Fruitcake is a time-honored dessert that has been cherished for generations. Making fruitcakes by hand is preserving tradition and creating a dessert rich in flavor and history.
This delectable dessert consists of candied fruits, nuts, and seasonings held together by a moist and tender cake. If you’ve ever pondered how to make this classic dessert with love and care. This article, will explain how to make fruit cake from scratch.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe For Fruit Cake
The terms ‘world’s finest’ and ‘fruit cake’ are typically incompatible. Fruit cake is, after all, one of the most derided baked delicacies in existence.
You know, the ones sold in stores or given as gifts during the holiday? Those with the neon-colored candy fruit pieces? I detest these fruit pastries as well!
Most fruit pastries are dry, delightful, and flavorless.
This recipe for fruitcake is different from your typical fruitcake. It’s the greatest! This fruit cake is moist and flavorfully well-balanced, made with all-natural ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups dried red cherries
- 1-1/2 cups green whole candied cherries
- 3 cups candied pineapple chunks
- 1 kilogram of golden currants
- 1 pound halves of walnut
- 1 cup shortening
- 1 mug sugar 5 room-temperature large eggs
- 4 teaspoons of vanilla flavoring
- 3 cups standard flour
- 3.0 grams of baking soda
- a pinch of salt
Optional Glaze:
- 1/4 cup (72 g) apricot preserves,
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) water, and whole hazelnuts for garnish
How To Make Fruit Cake From Scratch?
Instruction
This recipe for Fruit Cake is a classic holiday treat that gets better with age because it has nuts and fruit. This is much better than store-bought because it’s soft and juicy. Here are step by step instruction to make fruit cake from scratch.
1. Prepare The Soaking Blend
The secret to a flavorful and moist fruitcake is a mixture of candied fruits that have been appropriately marinated. Combine 2 cups of assorted candied fruits, such as cherries, pineapple, and citrus peel, with 1 cup of raisins, 1 cup of currants, 1/2 cup of chopped dates, and 1/2 cup of candied ginger in a large mixing bowl. Add a fistful of cut-in-half candied cherries for color and sweetness.
Pour 1/2 cup of brandy or dark rum over the fruit melange, ensuring every piece is well coated. This process lets the fruits absorb the rich, alcoholic flavors, producing an exceptionally moist and fragrant fruitcake. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and soak the produce for at least 24 hours. Occasionally, stir the mixture to ensure uniform absorption. You can marinate the fruits for several days to increase their flavor intensity.
2. Preheating The Oven
Before mixing the cake mixture, preheat the oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit (135 degrees Celsius). Ensure that your oven’s temperature is correct, as the extended, slow baking time is essential for a well-cooked and evenly textured fruitcake. To prevent adhering, grease and line a 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pan with parchment paper.
3. Prepare Fruitcake Batter
Place 1 cup of softened unsalted butter and 1 cup of brown sugar in a separate big bowl. Beat the two together until they are light and fluffy. This step makes sure that the crumb of your fruitcake will be soft and the taste will be buttery.
4. Mix Dry Ingredients
In a separate dish, combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon powdered nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves. This spice mixture imparts a warm and aromatic flavor to your fruitcake.
5. Combine Fruitcake Ingredients
Mix hard as you slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture. Make sure that everything is well mixed. After being mixed, it should be thick and smooth.
6. Add The Seasonings
1/4 cup of black treacle or molasses lends depth and a hint of bitterness to balance the sweetness of the fruits. Add 1/4 cup of pulverized almonds or almonds that have been finely chopped for a nutty flavor.
Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, the citrus and juice of one lemon, and the zest and juice of one orange. These citrus elements enliven the cake’s flavor profile by balancing the sweetness with a delicate acidity.
7.Add To Soaked Fruits
Carefully incorporate the fruit mixture and any remaining marinating liquid into the batter. Ensure that the fruit is distributed uniformly throughout the batter. This action imparts the cake with the fruity flavor and alcoholic essence of the saturated fruits.
8. Bake
Once the cake pan is ready, pour the fruitcake batter into it and use a spoon to smooth the top. Bake the cake for about 2.5 to 3 hours in an oven that has already been warm. For the cake to cook evenly and fully, it must be baked slowly over a long period. Put a toothpick into the middle of the cake to see if it’s done; it should come out clean. When the cake’s top turns brown too quickly, put aluminum foil over it.
9. Glaze And Ornament
After removing the fruitcake from the oven while still warm, puncture the top with several openings using a skewer or toothpick. This step enables the brandy or dark rum to penetrate the cake and infuse it with extra flavor.
Brush the fruitcake’s surface with two to three tablespoons of brandy or dark rum. This phase adds dimension and intensifies the cake’s aromatic qualities. You can also brush the cake with additional cognac or rum to enhance its flavor as the cake cools.
Decorate the cake with candied fruits and almonds in their entirety. Not only do they lend a touch of elegance, but they also provide delightful flavor and texture bursts. Additional brandy or rum can adhere the fruits to the cake, enhancing its visual allure and flavor.
Leftover
Even though your fruitcake will be delicious immediately, the taste will continue to blend and enhance over time. Wrap the fruitcake in plastic wrap and store it in an airtight container for a few days before serving for the finest flavor. Fruitcakes can be stored for weeks or even months. The aging process intensifies the flavors and melds, resulting in an increasingly flavorful and moist cake over time.
Tips
- Alcohol can be replaced with apple cider to create a nonalcoholic version of this fruit cake. Orange juice is yet another delectable option.
- Ensure that you thoroughly fold the batter so that the fruit and almonds are evenly distributed throughout the batter. It’s an excellent arm exercise!
- Do not omit the fruit soaking step. The lengthier the soaking time, the better! The longer the fruit soaks, the more flavorful the cake will be. The desiccated fruit will absorb the brandy or rum as it rehydrates and swells.
- Ensure that you measure the flour accurately. The dough will dehydrate if you add too much flour, and your fruit cake will be too crumbly. The most accurate method of measuring flour is with a kitchen scale. Fluff your flour with a spoon, distribute it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it if you do not have a measuring spoon.
- Overmixing the cake mixture will result in a dense and dry cake.
- Eggs should be at ambient temperature for optimal incorporation into the batter. Bringing eggs to ambient temperature helps prevent overmixing of the batter. Cover the eggs in a large basin with warm tap water and set aside for 5 minutes. If you forget to lay them out, this will quickly bring them to room temperature.
Creating a fruitcake from scratch is a rewarding culinary endeavor that yields a delectable and cherished dessert. You can master this time-honored dessert with the right ingredients, patience, and a little imagination, which is excellent for gifting or enjoying with loved ones over the holiday season and beyond.
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