Mamma Maculan'S Winter Fruitcake - cooking recipe

Ingredients

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs, plus extra
10 ounces pears, peeled and sliced (2 medium)
10 ounces apples, peeled and sliced (2 medium)
1 1/2 cups sugar
8 ounces golden raisins
2 cups sweet dessert wine (Torcolato)
4 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 lemon, zest of, only
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
16 seedless grapes

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 9\" cake pan and coat the bottom and sides with a thin layer of bread crumbs. Place the pears, apples, butter, and sugar in a 1-quart pot; cook over medium heat, covered, until the fruit breaks down into a puree, about 20 minutes, stirring often and removing the lid if the mixture becomes too liquid; cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, soak the raisins in the Torcolato. Heat the milk in a saucepan with the vanilla extract, and cinnamon; put the breadcrumbs in a bowl and pour the hot milk over them; set aside for 30 minutes to let the bread crumbs absorb the milk. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the fruit puree, lemon zest and salt using a wire whisk. Using a wooden spoon, fold in the bread crumbs and raisins, including the Torcolato used to soak the raisins. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
Bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean; cool on a rack and unmold. Dust the cake with the sifted confectioner's sugar and garnish with the grapes. Serve with glasses of the same dessert wine used in the cake.