Real Fruit Fruitcakes

[rosen]

Does anyone have a tried & true recipe for a "fruitcake" type cake that uses good quality real dried fruits & not "candied" fruit? A search of the threads is getting me nowhere. Last year Martha had an entire recipe section devoted to this type of cake...has anyone out there tried any of those?
TIA!

[Melman]

I know you specified 'tried and true', but does not-tried-but-want-to-try count?? This is a fruitcake that Alton Brown did on a show in the last year or so. It really sounds good....none of that funky green or yellow stuff in here!!!

Free Range Fruitcake

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown

1 cup golden raisins
1 cup currants
1/2 cup sun dried cranberries
1/2 cup sun dried blueberries
1/2 cup sun dried cherries
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
Zest of one lemon, chopped coarsely
Zest of one orange, chopped coarsely
1/4 cup candied ginger, chopped
1 cup gold rum
1 cup sugar
5 ounces unsalted butter (1 1/4 sticks)
1 cup unfiltered apple juice
4 whole cloves, ground
6 allspice berries, ground
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
1/4 to 1/2 cup toasted pecans, broken
Brandy for basting and/or spritzing
Combine dried fruits, candied ginger and both zests. Add rum and macerate overnight, or microwave for 5 minutes to re-hydrate fruit.

Place fruit and liquid in a non-reactive pot with the sugar, butter, apple juice and spices. Bring mixture to a boil stirring often, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for at least 15 minutes. (Batter can be completed up to this point, then covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before completing cake.)

Heat oven to 325 degrees.

Combine dry ingredients and sift into fruit mixture. Quickly bring batter together with a large wooden spoon, then stir in eggs one at a time until completely integrated, then fold in nuts. Spoon into a 10-inch non-stick loaf pan and bake for 1 hour. Check for doneness by inserting toothpick into the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean, it's done. If not, bake another 10 minutes, and check again.

Remove cake from oven and place on cooling rack or trivet. Baste or spritz top with brandy and allow to cool completely before turning out from pan.

When cake is completely cooled, seal in a tight sealing, food safe container. Every 2 to 3 days, feel the cake and if dry, spritz with brandy. The cake's flavor will enhance considerably over the next two weeks. If you decide to give the cake as a gift, be sure to tell the recipient that they are very lucky indeed.

Yield: 10 slices
Difficulty: Easy

[rosen]

Thank you! Free Range Fruitcake! I love the name :)! This looks wonderful! Between this one (can you ever DOUBT that an Alton Brown recipe won't be good?!?), & the ones I saved from that MS issue....to many recipes, not enough time.....

[Melman]

HA! I think you should make the Free Range Fruitcake and post the results for everyone. ;-) I really want to make it...I guess I just have that mental complex where my mind hears fruitcake and it jumps to those yucky gooey fake fruit thingies. I know AB's would be a million times better than those traditional fruitcakes!! Maybe I'll get around to in the upcoming baking frenzy!

[Little Bit]

I made the "Free Range Fruitcake" last year, but admittedly, I substituted whatever dried fruits I could find, since I couldn't find any dried blueberries or cherries.
They turned out beautifully, and everyone praised them nicely. I did add more rum than the recipe called for, don't know if that was a factor.

[rosen]

Little Bit

The recipe says to use a 10" loaf pan & all I have is the 9". Does this expand & rise like a regular cake? Or does it remain dense? I'm wondering if I should divide the batter into several mini loaf pans.....?

[Shirley Ekstein]

We have wonderful Christmas Cake recipes - admittedly, most of them contain a small proportion of what we call Candied Peel, which is the peel of lemons, oranges, limes and citrons that have been put through a heavy sugaring process - they are sweet, sticky and entirely delicious - but if you hate them they can substituted with extra raisins and currants and sultanas, or with dried apricots or cherries.
Think the recipe given above sounds lovely, but it's defintely not an English Christmas Cake. Should you want one, gimme a shout - they're really really good, but you need to make it within the next couple of weeks to give it time to mature - always supposing you wanted it for Christmas, of course!
Regards,
Shirley

[Little Bit]

Originally posted by rosen
Little Bit The recipe says to use a 10" loaf pan & all I have is the 9". Does this expand & rise like a regular cake? Or does it remain dense? I'm wondering if I should divide the batter into several mini loaf pans.....?

