Golden Fruitcake

This is a golden fruitcake built on light-colored fruits instead of the dark, boozy kind. Dried apricots, seedless raisins, candied cherries, candied orange peel, and citron give it a jewel-toned look when you slice into the loaf, while shaved almonds and lemon zest add nuttiness and a bright citrus note.

Tossing the fruit and nuts with half the flour before mixing into the batter is the classic technique for keeping them suspended evenly. Without that flour coating, everything sinks to the bottom during the long bake. The batter itself is rich: 1 ½ cups shortening creamed with sugar and eight whole eggs beaten in one at a time.

Sifting the remaining flour with salt and baking powder three times might seem fussy, but it matters. Triple sifting aerates the cake flour and ensures the leavening distributes evenly through such a dense, heavy batter. Lining the pans with greased brown paper prevents sticking and makes unmolding clean.

Chef Tips

• Chop all fruit to a similar size so it distributes evenly. Large pieces create pockets where the batter is thin and can collapse.
• Beat in eggs one at a time. Dumping them all in at once can break the creamed mixture and you’ll lose the light, fluffy texture.
• Bake at a low temperature. Fruitcake needs gentle heat to cook through without burning the sugary exterior.
• Wrap cooled loaves tightly in plastic and foil. They improve in flavor after a few days of resting.

Variations

• Brush warm loaves with brandy or rum and wrap tightly for an aged, boozy fruitcake.
• Swap almonds for pistachios for a pop of green color.
• Add ½ cup dried cranberries for a tarter, more modern flavor.