Ok, last year my husband watched a special on how some monks make fruitcake. About that time, my mother mentioned that my dad, and my grandmother’s like fruitcake. One of my grandmothers was in ill health. I thought, well, now that I know some of the secrets, I will try my hand at it. It sounds neat, and what the hey, I don’t have to eat it. They fruit cakes turned out beautifully and after aging a month in bourbon, rum, and brandy, were a big hit with my grandmothers and dad. So, this year, I am making fruitcake again. I have one fewer grandmother (and no, she did not die of the fruitcake) but I do have another friend who likes fruitcake.
Since they need to age at least a month, I will be starting them soon. I bought the fruit today, all but the green and red cherries, and am gathering the rest of the supplies.
Do any of you make fruitcake? Do you have any tips?
Supplies (other than basic baking stuff)
Cheese cloth
Green Saran Wrap
Aluminum foil
Bundt pan
Tins that fit the cake from the bundt pan
Brandy
Bourbon
Dark Rum
Pecans
Fruit this year:
Pineapple
Papaya
Apples
Red sour cherries
Red sweet cherries
Prunes
Apricots
Candied cherries
The basic process is this:
• Gather your fruit together. Chop into bite sized pieces. Gather nuts to, I use only pecans chop some of these and leave others whole. Put the fruit and nuts in clean canning jars and add brandy until the fruit or nuts are just covered. I use separate jars for the nuts, light fruit, and dark fruit. Soak at least overnight.
• Drain the fruit, reserving the brandy.
• Mix the batter, adding the reserved brandy as part of the liquid.
• Except for the fruit that will be on the top for decoration, coat the fruit in flour so that each piece is coated and doesn’t stick to any other piece.
• Slowly add the coated fruit to the batter.
• Pour the batter in the pan.
• Arrange some fruit and nuts on top to decorate.
• Bake for hours in a sub 300 F oven
• Take cake out and glaze while hot
• After the cakes are cool, wrap them in brandy soaked cheese cloth. wrap again in cling wrap.
• Inject with at least 3 oz of bourbon and rum
• Wrap again in aluminum foil and place in tin.
• Age 1 to 2 weeks at room temperature and the rest in the refrigerator.
• Inject some more spirits while aging and resoak the cloths at least once.
This recipe is modified but based on the one for Regal Fruitcake
5 cups of dried and candied fruit
2 cups chopped pecans
1/2 cup brandy
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
5 eggs, room temperature
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon almond extract or Frangelico
Brandy, Bourbon, Dark Rum
Grease a 10-inch tube or bundt pan; line with wax paper or baking parchment and grease well. In a large bowl, combine brandy soaked fruit and nuts. Add ½ cup of reserved brandy; stir until well blended. Let stand 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 275 degrees. In a large bowl, cream butter. Gradually add brown sugar, stirring until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
In another large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and spices; gradually add to butter mixture. Add almond extract and fruit mixture; stir until well blended. Spoon into prepared pan. Bake 3 hours and 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Remove from pan, peel paper liner from cake, Glaze cake, and then cook completely. Wrap in a brandy-soaked cheesecloth; store in an airtight container for one week. After one week, store in the refrigerator.
Makes 1 large cake.