The fall is when holiday fruitcakes should be made to allow lots of time for soaking up whatever boozy goodness you want your cake to absorb. I realize that not everyone likes fruitcake and in fact, there are those who make jokes about this iconic Christmas sweet....it take all kinds.
Ingredients:
- 3 ½ cups of raisins
- 3 ½ cups of dried currants
- Place the raisins and currants in a bowl and cover them with boiling water. Leave until the water is tepid.
- 1 cup of chopped candied orange peel
- 1 cup of chopped candied citrus peel
- 3 cups flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 ½ cups of unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 ¾ cups of brown sugar
- 6 eggs
- 3 tablespoons brandy or rum or port, depending on your preference
Heat your oven to 300º F. Then grease a 9 ″ round baking pan well and line with parchment paper. This is a big cake so your baking pan needs to be at least 3 inches deep. (Alternatively, you can use several smaller pans.)
Sift the flour with salt, nutmeg and allspice in a medium-sized bowl. Cream the butter and sugar in a very large bowl and add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition. Stir the flour mixture into the eggs/butter/sugar in 2 or 3 batches, followed by the alcohol and drained fruit. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top of the cake, making a slight hollow in the centre.(This ensures that the top of the cake will be flat after baking). Bake for 2.5 to 3 hours or until the cake tests done. (A toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake should come out clean). If it browns too much before the baking is complete, cover the top of the cake with tin foil and continue baking. Leave to cool in the pan; when cool, remove from pan and pull off the paper. Wrap cake in some booze-soaked cheesecloth and then cover the whole thing in plastic wrap. Store in a cool dark spot, (such as the back of your fridge). Every few weeks, you can remove the plastic wrap to refresh the booze on the cheesecloth. Re-wrap and refrigerate until the point that you decide to ice your cake.
Editorial Note: This cake can be made in multiple smaller pans, but the cooking time will need to be cut accordingly. Cheesecloth, in case you are wondering, is available in most grocery stores and in kitchen supply shops.
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| Iced fruitcake...the stuff of dreams. |
