:

A few years ago, I read a sweet little Christmas novel...it was a fun, light book to read, but I cannot even remember its name.  Within that book was a recipe for chocolate fruitcake.  Now, I have never even put a bit of regular fruitcake to my lips in all my 30 - I mean 40 - years.  The reputation of it alone was enough to make me stay away.  But a chocolate fruitcake?  Now my curiosity was standing at attention.  But I still had problem with the word fruit in the title.  I try hard to not mix my fruit and dessert.  I'm not even a big fruit pie fan.  Well, except for peach.  I love peach pie.  Focus.  So, I played around with the recipe, deleting much of the called-for fruit, until I found the perfect combination.  People who have tasted this have insisted that I find it a new name.  It's so much more worthy than a title of "fruitcake" would suggest. 

**I'm sneaking a little contest in here.  Leave a comment with a suggestion for a great name, and if I like it best, I will send you this:

It's a double-wall insulated cold drink cup from Starbucks, complete with a cute candy cane straw!  (Cake not included.  Make your own!)

The name that would move me most would communicate the extreme chocolate-ness of the cake, subtly suggest the alcohol undertone, and have some sort of Christmas tie-in.  So get creative for me.  This poor cake has been without a formal name since its birth 3 years ago.  I'll pick my favorite on Monday evening sometime.  My commitment is a bit loose because my schedule is a bit tight and my mind wound even tighter.  Be flexible with me, friends.

You've got to make this cake this weekend, because it has to sit in the fridge, soaking up the alcohol, for 3 weeks.  I realize it's only 2 weeks until Christmas, so in this case just go ahead and eat it in 2 weeks.  It'll be okay.  I cannot believe I just typed "only 2 weeks until Christmas".  Eek!  Without any further ado:

No-Name-Not-A-Fruitcake-Chocolate-Cake

Place the following into a large (truly large) bowl and mix together:

2 cups chopped dates

2 (8 oz.) cans crushed pineapple

1 cup coconut

2 cups chopped walnuts

2 cups chopped pecans

4 cups chocolate chips

In a separate bowl, beat the following together on low speed for 30 seconds, then on high for 3 minutes:

1 cup butter

1/2 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups sugar

9 eggs

2/3 cup Kahlua Mocha (or creme de cacao)

1 TBSP baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup Hershey's Dark baking cocoa

3 cups flour

Pour batter over fruit/nut mixture in large bowl.  Mix together well.  Scoop evenly into 2 well-greased loaf pans.  Pans will be full, but that's okay.

Bake at 275 (yes, 275) for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.  After 2 hours, check every 15 minutes.  I usually cover mine loosely with foil after the first 2 hours.  To test for doneness, just gently press the center.  It should still have a slight give, but not sink down.

Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 5 minutes.  Turn onto cooling racks and let cool completely.

When cool, set each loaf onto a large piece of plastic wrap.  Pour about a jigger (about 3 TBSP, but error on the side of more!) of Kahlua Mocha (or creme de cacao) over each loaf.  Wrap tightly with plastic wrap, then place loaf into a gallon zip loc bag.  Place in refrigerator for 3-4 weeks.  (Or 2 weeks for my 2009 version.)

Now, when we dive into this cake, we like to cut a generous slice after the kids have gone to bed.  I heat mine slightly in the microwave and pour myself a big glass of cold milk.  Brad warms his up, pours on extra alcohol, and puts a scoop of ice cream on top.  Any way you eat, I think you are going to love it!  I don't have any pictures of the final product, because mine are still cooling.  But you have plenty of information to now get started!  Enjoy...and NAME THAT CAKE!!!!