A rich, dense, moist, boozy cake traditionally baked for the holidays. It is packed with dried fruits, walnuts and flavoured with spices. Dried fruits are macerated in rum for a year, which helps in breaking down the fruits. The rum matures and provides an enticing aroma to the cake. Prolonged soaking of the fruits is what gives the cake a signature moist texture and boozy taste. You just need a small slice to enjoy this rich fruity cake.
The flour content in the fruitcake is relatively low with more of mixed fruits, just enough batter to hold the fruits and nuts together. Baked at a low temperature and a month in advance, it is fed with rum every week. Basting the cake deepens the flavour, adding moisture, preserving and preventing the cake from drying out. Glazing the cake with jam also locks in the moisture and gives the cake an attractive sheen. Fruitcake ripens and taste better with age, which can be stored for a year or more. Wrap the cake with cheesecloth soaked in rum, then plastic wrap, finally covered with aluminum foil and store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. Refrigerating the cake is fine but do not freeze unless the cake has ripened.
Choose dried fruits and nuts that you prefer to have in a fruitcake. Ensure that the weight of the fruits and nuts are equal to that of the original recipe. Do you know the difference between raisins, sultanas and currants? Raisins and sultanas are dried, white seedless grapes. Sultanas are larger in size as they are harvested late and sweeter compared to raisins. They are sometimes bleached to give them a lighter colour. Currants are dried, red grapes, seedless or seeded, smaller in size and less sweet compared to raisins.
The flour content in the fruitcake is relatively low with more of mixed fruits, just enough batter to hold the fruits and nuts together. Baked at a low temperature and a month in advance, it is fed with rum every week. Basting the cake deepens the flavour, adding moisture, preserving and preventing the cake from drying out. Glazing the cake with jam also locks in the moisture and gives the cake an attractive sheen. Fruitcake ripens and taste better with age, which can be stored for a year or more. Wrap the cake with cheesecloth soaked in rum, then plastic wrap, finally covered with aluminum foil and store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. Refrigerating the cake is fine but do not freeze unless the cake has ripened.
Choose dried fruits and nuts that you prefer to have in a fruitcake. Ensure that the weight of the fruits and nuts are equal to that of the original recipe. Do you know the difference between raisins, sultanas and currants? Raisins and sultanas are dried, white seedless grapes. Sultanas are larger in size as they are harvested late and sweeter compared to raisins. They are sometimes bleached to give them a lighter colour. Currants are dried, red grapes, seedless or seeded, smaller in size and less sweet compared to raisins.
Fruitcake
(Yields a 10" cake)
Ingredients:
1 cup butter
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour or maida
3/4 teaspoon ginger powder
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/2 teaspoon cloves powder
1 teaspoon rum extract
1/2 cup molasses
1 cup walnuts (coarsely chopped)
2 cups dark rum
Dried Fruits (5 cups in total)
1 1/2 cups raisins
1 cup golden raisins (sultanas)
1 cup dried currants
1/2 cup dried apricots (chopped)
1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries
1/2 cup candied mixed peel
Method:
When using any dried fruits, ensure to cut them the same size as a raisin.
In a glass bowl, soak dried fruits with rum overnight or for few days. Cover with plastic wrap.
Drain the fruits through a strainer reserving any leftover rum for basting or feeding.
Sift the flour, combine with the fruits and walnuts to prevent them from sinking during baking.
Grease, dust a 10" cake pan with flour and line only the bottom with parchment paper.
Preheat oven to 300 F or 150 C.
Boil some water in a saucepan and pour the water in a glass baking dish. Place this dish on the floor of the oven. This will help to keep the cake moist. (Remove racks from the oven and keep only one rack for the cake in the centre position. )
Using an electric hand beater, cream the butter till light and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat well. Incorporate one egg at a time, followed by the spice powders, molasses and rum extract. With a spatula, fold in the flour mixture. Transfer mixture into the prepared cake pan.
Bake till a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, anywhere from 1 1/2 to 2 hours. (Baking time may vary depending on the size, brand of the oven.)
Cool cake in the pan before unmoulding. Invert cake onto a plate and remove the bottom parchment paper. Reinvert cake with the top side up.
Glaze
Ingredients:
1 cup jam (apricot, peach, pear or apple)
1/4 cup water
dried fruits and nuts (as desired) for garnishing
Method:
Heat jam with water till well combined. Strain if jam contains pieces of fruit. Brush the top of the cake. Garnish cake with dried fruits, nuts and coat with jam for a glossy sheen. Allow the glaze to set for an hour before wrapping.
Every week, baste the cake with a tablespoon of rum. Alternatively, you could poke the top of the cake with a skewer and feed it with rum. (This procedure is optional.)
To store cake, please read the information indicated above the pictures.
Note:
(Yields a 10" cake)
Ingredients:
1 cup butter
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour or maida
3/4 teaspoon ginger powder
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/2 teaspoon cloves powder
1 teaspoon rum extract
1/2 cup molasses
1 cup walnuts (coarsely chopped)
2 cups dark rum
Dried Fruits (5 cups in total)
1 1/2 cups raisins
1 cup golden raisins (sultanas)
1 cup dried currants
1/2 cup dried apricots (chopped)
1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries
1/2 cup candied mixed peel
Method:
When using any dried fruits, ensure to cut them the same size as a raisin.
In a glass bowl, soak dried fruits with rum overnight or for few days. Cover with plastic wrap.
Drain the fruits through a strainer reserving any leftover rum for basting or feeding.
Sift the flour, combine with the fruits and walnuts to prevent them from sinking during baking.
Grease, dust a 10" cake pan with flour and line only the bottom with parchment paper.
Preheat oven to 300 F or 150 C.
Boil some water in a saucepan and pour the water in a glass baking dish. Place this dish on the floor of the oven. This will help to keep the cake moist. (Remove racks from the oven and keep only one rack for the cake in the centre position. )
Using an electric hand beater, cream the butter till light and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat well. Incorporate one egg at a time, followed by the spice powders, molasses and rum extract. With a spatula, fold in the flour mixture. Transfer mixture into the prepared cake pan.
Bake till a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, anywhere from 1 1/2 to 2 hours. (Baking time may vary depending on the size, brand of the oven.)
Cool cake in the pan before unmoulding. Invert cake onto a plate and remove the bottom parchment paper. Reinvert cake with the top side up.
Glaze
Ingredients:
1 cup jam (apricot, peach, pear or apple)
1/4 cup water
dried fruits and nuts (as desired) for garnishing
Method:
Heat jam with water till well combined. Strain if jam contains pieces of fruit. Brush the top of the cake. Garnish cake with dried fruits, nuts and coat with jam for a glossy sheen. Allow the glaze to set for an hour before wrapping.
Every week, baste the cake with a tablespoon of rum. Alternatively, you could poke the top of the cake with a skewer and feed it with rum. (This procedure is optional.)
To store cake, please read the information indicated above the pictures.
Note:
- Rum can be substituted with brandy or sherry.
- I have used dried fruits soaked in Appleton Estate Jamaican Rum for more than a year. The cake was absolutely moist and while it baked, the entire kitchen was filled with the aroma of rum.
- Apple jam prepared at home with apples from our garden was used to glaze the cake.
- Molasses is a thick, dark brown syrup obtained from raw sugar during the refining process. If you cannot find molasses, substitute with caramel syrup made with sugar and water, cool and then add to the batter or it will crystallize. Ensure that the syrup is thick and not thin, which may affect the consistency of the batter.
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