Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Line the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper and spray with baking spray.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cloves and set aside.
In a separate large bowl, whisk together the butter, sugar and brown sugar until smooth and creamy.
Add in the eggs and egg yolks and mix to combine. Whisk in the orange juice, milk, vanilla and orange zest until fully incorporated. Mix the flour mixture in just until combined. When making this bread, it is very cake-like so do not over mix the batter once you have added the flour as this will cause the gluten to over develop which can cause the cake to become rubbery instead of tender.
Fold in the dates, raisins, green cherries, red cherries and pecans. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.
Place into the preheated oven to bake for one hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Once the fruit cake has baked, remove from the oven and place onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Once cooled, remove the fruit cake from the pan and slice into 35 - 1 inch squares. Dip each square into the melted chocolate to coat ensuring that any excess chocolate drips back into the bowl. Place onto a sheet of parchment paper to set up. Top each square with a half slice of red and green cherry. Place the chocolate-covered bites into the fridge to set up more quickly.
Notes
How to store fruit cake bites:Place in airtight containers for two days or in the fridge for up to 6 days. These are best served chilled.Can I freeze?You can freeze fruit cake bites if desired, though the chocolate will look different after being thawed.Substitutions:
Dates/raisins - Currants and figs are a great substitute for dates and raisins.
Red cherries - If you cannot find candied red cherries, you can use maraschino cherries instead.