This is why I love Substack. Thoughtful, intelligent and amazing articles and authors. Perfect timing. I’m attempting my first fruit cake. My father loves fruitcake, or I should say the idea of fruitcake, since I doubt he’s ever had a real one, so I’m making this his Christmas present. After researching dozens of recipes, I’ve settled on one and I began my fruit soaking yesterday with hopes of baking this evening. I have a quick question if you wouldn’t mind. I used Ohio made spiced rum to soak, which hopefully is a good choice, but I’m torn about what alcohol to feed with. Any thoughts on feeding with spiced rum or should I feed with triple sec like Cointreau or some sort of brandy? I’m willing to buy your suggestion. Also, the recipe calls for orange & lemon zest and orange juice. I was between that recipe and one that used unfiltered apple cider and some orange zest. I’m concerned about then orange being too overpowering? Does the citrus mellow in your recipe after aging? I would greatly appreciate your thoughts. Btw, I was thinking of trying to come up with a fruitcake that was stripped down with some of the flavors I prefer so your idea of a pear & walnut is intriguing. I’d love to see a recipe for that one.
Thank you for your kind words! On a traditional recipe I would tend to feed with something less sweet like brandy or spiced rum rather than a liqueur like Cointreau. The recipe in this article is less sweet and needs the sugar in the orange liqueur. I wouldn't worry about a recipe with orange zest and juice being too overpowering-- there are a lot of other competing flavors, and it should all sort of mellow together with age.
I never seem to have the time to make a Christmas cake, but I have plenty of memories from the 60s and 70s in Australia.
My mum always made one - we each had a stir for luck - and hers were always decorated by studding the top with blanched almonds in a pattern.
One year in high school home economics we made and decorated a fruit cake, with the apricot jam/marzipan/royal icing layers. It was an enormous amount of work to get all the layers smooth and level. The cake was cooked in the traditional tin lined with multiple layers of paper - I don't know why, but it was only done with fruit cakes; other cakes only got one layer. The paper used was called butchers paper - basically the paper used to print newspapers, but unprinted of course.
I've also had them with candied citrus slices decorating the top.
Good bakers here usually make excellent cakes, and if any are left over, they're usually an excellent purchase shortly after Christmas. If you're looking for a desert option in the lazy days between Christmas and New Year, a slice with a scoop of ice cream is very tasty.
And I was just deciding on which fruitcake variant to make this year (alas, a little later than I'd like!). Perfect timing. And thank you for the addition to my trial log.
Thank you for shining a light on fruitcake. I live in the US and my family makes my great grandmothers fruitcake every year. My grandmother did it, my mom still does it, and I've helped track the changes to the recipe everyone has made. It starts with ground pork fat and hot water, has an abundance of candied fruits, raisins and dates, and is aged with port wine. Its been an enjoyable holiday tradition, even if it raises some eyebrows.
There's a wonderful essay by James Villas in his book Stalking the Green Fairy about seriously aged southern fruitcakes. Following his method I've done a couple for 2-3 years, but we always ended up eating them!
I was born and raised in Canada but my parents both came from Europe. My father from England. My parents got married near Montreal in 1960. My father's parents flew from England for the wedding. My grandmother had made the wedding cake which was a large fruit cake covered in marzipan and royal icing. And she made the whole trip with the fruitcake in her lap. I'm going to guess that flying from England to Montreal in 1960 was probably a pretty long, loud, bumpy flight in some kind of propeller plane. That is some kind of commitment 😂
This is why I love Substack. Thoughtful, intelligent and amazing articles and authors. Perfect timing. I’m attempting my first fruit cake. My father loves fruitcake, or I should say the idea of fruitcake, since I doubt he’s ever had a real one, so I’m making this his Christmas present. After researching dozens of recipes, I’ve settled on one and I began my fruit soaking yesterday with hopes of baking this evening. I have a quick question if you wouldn’t mind. I used Ohio made spiced rum to soak, which hopefully is a good choice, but I’m torn about what alcohol to feed with. Any thoughts on feeding with spiced rum or should I feed with triple sec like Cointreau or some sort of brandy? I’m willing to buy your suggestion. Also, the recipe calls for orange & lemon zest and orange juice. I was between that recipe and one that used unfiltered apple cider and some orange zest. I’m concerned about then orange being too overpowering? Does the citrus mellow in your recipe after aging? I would greatly appreciate your thoughts. Btw, I was thinking of trying to come up with a fruitcake that was stripped down with some of the flavors I prefer so your idea of a pear & walnut is intriguing. I’d love to see a recipe for that one.
Thank you for your kind words! On a traditional recipe I would tend to feed with something less sweet like brandy or spiced rum rather than a liqueur like Cointreau. The recipe in this article is less sweet and needs the sugar in the orange liqueur. I wouldn't worry about a recipe with orange zest and juice being too overpowering-- there are a lot of other competing flavors, and it should all sort of mellow together with age.
Maybe next year for the pear cake recipe!
I never seem to have the time to make a Christmas cake, but I have plenty of memories from the 60s and 70s in Australia.
My mum always made one - we each had a stir for luck - and hers were always decorated by studding the top with blanched almonds in a pattern.
One year in high school home economics we made and decorated a fruit cake, with the apricot jam/marzipan/royal icing layers. It was an enormous amount of work to get all the layers smooth and level. The cake was cooked in the traditional tin lined with multiple layers of paper - I don't know why, but it was only done with fruit cakes; other cakes only got one layer. The paper used was called butchers paper - basically the paper used to print newspapers, but unprinted of course.
I've also had them with candied citrus slices decorating the top.
Good bakers here usually make excellent cakes, and if any are left over, they're usually an excellent purchase shortly after Christmas. If you're looking for a desert option in the lazy days between Christmas and New Year, a slice with a scoop of ice cream is very tasty.
And I was just deciding on which fruitcake variant to make this year (alas, a little later than I'd like!). Perfect timing. And thank you for the addition to my trial log.
I literally wanted to look up if you had already done a fruit cake recipe yesterday, but then forgot and today this was in my inbox. Perfect timing! 🧡
Thank you for shining a light on fruitcake. I live in the US and my family makes my great grandmothers fruitcake every year. My grandmother did it, my mom still does it, and I've helped track the changes to the recipe everyone has made. It starts with ground pork fat and hot water, has an abundance of candied fruits, raisins and dates, and is aged with port wine. Its been an enjoyable holiday tradition, even if it raises some eyebrows.
Wow that sounds incredible! I've never heard of a recipe like that. I'm so intrigued!
That St Clements fruitcake is my idea of heaven!
There's a wonderful essay by James Villas in his book Stalking the Green Fairy about seriously aged southern fruitcakes. Following his method I've done a couple for 2-3 years, but we always ended up eating them!
Amazing! I'm going to look it up!
Would this be aged enough it made mid November for eating before Christmas ? I never seem to get the fruitcake bug early enough. Thanks
yes! I'd say minimum 3 weeks!
I had to giggle when I read: ½ tsp ground gloves in the recipe ;-)
What a lovely recipe! Thank you for sharing! I am short on time, so can I let the fruit cake mature for roughly 4-5 days or so instead?
I was born and raised in Canada but my parents both came from Europe. My father from England. My parents got married near Montreal in 1960. My father's parents flew from England for the wedding. My grandmother had made the wedding cake which was a large fruit cake covered in marzipan and royal icing. And she made the whole trip with the fruitcake in her lap. I'm going to guess that flying from England to Montreal in 1960 was probably a pretty long, loud, bumpy flight in some kind of propeller plane. That is some kind of commitment 😂