Fruit Cake
For many, this delicious cake is a must for the Holidays. Candied fruit cake is delightful, but we believe it can be greatly improved upon if prepared several weeks in advance, then brushed with alcohol once a week. When refrigerated, it can keep for up to one year.
If you use a Bundt pan, we suggest buttering it generously as candied fruits tend to stick, which makes unmolding difficult. If you don’t find candied citron peel, replace them with another candied citrus.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup brown (dark) rum
- 1 cup prunes, chopped
- 1 cup pitted dates, chopped
- 1½ cups Thompson raisins
- 1½ cups corinthian raisins
- ½ cup candied red cherries
- ½ cup candied green cherries
- ½ cup candied citron peel
- ¼ cup candied lemon peel
- ¼ cup candied lime peel
- 1 cup pecans, broken
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 6 eggs
- ½ cup molasses
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 Tbsp Mulling Spices, ground
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 pinch salt
Method
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1
Marinate the fruits in rum overnight. Set aside.
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2
Preheat the oven to 300 °F.
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3
Beat the butter and brown sugar together in a large bowl.
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4
Continue beating then progressively incorporate the eggs and molasses into the blend.
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5
In a separate bowl, blend the flour, spices, baking soda and salt.
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6
Add the dry blend to the moist ingredients and mix on high speed until a uniform dough is obtained.
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7
Incorporate the pecans and the fruits into the dough (along with any remaining alcohol) and mix well.
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8
Pour the dough into two, buttered Bundt pan molds or two, 12-inch X 4-inch rectangular, parchment-lined molds, filled to ¾ capacity.
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9
Place a pan of boiling water on the bottom rack of the oven to maintain a level of humidity.
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10
Place the cakes on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 1 hour.
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11
Remove the pan of boiling water and continue baking for another 30 minutes. The cakes are ready once an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
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12
Remove from the oven and let cool for half an hour.
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13
Unmold delicately and let cool completely.
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14
Brush on the rum, wrap first in parchment paper, then in tin foil. Place in the refrigerator.
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15
Brush with rum once a week for at least one month.
