Christmas Fruitcake

November is the perfect time to prepare for Christmas.🎄 This week I've ordered nuts and dark chocolate chips to have on hand to bake cookies. 

The following recipe is a David Parke share. David Parke is a Facebook friend of mine from the United Kingdom, who retired after years of serving on Queen Elizabeth II's staff. I have no idea what position he held and haven't had the pleasure of meeting him in person, but he uploads very tempting recipes. My classmate, a romance author, makes the best fruitcake ever found here, but it requires lots of Kentucky bourbon and weeks of time. My in-person friend has so many requests for her fruitcakes, she began selling them.

If you don't order or make hers, try this one uploaded on Facebook by David Park:

Christmas Fruitcake

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

1 1/2 cups mixed dried fruits (raisins, cherries, apricots, and cranberries)

1/2 cup candied orange peel

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

1/2 cup dark rum (or orange juice for a non-alcoholic version)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp allspice

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup buttermilk

Optional Glaze:

1/4 cup apricot or peach jam, warmed

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1-2 tsp milk (adjust as needed for consistency)

David's directions as quoted verbatim ...

"Instructions:

1. Prepare the Fruit Mixture --

In a bowl, combine the mixed dried fruits, candied orange peel, and nuts. Pour the rum (or orange juice) over the mixture, cover, and let it soak for at least 2 hours or overnight for the best flavor.

2. Preheat the Oven and Prepare the Pan --

Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease and line a 9-inch loaf pan or round cake pan with parchment paper.

3. Mix the Dry Ingredients --

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice in a medium bowl. Set aside.

4. Make the Batter --

• In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.
• Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, alternating with the buttermilk. Stir until just combined.
• - Fold in the soaked fruit and nuts, along with any remaining liquid from soaking.

5. Bake the Cake --

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 60-75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

6. Optional Glaze:

For a festive glaze, mix the powdered sugar with milk until smooth. Brush the warm jam over the cake, then drizzle with the powdered sugar glaze.

Details:

Prep Time: 20 minutes (plus soaking time)

Bake Time: 60-75 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours (including soaking)

Servings: 8-10 slices

Tips:

a) Storage: Wrap the cooled cake in plastic wrap, then foil, and store in an airtight container. This cake tastes even better after a few days!

b) Flavor Boost: Brush the cake with additional rum or fruit juice every few days for extra moisture and depth of flavor.

This Christmas Fruitcake Delight will bring a taste of the holiday spirit to your table. Each slice is packed with festive flavors and warm holiday memories—perfect for a cozy winter celebration!"

I aim to make this fruitcake (for Thanksgiving?). It looks sensational! Nowadays for Christmas, I prefer confections that aren't super sweet yet have other flavors and textures creating a party in your mouth! Call them adult sophisticated sweets if you will!

Thanks, David Park, for the share!

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Making Springerle

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Rita Fox's Bourbon Fruitcake

Kally's Kentucky Fruitcake Is The Best Ever!

All photos and recipe by Rita Mackin Fox

Ready or not, the holidays are coming. Today I'm sharing my schoolmate, Rita Mackin Fox's Kentucky (Bourbon) Fruitcake. This is not your typical yucky fruitcake. People who don't like fruitcake, agree on how scrumptious this recipe is! 

As well as her culinary skills, Rita is a talented writer with many worldwide fans. For her Romance novels, she writes under the pen name Kallypso Masters. "Like" her Facebook page to find other delicious recipes, information and entertainment. Thanks, dearest Rita (mostly for being you, and) for letting me share your mother's recipe, plus giving my readers a chance to connect with yours!

Kally's Kentucky Fruitcake 

Makes 3 regular loaves, or one 5+ pound loaf: Rita says, "It can take 6 weeks, from start to finish, so don't wait too long to start!"

Ingredients:

4 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon ground nutmeg

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

2 cups granulated sugar

6 large whole eggs

1/2 cup bourbon (this is just for the cake recipe, not the soaking).

4 cups pecan pieces, soaked in bourbon

1 pound candied cherries (8 oz each of the red and green)

8 ounces raisins, or Craisins, soaked in bourbon

8 ounces candied pineapple

1/2 cup orange marmalade (Rita doesn’t like citron, and this is SO much tastier.)

Extras: 

pecan halves and red/green whole cherries to decorate the top of cake(s)

cheesecloth (a package of 6-yards, cut into three relatively equal sections will do it)

1 - 1.5 litres of fine Kentucky bourbon (Rita prefers sourmash.)   

