Fruit Cake

Fruit cake is a timeless and beloved dessert that has been enjoyed for centuries and distinctive feature of fruit cake lies in its combination of dried fruits, such as raisins, currants, cherries, and candied citrus peel, along with an assortment of nuts like almonds, walnuts, and pecans. These ingredients are generously mixed into a batter made from flour, sugar, butter, and eggs, often enhanced with aromatic spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. The cake is then slow-baked to perfection, allowing the flavors to meld and intensify. It can be enjoyed on its own as a delightful dessert or paired with a cup of tea or coffee. It is also a popular choice for gifting, as fruit cakes can be wrapped, adorned with icing, and given as a symbol of warmth, love, and celebration. This fruit cake infused with rum will truly give you a new perspective on cakes, with a bonus of a long shelf life.

Fruit Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups glazed fruits
• 1 1/2 cups raisins
• 1/2 cup red cherries
• 1/2 cup green cherries
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1/2 cup rum or apple juice
• 3/4 cup melted butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 whole eggs
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 cup apple juice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp cinnamon powder
• 1 tsp salt

Toppings:

• red and green cherries
• cashews

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, add the glazed fruits, raisins, red cherries, green cherries and rum (or sweet wine). Mix until well combined. Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and let the fruits soak for 30 minutes up to an hour. Set aside.
2. In another bowl, add the melted butter, brown sugar, molasses, vanilla extract, apple juice and eggs (add them gradually). Mix until well combined. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon powder and salt. Use an electric mixer and beat the mixture using low speed to combine well.
3. Once you get the thick consistency of the cake batter,  add the glazed fruits, walnuts, and cashews. Mix until well incorporated.
4. Line your baking pans with parchment paper. Pour the cake batter. Press gently to prevent air gaps. Sift a small amount of flour on top of the batter before decorating the top with your choice of toppings.
5. Bake the fruit cake in a pre heated oven for an hour at 150 C. After an hour, do the stick test to check if the center of the cake is fully cooked.
6. Let the cake cool completely before removing from the baking pans.
7. To cure or prolong the life of the cake, flip it upside down and then poke a lot of holes using a fork. Then, brush the cake with rum.
8. If you plan to eat the cake right away, transfer to a serving plate. Slice the fruit cake into serving pieces. Enjoy with your favorite coffee or tea. Yum!
9. If you plan to store it, brush the cake with rum from time to time and then wrap using a plastic wrap. This can last for a few months.

What is a Fruit Cake

The history of fruit cake can be traced back to ancient times. The use of dried fruits, nuts, and honey in cakes dates back to ancient Egypt and Rome, where these ingredients were considered valuable commodities. The fruit and nut cakes were often used as offerings in religious ceremonies and as a source of sustenance during long journeys.

During the Middle Ages in Europe, fruit cakes became popular, especially in England. They were associated with celebrations, including weddings and Christmas festivities. The use of spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, became prevalent, adding warmth and flavor to the cakes.

Fruit cakes gained even more prominence during the Victorian era in Britain. They were often elaborately decorated with icing, marzipan, and sugared fruits to showcase wealth and opulence. The cakes were enjoyed not only during holidays but also as a symbol of status and abundance.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, fruit cakes made their way to North America through European settlers. The availability of local ingredients and regional variations led to the development of unique fruit cake recipes across different states and communities.

The popularity of fruit cake continued to grow in the 20th century, especially during the holiday season. It became a customary gift to be shared among family and friends. The cakes were often prepared in advance and aged to enhance their flavors, with some recipes calling for the addition of spirits like rum or brandy for preservation.

How to Make a Fruit Cake

This fruitcake recipe I am about to share with you is not the typical fruitcake you see at the local bakeries. This fruitcake’s shelf life can extend into months, much longer than regular breads and pastries! Continue reading to know the secret on how to prolong the shelflife of your favorite fruitcake.

For a fair warning, preparing this fruitcake recipe will cost you some money, since it is not like simply adding fruits in sponge cake.

We are still early in the recipe but I have to reveal the secret ingredient– it’s rum. Lets start by combining the glazed fruits, raisins, green cherries and rum. Let the ingredients soak into the rum for 30 mins to 1 hour. We all know how perishable fruits are, so soaking them in rum will definitely prolong its life.

For the cake batter, simply combine the melted butter, brown sugar, molasses, vanilla extract, apple juice and eggs. Add the eggs gradually as they tend to curdle up. The next batch of ingredients to add are the dry ingredients composed of flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon powder and salt which are all needed to be sifted to produce finer cake for later.

 Once the batter is thick, now is the perfect time to add the soaked fruits earlier. Place the fruit cake batter into a baking pan lined with parchment paper for easier removal. Bake the cake in a preheated oven. Do the stick test to check if the cake is cooked up to the center.

While the fruits and other toppings incorporated are all already soaked in rum, the hack to prolong the life of the actual cake is to poke some holes using a fork and then brush it with rum.

After brushing, you can enjoy the fruitcake right away and just slice into serving pieces. If you want to store it, wrap it using a plastic wrap and then brush it with rum from time to time.