Fruitcake
Ingredients
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&w=3840&q=75){kind=small}
&w=3840&q=75){kind=small}
- 8 ounces raisins
- 8 ounces sultanas (golden raisins)
- 8 ounces currants
- 4 ounces glacé cherries – halved
- 4 ounces mixed candied citrus peel – finely chopped
- 1 medium orange – zest finely grated
- 1 medium lemon – zest finely grated
- 1 1/4 cups brandy
- 8 ounces unsalted butter – softened
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons molasses (40g)
- 4 large eggs – at room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (210g)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 4 ounces blanched almonds – chopped (~94.5 n/a almonds)
Instructions
- 1.
Combine the raisins, sultanas, currants, glacé cherries, mixed candied citrus peel, orange zest, lemon zest, and 0.75 cup of the brandy in a large bowl. Stir, cover, and let soak 8–12 hours (overnight), stirring once or twice.
- 2.
Heat the oven to 275°F. Line a deep 8-inch round cake pan (or springform) with a double layer of parchment on the base and sides, extending 2 inches above the rim as a collar.
- 3.
In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and dark brown sugar with a hand mixer until pale and fluffy, 3–5 minutes. Beat in the molasses until combined.
- 4.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. If the batter looks curdled, beat in 1–2 tablespoons of the flour to bring it back together.
- 5.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, fine salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground allspice, ground ginger, and ground cloves.
- 6.
Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix on low just until no dry spots remain.
- 7.
Stir the soaked fruit (including any unabsorbed brandy) and the chopped blanched almonds into the batter until evenly distributed.
- 8.
Scrape the thick batter into the prepared pan, level the top, and make a shallow dip in the center to discourage doming. Bake 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours, until the top is deep brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs. If the cake is browning too quickly, tent loosely with parchment or foil in the last hour.
- 9.
Cool the cake in the pan for 20 minutes. While warm, poke several holes through the top with a skewer and spoon over 2–3 tablespoons of the reserved brandy.
- 10.
Cool completely in the pan, then carefully unmold and peel away the parchment. Wrap the cake in clean parchment and then in foil, and place in an airtight tin.
- 11.
To mature, feed the cake weekly with 1–2 tablespoons of the remaining reserved brandy until it is used (up to 3–4 weeks). Rest at least 1 day after the last feeding before slicing.
- 12.
Slice with a sharp knife and serve in thin wedges.
Fruitcake is a rich, dense cake packed with dried vine fruits, candied peel, nuts, and warm spices, bound together by a buttery batter and often perfumed with brandy. Its texture is moist and sliceable, with glossy jewels of fruit and a deep, aromatic crumb that grows more harmonious as it rests. The flavor is complex—citrus-bright, delicately bitter from peel, warmly spiced, and gently sweet—making it a celebratory bake that improves over time.
Historically associated with Britain, fruitcake traces its lineage to medieval spiced breads and preserved-fruit confections that took advantage of imported sugar and dried fruits arriving through European trade. By the 18th and 19th centuries, it evolved into an enriched, long-keeping cake for holidays and weddings, where slow baking and post-bake “feeding” with spirits became ritual. Today, it remains a seasonal centerpiece, from Christmas tables to special occasions, prized for its keeping qualities and the tradition of maturing the cake for weeks before serving.