That Poor Maligned Fruitcake!
As funny and often true as most fruitcake jokes are, I don’t actually relate. My mom made a fantastic fruitcake. I’d eagerly await the holidays because that’s when Mom put on her apron and went to fruitcake-work. Just talking about it brings on the drool.
Here’s the thing, the ridicule that most fruitcakes face has everything to do with bad recipes. Too many fruitcake recipes skimp on fruit and go heavy on the batter. According to the pros at the New York Times, “In a good fruitcake the batter should barely be perceptible, acting merely as adhesive to bind the fruit and nuts. Broken down into its parts, a good fruitcake contains ingredients that most people love: plump dates, candied cherries, almond extract, pecans, walnuts and sugar. And when it comes out of the oven, it is showered in whiskey.”
This is by no means an inexpensive cake to make, and that is largely why it became a traditional gift. It is a cake that you wouldn't make for yourself. Made correctly, it IS a treat.
We were tea-totelers at our house—no alcohol on site, so Mom never doused her fruitcakes in alcohol, or anything else for that matter. Her recipe was so good that she didn’t need anything else to gussy it up. Oh, was it a treat!
Since she’s passed on, I’ve been trying to turn out a fruitcake as good as hers, without success. Maybe you can relate: some recipes just need the hand of the original maker. Maybe it’s the love and experience they add to it.
But no matter what recipe you may use, there are some tried-and-true DOs and DON’Ts (such as the one about not too much batter, above) that fruitcake aficionados follow closely. For instance:
COAT YOUR MIX-INS WITH FLOUR. Before you adding dried fruit and nuts to the batter, coat them in flour first. This will ensure that all the good stuff won't sink to the bottom of the cake when it bakes.
USE QUALITY SPICES. Since fruit cake is sometimes spiced with warm seasonings like cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, you're going to want to use the freshest spices possible avoid any possible rancid after-taste.
MAKE EQUAL-WEIGHT SUBSTITUTIONS. If you're not a fan of the candied fruit that traditional fruit cakes call for, you can easily swap it out for preferred alternatives. Golden raisins, cranberries, dates, and figs are delicious choices. Just be sure to add the same amount as the original recipe calls for.
DON’T OVERFILL THE PAN. Only two-thirds of the way with batter is the rule. Pouring past that mark can cause the cake to overflow the rims of the baking dish.
SET YOUR OVEN TO THE RIGHT TEMPERATURE. Never bake fruit cake at a temperature higher than 325°F (250° to 325° is best!). Baking it at a lower temperature ensures it will cook through evenly without drying out. To ensure it is done before you pop it out of the oven, insert a toothpick in the center of the cake. It should come out moist but not raw or doughy.
KEEP IT MOIST. Along with setting your oven to the right temperature so the cake doesn't end up unpleasantly dry, try adding a cup of applesauce to the batter. And to further prevent it from drying out, keep a pan of hot water on a lower rack in the oven to add moisture while it bakes.
PROTECT IT FROM BURNING. Since fruit cakes take their time to bake (about 2½ hours or more), line your baking pans with double layers of parchment or waxed paper before you pour the batter; this will prevent the cakes from browning too much.
CONSIDER PORTION CONTROL. If you or others have trouble sticking to just one slice, opt for baking your fruit cake in muffin or cupcake tins for a perfectly portioned bite. Just remember to adjust the baking time; fruit cake muffins will take a shorter amount of time to bake.
I’ll close this ode to fruitcake with King Arthur Flour’s long-standing recipe. They call it EVERYONE’S FAVORITE FRUITCAKE for good reason. People love it so much that they continually thank King Arthur for it and confidently share it with friends and family.
Here’s what the King Arthur chefs say: “This moist, dark cake is loaded with yummy-tasting dried fruits, not the icky, bitter candied peel and citron you remember from visiting your grandma at Christmas. The dried fruits suggested below are simply that — suggestions. While we like the flavors provided by the different fruits listed, fruitcake can be a bit of a blank canvas for whatever dried and/or candied fruits are your favorites. Feel free to substitute your own favorites; just be sure to add loads (you'll need at least 2 1/2 pounds dried fruit).”
Everyone's Favorite Fruitcake
Ingredients:
FRUIT
1 1/2 cups diced dried pineapples
1 1/2 cups raisins golden or regular
1 cup diced dried apricots
1 1/2 cups chopped dates
1 1/2 cups candied red cherries plus additional for decoration, if desired
1/3 cup diced, crystallized ginger optional
3/4 cup apple juice cranberry juice, rum, or brandy
BATTER
16 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cups dark brown sugar packed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 large eggs at room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons dark baking cocoa optional, for color
1/4 cup boiled apple cider golden syrup, or dark corn syrup
1/2 cup apple juice cranberry juice or water
2 1/2 cups chopped, toasted nuts (almonds, pecans, or walnuts)
GLAZE (optional)
simple syrup vanilla syrup, rum, or brandy
Directions:
TO PREPARE THE FRUIT: Combine the fruit with the liquid of your choice in a non-reactive bowl; cover and let rest overnight. Too impatient to wait until tomorrow? Microwave everything for 1 minute (or until it's very hot), cover, and let rest 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 300°F. This recipe makes enough batter for ONE (not all!) of the following: 3 dozen individual (muffin pan) cakes; 16 mini loaves (about 3 3/4" x 2 1/2"); 6 to 8 medium loaves (about 3" x 5"); or 2 standard 9" x 5" loaves. Choose your pans (or combinations), and lightly grease them. If you're making muffin-size cakes in a standard muffin pan, line the pan with muffin papers, and lightly grease the papers.