Directions:

1) At least the night before mixing and baking the cake (and even several days or a week before is okay), soak raisins/Craisins and nuts in bourbon in separate containers. Says Rita: "I just put the pecans into a quart Mason jar and the raisins/Craisins into a pint jar, cover with bourbon, and put them in the fridge until I’m ready for them. They will plump up with the liquor, so don’t overfill the jars, but try to keep the fruit and nuts covered in bourbon."

2) Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and another rack below it on the lowest spot. Put a pan of water on the lowest rack. This will add moisture to the oven when baking. Heavily butter a 10-inch tube pan or three loaf pans. Set aside.

3) Sift the flour, baking powder, and nutmeg into a medium bowl.

4) In a separate, large bowl, cream the butter and sugar, beating with a mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, blending completely after each addition.

5) Drain the bourbon from the raisins and nuts. Measure out and set aside 1/2 cup of the bourbon for later. Pour the rest into a small bowl and add the strips of cheesecloth to soak it up. We NEVER waste good Kentucky bourbon! Set aside.

6) Preheat oven to 325 F.

7) Add the flour mixture to the eggs in two additions, alternating with the 1/2 cup bourbon. Stir in the pecans, marmalade, raisins/Craisins, pineapple, and cherries.

8) Transfer the batter to the prepared pan(s). Rita sometimes decorates the top with bourbon-soaked pecan halves and red/green whole cherries, but that's optional. 

9) Bake until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. APPROXIMATE baking times (ovens vary; also consider altitude adjustments):

• coffeecake pan or tube pan: about 1-3/4 to 2 hours. (Rita’s is usually done within the 1-3/4 hour.)
• bread loaf pan: 75-90 minutes
• 5-inch gift size pans: 60-75 minutes

10) If the top of the cake begins to brown substantially before the cake is set, cover loosely with a piece of aluminum foil.

11) Remove the cake(s) from the oven and let cool 15-30 minutes on a wire rack. Run a knife down the sides to help loosen the cake from the pan. If you made a huge ring cake, before or after turning the cake out, you might want to cut it into three wedges (unless it will be given whole as a gift--and then good luck getting it out without having it break up; Rita's always brakes up). That's why she goes with wedges when she uses a ring pan.

12) When completely cool, wrap each section in a 2-yard strip of bourbon-soaked cheesecloth until covered in several layers.

13) Place the cake(s) in airtight, leak-free containers. (For a ring cake, Rita uses a large Rubbermaid or Tupperware container big enough to fit three loaf-pan sized cakes.) 

14) Liberally, but slowly (so more of it can soak in), pour bourbon over the cake(s). It's okay if liquid is swimming at the bottom a bit in the first week. If you do have a lot of liquid in the bottom, you might not need to add more. Once or twice a day, flip the cakes over so that the bourbon will run back through the cake slowly. Do this for 2-3 weeks, but when you don’t see any standing bourbon at the bottom of the container any longer, and the bottom is no longer “soggy,” you can quit turning it. After a few weeks to a month where no liquid bourbon has been visible, it should be ready to serve or gift, but the cake will keep for months (some even say years). No rush!

This is the best fruitcake you will ever eat! Unlike most, these friutcakes make wonderful gifts!

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Rita Fox’s Bourbon Fruitcake

With permission, I published this recipe 4 years ago. It's the best fruitcake you will ever eat. Rita also sells them (including by mail order) as they are a lot of work to make. Gladly will I put readers in touch with the baker upon request for next year. This year, her fruitcakes are all sold. Moreover, Rita has published an awesome family cookbook. She is also an author of romance books that you can check out under her pen name Kallypso Masters.

Rita Fox’s Bourbon Fruitcake 

Modified 12/12/23 

 

Yield: three bread-loaf pans-sized cakes or 7 mini loaves. 

 

NOTE: Allow at least 4 weeks for mini cakes and 6 weeks for bread-loaf-sized cakes to be ready, so don't wait too long to start each year! I start as soon as candied fruit is available in my store, usually in late October. 

 

You can substitute spiced rum anywhere it mentions bourbon below. 

