Roberto Caruso
Last December we polled our Facebook readers on the controversial subject of traditional Christmas fruitcake: love it or loathe it? The readers voted and a whopping 72 percent gave fruitcake a thumbs up!
I'll be honest - I'm part of the latter group. Fruitcake has never been my thing, but even in the office, I'm in the minority. Our food editor, Claire, has an annual tradition of preparing her Christmas cakes for family and friends, baking them three months in advance. Her method is a labour-intensive process: brushing brandy on each loaf every Sunday night until Christmas (plus, a little brandy nightcap). And then there's our marketing director, Marnie, who can smell a fruitcake baking a mile away. Across the pond, Heston Blumenthal's fruitcakes are going for $500 a piece on eBay!
So, seeing as this traditional loaf is much beloved and a staple for many around the holidays, we implore you to try our ultimate fruitcake recipe this season. Don't let the two-day prep or the fruitcake adverse deter you from this moist and flavourful loaf (trust me, I tried it, and it's " dare I say " delicious).
Ultimate fruitcake recipe
Prep: 1-1/2 hours
Cook: 30 min
Standing: Overnight
Bake: 3 hours
Ingredients
1-3/4 cups whole blanched almonds, about 250 g
1 cup slivered blanched almonds, about 125 g
2 cups seeded raisins, about 450 g
2 cups seedless raisins, about 375 g
2 cups currants, about 250 g
2 cups cut lemon peel or mixed peel, about 500 g
500 g pitted dates
2 375-mL bottles red maraschino cherries
3/4 cup brandy or cognac
540-mL can crushed pineapple, about 2 cups
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup strawberry jam
1/4 cup brandy or cognac
Batter:
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp each allspice and ground cloves
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
454 g butter, at room temperature
2-1/4 cups granulated sugar
12 eggs
The night before:
1. Measure almonds, raisins, currants and lemon peel into a large bowl. Thinly slice dates using a sharp knife. (They should measure about 2-1/2 cups.) Stir into almond mixture.
2. Drain cherries, saving 1/4 cup juice, then slice thickly. Stir cherries into almond mixture along with 3/4 cup brandy. Cover tightly and leave at room temperature overnight. Stir occasionally.
3. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine pineapple with juices and 2 cups sugar. Cook, uncovered, over medium-low 30 min to reduce most of liquid. Stir frequently, especially near end of cooking, to prevent burning. Remove from heat. Stir in jam and 1/4 cup each maraschino-cherry juice and brandy. Cover and refrigerate.
Baking day:
Cake pans: Choose square pans that are at least 3 in. high. Finished batter measures 24 cups. This amount will fit into a set of 3 graduated wedding-cake pans (a 7-1/2-in., a 5-1/2-in. and a 4-in. pan) and an 8×4-in. loaf pan. When baked, each cake will be 2-1/2 in. high. (You can use other pans such as loaf pans and square pans. Always leave space at top for batter to rise.) Lightly grease pans, then line with heavy brown paper or foil, dull-side out. Grease paper or foil well.
Baking:
1. Preheat oven to 275F. In a large bowl, using a fork, stir flour with spices, salt and baking soda until blended. Sprinkle 1 cup of this mixture over fruit-and-almond mixture. Toss with your hands until all fruit is lightly coated. Set aside.
2. Measure butter and 2-1/4 cups sugar into a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Continue to beat at low speed. Gradually beat in one-third of flour mixture, followed by half of pineapple mixture. Repeat additions, ending with flour mixture.
3. Pour over flour-coated fruit and almonds. Mix with your hands until fruit is evenly coated. Divide mixture between prepared pans, leaving a 1-in. space at top of each pan for batter to rise. Smooth tops.
4. Bake in centre of preheated 275F oven 3 to 3-1/2 hours, depending on sizes of pans. After cakes have baked 1 hour, lay a large sheet of heavy foil over tops of pans to prevent crusts from darkening. A small loaf takes about 2-3/4 hours; the 7-1/2-in. square cake will need about 3-1/2 hours. Cakes are done when they are fairly firm to the touch in centre and a skewer inserted in centre right to bottom of pan comes out without any batter on it. It may have a little sticky raisin or cherry attached to it.
5. When cakes are done, remove from oven. Place pans on a cake rack to cool, 15 to 30 min. Run a sharp knife around edges of pans, then turn out cakes onto a rack. Carefully peel off paper and cool cakes completely.
6. To store, wrap cooled fruitcakes in brandy-soaked cheesecloth, if you wish (this is not essential, as cakes are very moist). Overwrap in foil and store in the refrigerator or another cool place. Cakes keep well in the refrigerator for months.
Makes 11-1/2 lbs (5-3/4 kg) fruitcake. Nutrients per 15-g slice: 55 calories, 1 g protein, 9 g carbs, 2 g fat
More from Chatelaine:
- How to make easy shortbread cookies
- How to stripe your peppermint kisses
- Sharp-cheddar zucchini bread: A warm loaf for a cool season
- Cheesecake brownies: A decadent dessert for the holidays
- Healthier pumpkin pie with an easy and delicious gluten-free crust
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