TO MAKE THE BATTER: Place the butter and sugar in a large bowl (at least 6-quart), and beat together until well combined.
Beat in the salt, spices, and baking powder.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl after each addition.
In a separate bowl whisk together the flour and cocoa.
Add the flour mixture and the syrup (or boiled cider) to the mixture in the bowl, beating gently to combine.
Stir in the juice or water, then the fruit with any collected liquid, and the nuts. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, and stir until everything is well combined.
Spoon the batter into the pans, filling them about 3/4 full.
TO BAKE THE CAKE: Bake the cakes on the middle shelf of the oven, as follows: about 60 minutes for the individual cakes; 65 to 70 minutes for the small loaves; 75 minutes for the medium loaves, and 2 hours + 10 to 15 minutes for the 9" x 5" loaves. The cakes are done when a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove the cakes from the oven. Fruitcake can remain in its pan for storage, if desired. Or carefully remove cake from the pan after about 5 minutes, loosening its edges first.
Brush the warm cake with rum or brandy. Or simple syrup, or flavored simple syrup (vanilla, rum-flavored, etc.). If you like just a hint of rum or brandy flavor, add 1 tablespoon of liquor to 3/4 cup vanilla syrup or simple syrup, and brush this mixture on the cakes.
When the cakes are completely cool, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, and store at room temperature for up to 6 to 8 weeks.
BAKING TIPS:
Do you HAVE to brush the cakes with alcohol or syrup? Well, it does keep them moist for weeks. But if you want to leave them "un-brushed," understanding they won't stay moist long-term, that's just fine.
If you've made the small, muffin-sized cakes, it helps to put them all in a large plastic container with a snap-on lid; or into a sealed plastic bag, both to help keep them moist, and to be able to move 3 dozen cakes around without a fuss.
This recipe can also fill two tea loaf pans. Divide the batter among two lightly greased tea loaf pans, or bake one after the other if you only have one tea loaf pan (if you have a kitchen scale, half the batter will weigh about 1,588g). Bake the cakes for 2 hours to 2 hours and 10 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Yield: 2 loaf cakes.
Preheat the oven to 300°F. This recipe makes enough batter for ONE (not all!) of the following: 3 dozen individual (muffin pan) cakes; 16 mini loaves (about 3 3/4" x 2 1/2"); 6 to 8 medium loaves (about 3" x 5"); or 2 standard 9" x 5" loaves. Choose your pans (or combinations), and lightly grease them. If you're making muffin-size cakes in a standard muffin pan, line the pan with muffin papers, and lightly grease the papers.
TO MAKE THE BATTER: Place the butter and sugar in a large bowl (at least 6-quart), and beat together until well combined.
Beat in the salt, spices, and baking powder.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl after each addition.
In a separate bowl whisk together the flour and cocoa.
Add the flour mixture and the syrup (or boiled cider) to the mixture in the bowl, beating gently to combine.
Stir in the juice or water, then the fruit with any collected liquid, and the nuts. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, and stir until everything is well combined.
Spoon the batter into the pans, filling them about 3/4 full.
TO BAKE THE CAKE: Bake the cakes on the middle shelf of the oven, as follows: about 60 minutes for the individual cakes; 65 to 70 minutes for the small loaves; 75 minutes for the medium loaves, and 2 hours + 10 to 15 minutes for the 9" x 5" loaves. The cakes are done when a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove the cakes from the oven. Fruitcake can remain in its pan for storage, if desired. Or carefully remove cake from the pan after about 5 minutes, loosening its edges first.
Brush the warm cake with rum or brandy. Or simple syrup, or flavored simple syrup (vanilla, rum-flavored, etc.). If you like just a hint of rum or brandy flavor, add 1 tablespoon of liquor to 3/4 cup vanilla syrup or simple syrup, and brush this mixture on the cakes.
When the cakes are completely cool, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, and store at room temperature for up to 6 to 8 weeks.
BAKING TIPS:
Do you HAVE to brush the cakes with alcohol or syrup? Well, it does keep them moist for weeks. But if you want to leave them "un-brushed," understanding they won't stay moist long-term, that's just fine.
If you've made the small, muffin-sized cakes, it helps to put them all in a large plastic container with a snap-on lid; or into a sealed plastic bag, both to help keep them moist, and to be able to move 3 dozen cakes around without a fuss.
This recipe can also fill two tea loaf pans. Divide the batter among two lightly greased tea loaf pans, or bake one after the other if you only have one tea loaf pan (if you have a kitchen scale, half the batter will weigh about 1,588g). Bake the cakes for 2 hours to 2 hours and 10 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Yield: 2 loaf cakes.
Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.
And finally, one last jab at the poor maligned fruitcake. I couldn’t resist…
Sources:
- www.ifunny.com
- www.kingarthurbaking.com
- www.eatthis.com
- www.cooking.nytimes.com
- www.cartoonstock.com
- www.eatthis.com
Alice Osborne
DVO Newsletter Contributor since 2006
Email the author! alice@dvo.com