 

Ingredients 

 

4 cups sifted all-purpose flour 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1 tablespoon ground nutmeg 

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 

2 cups granulated sugar 

6 large whole eggs 

1/2 cup bourbon (this is just for the cake recipe, not the soaking) 

4 cups pecan pieces, soaked in bourbon

8 oz. Craisins (OR yellow or dark raisins), soaked overnight in bourbon 

1 lb. candied cherries (I use 8 oz each of red and green cherries) 

8 oz. candied pineapple 

1/2 cup orange marmalade (I don’t like citron and this is not bitter) 

pecan halves and red/green whole cherries to decorate the top of cakes, optional 

 

cheesecloth (each piece needs to be at least 27 inches long for a mini cake or up to 2 yards for bread-loaf-sized cakes) 

 

1.75 liter bottle of fine Kentucky bourbon

 

Method 

At least the night before mixing and baking the cakes (can also be a week before), soak Craisins/raisins and pecans in bourbon in separate containers. (I put the pecans into a quart Mason/Ball jar and the Craisins/raisins into a pint jar.) Cover and then some with bourbon, cover with foil or plastic, and put them in the fridge until ready to mix and bake. They will plump up with the liquor, so don’t overfill the jars, but try to keep the fruit and nuts covered in bourbon. 

 

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and another rack below it on the lowest spot. Put a pan full of water on the lowest rack. This will add moisture to the oven when baking. Heavily butter pans. Set aside. (I don’t use spray because the butter adds richness to the cakes.) 

 

Sift the flour, baking powder, and nutmeg into a medium bowl. (Even if the flour says it’s presifted, I would sift.) 

 

In a separate, large bowl, cream the butter and sugar, beating with a mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. (If you have a stand mixer, use it here because it will help later in the process.) Add the eggs, one at a time, blending completely after each addition. 

 

Drain 1/2 cup of bourbon from the Craisins then pour the rest into a small or medium bowl. Drain the bourbon from the pecans into the same bowl. Add the strips of cheesecloth to soak up the liquor. Add more bourbon as needed to fully soak the strips. Set aside. (NEVER waste good Kentucky bourbon! Or spice rum if you’re using that!)

Preheat oven to 325 F. 

Add the flour mixture to the eggs in two additions, alternating with the 1/2 cup bourbon. Stir in the pecans, marmalade, Craisins/raisins, pineapple, and cherries. The batter will be very stiff, so this is why you’ll want a stand mixer at this point. But I remember my mom mixing it by hand when I was young.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pans. OPTIONAL: Decorate the top with bourbon-soaked pecan halves and red/green whole cherries.  

 

Bake until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. APPROXIMATE baking times (ovens vary; also consider altitude adjustments--be sure the tester or toothpick comes out clean in several spots not just the center): 

* bread loaf pan: 75-90 minutes 

* mini pans: 60-75 minutes 

 

If the top of the cake begins to brown substantially before the cake is set, cover it loosely with a piece of aluminum foil. When done, remove the cakes from the oven and let cool for 15-30 minutes on a wire rack. Run a knife down the sides to help loosen the cakes from the pans. If the bottoms of the cakes are still pale, you might want to return them to the oven for a little longer. 

When completely cool (can sit overnight), wrap each cake in a strip of bourbon-soaked cheesecloth until completely covered. 

 

Place the cakes in airtight, leak-free containers. I use a large Rubbermaid or Tupperware containers big enough to fit multiple cakes. 

 

Liberally, but slowly over the first two or three days (unless they’re already sitting in a lot of liquid), pour additional bourbon over the cheesecloth-wrapped cakes. Store the containers in a cool, dark place throughout the process and after they’re done. I don’t have a pantry big enough for all the cakes I bake anymore, so I cover them with beach towels and just leave them on the table or shelf space I have available. 

 

Once a day over the next two weeks, flip the cakes over so that the bourbon will run back through the cake slowly. After two weeks, be sure you don’t have any standing bourbon at the bottom of the containers any longer. You can redistribute excess liquor to another container that might need it—or use it to cook or bake something else.
When no liquid bourbon is visible any longer, you will begin to mellow the cakes. Usually at least one day during this stage, I will remove the lids to evaporate excess liquor, flipping the cakes again after 12 hours

Continue to let cakes mellow for 2-4 weeks. A week or so before you plan to serve or gift the cakes, remove the cheesecloth. (I handwash and reuse cheesecloth, or you can discard it.)

The cakes will keep for months (even a year if stored properly in a cool, dark place)! Continue to store in a cool, dry place. I wouldn’t freeze them, but you could put them in the refrigerator. I just store mine in a dark pantry inside a Rubbermaid container. 

To avoid crumbling when cutting: use a serrated knife and a sawing motion.  Avoid pushing the knife down and cut all the way to the base of the cake. Wipe the knife clean between cuts.

Enjoy!

🎄🐑🐪🔔🎄 From Rita's family cookbook 🎄🐑🐪🔔🎄 

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