Heirloom Fruitcake
Submitted by bugeja
Heirloom fruitcake packs candied cherries, pineapple, citron, dates, raisins and pecans into a spice-laden batter, baked low and slow then aged a month with wine before serving.
YIELD
1 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
4 hrsREADY
4 hrsThe fruitcake that gets passed down with the recipe card stained from decades of Decembers. Eleven pounds of dried and candied fruit, nearly a pound of pecans, twelve eggs, and a pound each of butter and brown sugar yield three cakes that weigh more than the holiday bird. This is not a single-loaf afternoon project; it is a baking marathon designed to feed an extended family through New Year and beyond.
Coating the fruit and nuts in flour before folding in is the move that makes or breaks the cake. The flour layer keeps everything suspended in the batter as it bakes instead of sinking to the bottom. A heavily fruited cake without the flour coat looks like fruit-on-the-bottom upside-down cake when sliced.
The slow bake is intentional. Low and gentle heat means the dense batter cooks evenly through without scorching the fruit on top, which would burn long before the center sets at higher temperatures. Brown paper liners do double duty as insulation during the long bake and prevent sticking.
The brushing of light corn syrup near the end glazes the top and lets decorative fruit and nuts cling. A monthly wine soak and a cool, wrapped storage spot lets the flavors meld and mellow. By Christmas, the spices have bloomed, the fruit has plumped, and the cake slices clean.
Pro Tips
- Sift the flour twice as the recipe calls for. Aerated flour folds into the dense batter more evenly without lumps.
- Line pans with brown paper, not parchment alone. The paper insulates against the long bake and the cake releases cleanly.
- Refresh with a tablespoon of brandy, rum, or wine over the wrapped cake every week during storage for a deeper, boozier finish.
- Slice with a serrated knife and clean the blade between cuts. The dense fruit gums up a smooth blade fast.
Variations
- Soak raisins and currants in dark rum for 24 hours before mixing for a richer, traditional British-style fruitcake.
- Substitute walnuts or almonds for some of the pecans for a different nut profile.
- Wrap the cooled cake in cheesecloth dampened with brandy or whiskey, then in foil, for true heirloom-style aging.
Ingredients
Directions
Cut fruit into small pieces and chop nuts.
Mix fruit and nuts with enough flour to coat well.
Cream butter and sugar until light.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add vanilla and lemon and orange juices.
Resift 4 cups sifted flour with baking powder, soda, nutmeg, allspice and cinnamon.
Add alternately with grape juice to egg mixture.
Stir in fruit and nut mixture.
Grease 2 (9- x 5-inch) loaf pans and 1 (10-inch) tube pan.
Line with brown paper and grease paper.
Turn batter into pans, filling ¾ full.
Bake at 200 F.
Loaf pans will require about 4½ hours.
Tube pan about 4½ hours.
About 30 minutes before cake is done, brush light corn syrup over top and decorate with nuts and fruits.
Cool in pans.
Pour a little additional wine over top of cooled cake, if desired, wrap and store in cool place 1 month before using.
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