Fruitcake is just called fruitcake all year round in the US, but in the UK at this time of year it's also called Christmas cake. If it's made on what is called Stir-Up Sunday (20 November this year), as some have the tradition, it has just over a month to mature (or ripen) before the holiday.
I'm posting my recipe now for those who observe that tradition, but I love fruitcake year round and am as likely to make it at the height of summer as now. And when I say fruitcake, I mean proper fruitcake, not those horrible shop-bought things that double as doorstops, filled with cheap sugary "fruits" that glow in the dark!
If you think you don't like fruitcake, you've probably never had a good one!
I go easy on the spices -- it's not a spice cake, after all -- and use a combination of organic dried fruits and nuts. It's quite a process (but not a lot of work really) -- soaking the fruits, making the cake, feeding it each week and then icing the cake in marzipan and royal icing; but I skip that last step. If I want to get fancy, I'll brush on some warm apricot jam and arrange sliced almonds or pecan halves over the top.
When I was a teenager, my mother and I (we developed the recipe together) would make huge batches of this in assorted sizes. Such fun! There is only one store-bought fruitcake (in the US anyway) that I like: the DeLuxe® Fruitcake from Collin Street Bakery in Corsicana, Texas. (And, no, they didn't pay me to say that; but if they wanted to send me a fruitcake, I wouldn't turn it down!)
It's a bit late now, but I can't think why I didn't have fruitcake as the top tier of our wedding cake. It was once the traditional wedding cake in the UK and a tradition I would have happily carried on.
Since fruitcake is so rich, it is cut into quite small pieces. And you may have noticed how difficult it can be to handle very thin wedges of cake. I've found the easiest way to serve the cake is to cut a 2-inch circle out of the middle and then cut 28 (about 28) 3/4-inch-thick (2 cm) slices from the ring.
I used the Ateco Stainless Steel 2x3-Inch Round Form to cut the 2-inch circle, then later thought, why not just put it in the middle of my pan and hold it steady as I put in the batter? You could turn any pan into a ring mould!
How about you? Are you a fruitcake fan? If not, I bet you would be if you made this one! Other winter traditions you might want to try: Eggnog and Mince Pies.
Don't forget to Pin it!
Fruitcake
(Makes one 7-inch/18cm cake)
The Fruit
3/4 packed cup* (3.75 ounces/106 grams) dark raisins or currants
3/4 packed cup* (3.75 ounces/106 grams) sultanas (golden raisins) or diced dried papaya
3/4 packed cup* (3.75 ounces/106 grams) dried cherries or cranberries
3/4 packed cup* (3.75 ounces/106 grams) diced dried pineapple or apricots
*OR 1 cup (5 ounces/142 grams) each of three dried fruits -- I used currants, cherries and pineapple for this one
1/2 packed cup (3.75 ounces/106 grams) moist pitted prunes, diced
1 medium organic or unsprayed and unwaxed orange for zest and juice (about 2 fluid ounces/59 ml)
1/2 medium organic or unsprayed and unwaxed lemon for zest and juice (about 1.5 fluid ounces/44 ml)
1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces/59 ml) brandy
The Cake
1 dip-and-sweep cup (5 ounces/142 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 firmly packed cup (1 ounce/28 grams) almond flour (finely ground almonds)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon mace or nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups (8 ounces/227 grams) coarsely chopped pecans
1/2 cup (4 ounces/ 113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 packed cup (2.33 ounces/66 grams) dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs (large eggs US are medium eggs UK)
1 About 12 to 24 hours before mixing cake, stir together fruit, zest, juice and brandy in a 1.5-quart bowl. Cover tightly and let stand for about 12 to 24 hours.
2 Prepare baking tin. Butter the inside of 7-inch/18cm springform pan (about 2.75 inches/7cm deep). Line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper; butter the parchment. Set the tin on a quarter sheet pan for baking.
Note:By way of experimenting, I also in one case wrapped the tin in a double layer of parchment that extends above the tin and tied it with string. The idea is to prevent over-cooking during the long bake, but I don't think it was necessary. Another idea I tried with one cake was to put a pan of hot water in the oven with the cake. Again, I don't know that it is at all necessary. I think putting the springform pan on a heavy-duty quarter sheet pan for baking is all you need to do.
3 Preheat oven to 275F/135C/Gas1. In 1-quart bowl, whisk together flour, almond flour, ground spices and salt. Stir in chopped nuts.
4 In bowl of stand mixer or in a 2-quart bowl with electric mixer or big spoon, cream together softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add vanilla extract and eggs, one at a time; mix well.
5 By hand, stir in flour mixture, followed by the soaked fruits. This recipe makes about 5 cups of batter. Scrape batter into prepared baking tin, pack it in firmly and smooth the top.
6 Bake on the baking sheet for 2 1/2 hours, then test. If toothpick inserted in center does not come out clean, check it every 10 minutes. I aim for 200 to 210F/93 to 99C on instant-read thermometer.
7 When it is done, take the tin from the baking sheet and place it on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Remove cake from the tin and continue cooling until it is completely cool. The cake is 2 inches high and weighs about 2 pounds 14 ounces (2.875 pounds/1.3 kg).
8 When completely cool, use a toothpick or fine skewer to prick holes all over the top of the cake about an inch apart. Sprinkle 1 1/2 tablespoons of brandy evenly over the top of the cake. Wrap in parchment and foil; store at room temperature in tightly covered container. Take out and "feed" or "doctor" with 1 tablespoon of brandy once a week. Keep for at least 4 weeks before using to allow the flavour to develop.
