Full of sweet candied and dried fruit marinated in cherry brandy, then mixed with nuts and a spiced batter that's baked to perfection. This is the holiday tradition that has lasted for centuries. If you haven't tried Fruitcake, this is the one to try. If you are a fruit cake lover, then you'll know this is the best!
Estimated Time 7 hourshours
Servings 75Servings
Here's What You Need
The Fruit
15ouncesraisins
8ounceschopped dates
16ouncesglazed fruit mix
8ouncesgreen candied cherries
8ouncesred candied cherries
8ouncesred, green or yellow candied pineapples - see Recipe Notes
The Batter
1cupcherry brandy - in all
1cupchopped walnuts
1cupchopped pecans
1½cupsbutter or margarine - softened
1cupdark brown sugar - packed
6large eggs
3cupsall purpose flour
1teaspoonbaking soda
1tablespooncinnamon
1teaspoonsalt
1teaspoonGrated nutmeg
1teaspoonallspice
Here's What You Do
Prepare the Fruit
The night before you make the Fruit Cake, chop the fruit into small pieces (about ⅛ to ¼ of an inch); Set some red and green cherries (sliced in half), some pineapple chunks and some pecans halves aside for topping the fruit cakes. Place the raisins and chopped fruit in a large bowl. Pour ½ cup cherry brandy over the fruit and toss well.
Let the fruit and brandy mixture stand at room temperature overnight, stirring often to mix the fruit.
Other Preparation
Prepare some 8 X 4 aluminum loaf pans (see Recipe Notes) by spreading a thin layer of shortening all over the inside, then lining each loaf pan with parchment paper or wax paper.
Chop the nuts into small pieces (don't pulverize) and mix into the fruit and cherry brandy mix; set aside.
Combine the flour, cinnamon, allspice, grated nutmeg and salt and sift all together into a bowl; set aside.
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
Mix the Batter and Fruit
Using a stand mixer, cream the softened butter or margarine until light and fluffy.
With the mixer on a medium speed, add the brown sugar gradually, allowing the brown sugar and butter to completely combine before adding more brown sugar.
Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the eggs one at a time. Make sure each egg is completely mixed in before adding the next egg.
Keeping the mixer on low, add the sifted spiced flour to the butter and brown sugar mixture, a little at a time, making sure that it is all incorporated before adding more.
Turn off the stand mixer and transfer the batter to a large mixing bowl. Stir in the fruit and nut mixture, a little at a time. Mix everything together well, then mix some more!
Turn the mixture into the prepared loaf pans.
Bake at 250 degrees for 2 ½ to 3 hours. The fruit cakes are done when a toothpick comes out clean, but slightly sticky. (see Recipe Notes)
Cool the fruit cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto cooling racks until fully cooled. This will take a few hours or can be cooled over night.
To finish the fruit cake, poke several holes in the top of each with a tooth pick and pour a little cherry brandy over the fruit cakes slowly.
Once the cherry brandy has been absorbed, individually wrap the finished fruit cakes tightly in plastic wrap (airtight) and store. These fruit cakes can be eaten right away or stored for a couple of months in the refrigerator or pantry, or can be frozen for several months.
Notes
This recipe says to marinate the chopped fruit in the cherry brandy for twelve hours....feel free to do it longer if you want. Just keep stirring it every few hours!This recipe is easy to increase-just keep all the ingredients proportional.Sifting the dry ingredients together, then adding the sifted, dry ingredients gradually will make sure that the delicious spices are distributed throughout all the batter.This recipe will fill approximately five of the 8" x 4" X 2 ½" loaf pans, or about 15 of the little 6" x 3 ½" x 2" loaf pans. The little ones are the perfect size for gifts. This is also great in larger loaf pans or the round angel-food cake pans.The cooking time is a good estimate and depends a lot on the size loaf pans you decide to use. Check after about 2 hours-if they are done the cakes should be firm when you press down on them and just starting to pull away from the sides of the pans. Poke them with a tooth pick-if it comes out clean and just a little sticky, it's done! Make sure to wrap the fruit cakes tightly-start with plastic wrap then cover with aluminum foil. Make them airtight! They can be placed in freezer bags and stored for up to six months, either in the fridge or out. They can also be frozen for a year.