A Fantastic Fruitcake recipe Fusion that is loaded with fruit and nuts. This is the BEST fruitcake ever! As a child, my mom, Rosemary, and family made this every year before Thanksgiving if possible, or immediately after. It needs time for the flavor to develop. Then, oh my, fruitcake bliss!
When these are given as a gift, I verify beforehand that the recipient appreciates and enjoys a fantastic fruitcake. These are a very precious and limited treat. They are highly blessed to be receiving. They are very, very lucky indeed.
This fruitcake recipe uses quality ingredients and the “love” definitely goes into the mix. I have a passion for this lifetime family based recipe. Can you feel and enjoy the love?
Ingredients:
Fruit and Nuts:
1 16 oz. package Golden Raisins (dark raisins will not taste the same)
1 16 oz. package dates; pitted, cut-up (about 2-1/2 cups)
2 8 oz. containers Fruitcake Mix, 2 cups
1 12 oz. package dried Cherries, halved, ~1 cup
1 6-8 oz. package dried pineapple
• 1 cup Currants
• 1/2 cup dried Cranberries
• 1/2 cup dried Blueberries
• 1 cup dried Apricots, chopped (Best if whole, without sulfates)
• 1 lemon, zest only
• 1 orange, zest only
• 1/4 cup chopped Candied Ginger
1cup toasted walnuts
1 cup toasted, pecans, coarsely chopped
• 4 whole cloves
• 6 whole allspice berries
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
1 cup All-Purpose flour
• 1 cup + gold Rum (dark works too)
Batter:
1 cup butter, unsalted
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
6 eggs, large
2 cups All-Purpose flour, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 tablespoon molasses, or honey
1/2 cup strawberry preserves
1/2 cup brandy
1 cup unfiltered apple juice or cider
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger (dry not fresh)
• 1/4 cup brandy (in a spritz bottle)
Directions for the Fantastic Fruitcake recipe Fusion:
Start this fruitcake recipe by combining all the dried fruits, both zests, and the candied ginger (No nuts!) in a non-reactive container with a tight-fitting lid. Add the rum, stir well, cover, and macerate overnight at room temperature. Stir occasionally if you can.
The next day, load up a spice mill, or coffee grinder, with the whole cloves, whole allspice, and cinnamon stick; and grind to a fine powder.
Add the spices, along with the macerated fruit and its liquid to a 4-quart saucepan. Add the sugar, butter, apple juice, and ginger. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool for at least 20 minutes. (Now, you can choose to complete the batter or cover and refrigerate for no more than 2 days.)
The Batter of the fruitcake recipe:
For this Fantastic Fruitcake recipe place oven racks in the center and bottom of the oven. Place a roasting pan on the bottom rack and fill it no more than halfway with hot water. Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
I use disposable foil loaf pans of various sizes. Spray with a baking spray or brush with softened butter.
Toss the cooled fruit mixture with 1 cup flour, or more as needed, to keep from being excessively sticky. Set aside.
Place the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a sifter and sift into a bowl.
Cream butter; gradually add sugar, creaming until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at at time, beating after each. (If mixture looks curdled, don’t be concerned.)
Gradually add sifted dry ingredients, alternately with molasses, jam and brandy.
Pour batter over prepared fruit and nuts; mixing well by hand. Finally, fold in the pecans and walnuts.
Spoon mixture into prepared pans. Press batter down firmly. Leave about a half-inch unfilled from the top.
Baking the fruitcake recipe:
Reduce oven to 275°F. Place the loaf pans on a baking sheet and place in oven. Baking will be from 50 minutes for a small pan or muffin size to 1 to 3 hours. Watch carefully!
Bake cakes until cake tester comes out clean and tops are dry. Or, until the interior temperature achieves 200°F on an instant read thermometer. (about 1 hour or so…)
It they brown too quickly, cover tops with brown paper. Again, baking time will be 1 to 3 hours depending on size of pans used.
When done place pans on a cooling rack. Immediately spritz the top with brandy and allow to cool completely. Carefully remove the fruitcake from the pan and wrap in a layer of cheesecloth. Spritz with more brandy (I prefer to use a shallow baking dish and pour and roll the loaf on all sides for a good initial start to the flavor maturation and fine aging). Wrap in waxed paper; place in a sealing type plastic bag. OR, sprinkle tops of cakes with brown sugar and spritz with enough brandy to moisten, then wrap in brandy soaked cloth, wax paper, and then foil or plastic bag.
Flavor Maturation
Store in a cool dark place for about 1 month. You can Freeze after aging.
During the initial aging, every 3 to 4 days, feel the cakes and, if dry, spritz with more brandy. The fruitcake recipe’s flavor and texture will enhance considerably over the next 3-4 weeks.
YIELD: About 18 cups batter; three 9×5-inch loaf cakes or seven 1-1/2-pound (7-1/2×3-1/2-inch) cakes. Or more…. Results vary batch to batch. It’s home made!
Making It Even Better
What could possibly make our enjoyment of this Fantastic Fruitcake recipe even better? Perhaps a little Wine Magic. I’m thinking about a boutique wine from the Napa and Sonoma Valley region. Mmmm good! Talk about Fine Wines, these are high quality well aged mature wines that pair well with this matured fruitcake.
Response Magic