This fruitcake is our family’s favorite, packed with dates, walnuts, raisins, and glazed cherries. Think raisin bread on steroids. The recipe comes from the wife of a family friend, Patricia, who for years sent us a loaf every Christmas. We usually have to make at least two loaves—one to eat right away, because we just can’t wait, and the other to sprinkle with brandy and save for Christmas day. These loaves also make terrific gifts.
How To Make Fruitcake
Fruitcake is really just like any other quick bread or loaf cake, only with a lot more fruit and nuts added. You make a simple cake batter, stir in the fruits and nuts, and bake until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. The resulting cake is dense and looks like a beautiful mosaic when sliced, with fruits and nuts in every bite. You can sprinkle the cake with liquor (we like brandy), or leave it alcohol-free. The liquor will make the fruitcake more moist, and will help it last longer.
Tips for the Best Fruitcake
Toss the fruits and nuts in flour before mixing them into the batter. This will help keep them evenly distributed throughout the cake during baking.Place a pan of water in the oven alongside the fruitcake. This makes for more even, gentle cooking.It’s best to slice this fruitcake with a serrated knife, such as a bread knife.
How Long Does Fruitcake Last?
Fruitcake lasts longer than most other cakes because it is filled with nuts and candied fruit. It will last even longer if you sprinkle it with a spirit like brandy. Just keep it on the counter, tightly wrapped.
Without brandy, the cake will last tightly wrapped a week or more.With brandy, the cake can last a month or more.
How To Store and Freeze Fruitcake
Cool the fruitcake completely, poke a few holes with a skewer in the top of the cake and sprinkle it with brandy, if desired. Wrap the loaf tightly with aluminum foil, and store it on the counter. To freeze, wrap the loaf in plastic and then in aluminum foil. Then, freeze for up to 3 months. Alternately, brush your fruitcake with the liquor of your choice before wrapping it tightly in plastic film. Brush it with more alcohol every few days for the first 2 months of aging. Store in a cool dry place while curing the fruitcake. Once it’s been aged properly, you can eat it right away or refrigerate it for months, even years. When properly cured, the alcohol prevents bacteria from growing. Aged fruitcake can be frozen, but it oddly lasts longer in the refrigerator once cured.
More Festive Holiday Treats
How to Make a Gingerbread House Gingerbread Cookies Cranberry Orange Nut Bread Candy Cane Cookies Panettone
We highly recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh the flour. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, measure the flour by fluffing the flour in its container, spooning the flour into the measuring cup, and leveling it off with a flat edge like the back of a table knife. Place one piece to run the length of the pan and stand up above the rim about an inch. Place the other piece or pieces to cover the other sides. When the cake comes out of the oven, you can easily remove it by holding the sides of the paper and lifting the cake out of the pan. Add the remaining 1 3/4 cups (230g) flour and the salt and mix together. Pour the fruit and nut mixture into the batter and mix well to distribute the fruit and nuts evenly. Place the pan into the preheated oven. Place a separate pan of water in the oven either on a rack underneath the fruitcake or beside it. (The water make for a more even, gentler cooking.) Bake at 325°F (160°C) for approximately 1 1/2 hours to 1 3/4 hours, or until the internal temperature is between 205°F and 209°F, and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. The water may need to be replenished during baking, if it evaporates. If the top of the fruitcake is getting too browned as it bakes, tent it with some foil. If you want, poke a few holes with a skewer over the top of the cake and sprinkle on a few ounces of brandy. This will make the fruitcake more moist and will help it last longer. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and then aluminum to store on the countertop.
