Wedding Cake

This is a proper old-fashioned wedding fruitcake, the kind that’s been served at weddings since your great-grandmother’s era. Dense with candied fruit, dried fruit, and nuts, it bakes low and slow for about four hours until every piece of fruit is suspended in a rich, spiced crumb.

The fruit list reads like a confectioner’s inventory: candied cherries, candied pineapple, dates, raisins, currants, citron, and candied orange peel. All of that gets folded into a batter made with brown sugar, honey, molasses, apple cider, and ten eggs. The spice profile of cloves, cinnamon, and mace keeps it warm without overwhelming the fruit.

Triple-sifting the flour with baking powder and spices is not optional. It distributes the leavening evenly and aerates the flour so the dense batter has a fighting chance at rising. The batter goes into greased pans lined with heavy paper, then greased again. That double barrier prevents the edges from burning during the long, slow bake.

Kitchen Tips

• Bake at a true low temperature. Too hot and the outside burns while the center stays raw. A reliable oven thermometer is your friend here.
• Toss the dried and candied fruit in a little flour before folding into the batter. This prevents everything from sinking to the bottom of the pan.
• Check for doneness with a skewer or thin knife in the center. Four hours is a guideline; your oven may need more or less.
• These cakes improve with age. Wrap tightly and store in a cool, dark place for several weeks before icing.

Variations

• Brush the cooled cake with brandy or rum and wrap tightly to “feed” the cake over several weeks for a boozy, traditional English fruitcake.
• Replace the shortening with butter for a richer flavor and better crumb.
• Use royal icing instead of ornamental icing for a harder, more traditional wedding cake finish.