Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the centre of the oven. Butter and flour, or spray with a nonstick vegetable/flour spray, a 9 x 5 x 3 inch (23 x 13 x 8 cm) loaf pan.
In a bowl, whisk the flour with the salt, baking soda, and ground spices. Add the dried and/or candied fruits and toss to coat all the fruit.
In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, melted butter, vanilla extract, and sugar. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients, mixing well. Immediately pour into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with an offset spatula or with the back of a spoon.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 50 – 60 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan.
A toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake will come out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Let cool for about 10 minutes before removing from the pan.
This cake is excellent warm in the oven or at room temperature. It can be covered and stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator for about a week. Or it can be frozen.