I'm sorry to say I don't remember. In the last few years I've been experimenting with fruitcake recipes, and never use the same one twice. I typically just used whatever pans I have, in whatever sizes, and hope for the best, leaving about an inch or two at the top for expansion.
I've put my batters in mini loaf pans, bundt pans, you name it, works fine.
I'm honestly not sure I know what a ten inch loaf pan is. :o :o

Shirley, I'd LOVE to see your recipe, if you don't mind sharing!
I keep thinking I'll try steaming a pudding one day, but have never managed to work up the nerve. Most cookbooks make it sound easy, which makes me wonder, LOL!

[Shirley Ekstein]

Well, Little Bit (dammit – know you’ve put your real name up before – made a note and now can’t find it – hate calling you Little Bit!) – anyway - here’s my Christmas Cake recipe – hope you’re feeling a) patient, cos is awfully long and b) if you want to try it that you have scales, cos is in ounce measurements. OK –

8 ozs currants
8 ozs sultanas (think you might call these golden raisins)
8 ozs raisins
4 ozs mixed candied peel, bought in the piece and then chopped
4ozs glace cherries (think we’ve talked about this before – heavily sugared cherries?)
2 ozs flaked almonds
8 ozs all-purpose flour
pinch salt
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
8 ozs butter (think this is 2 sticks?)
8 ozs soft brown sugar
grated rind and juice of 1 lemon and 1 orange
4 large eggs, beaten
4 tablespoons brandy.

Weigh out and mix together all the fruit (substituting extra dried fruit if you don’t like the candied peel), sprinkle over the grated orange and lemon rind, then sprinkle the brandy and orange and lemon juice over all. Stir well, cover and leave to macerate for a couple of days, stirring whenever you remember to.
Line an 8 inch cake tin with greaseproof (non-stick) paper. Heat oven to very low – (gas 2 – 300F ).
Sift flour, salt and spices, leave aside. Put butter and sugar into bowl and beat till pale and fairly fluffy. Add beaten eggs a little at a time, beating hard between each addition. Tip in half the flour and all the dried macerated fruit – mix in with large metal spoon, turning the bowl as you go, then when flour is starting to disappear into mixture, tip in rest of flour and carry on mixing and turning till you have a homogeneous mixture.
Spoon into prepared tin and smooth top.
Bang tin on table to remove any air pockets, re-smooth top then bake in pre-heated oven for about 3 ¾ hours – (but BEWARE – if you have a fan (convection) oven, as I do, cake may well be cooked in about 2 ½ hours – once this time is up, keep testing every 15 mins with a skewer. )
Leave cake to cool in tin – and be warned – this can take up to 12 hours!
When thoroughly cold, remove from tin and place on enough spread-about sheets of clingfilm to eventually wrap it completely, but before you wrap it, pierce cake all over with a skewer, right down to the bottom, and pour evenly over a couple tablespoons brandy – if you don’t get it even and miss some bits, just use more brandy! Now wrap your cake in the clingfilm, overwrap with foil and leave in a cool, dry place for a month or so. You can (and I always do) unwrap it every week and pour over a couple more tablespoons brandy, then re-wrap.
After a month or so has passed you are ready to marzipan and ice your cake, which is a whole new story.
This sounds time-consuming and lengthy – it isn’t, honest – takes longer to type than cook - and is worth it.
(Incidentally, have been talking to Gail, who I hope is going to try an English Christmas Pud – both Pud and Cake are SO much easier than they might sound. Anyone who can produce one of those incredibly complicated American suppers, starting with salad and going on to heaven knows what would find either English Ch. Cake or Ch. Pud as easy as falling off a log.)
Anyway – should anyone decide to have a go at either cake or pud, am on hand for advice if you need it.
Regards,
Shirley.

[sneezles]

Shirley,
Your Christmas cake sounds a lot like my friend Margaret's (she lives outside Perth) and we love eating her cake! But since we will not be together for the holidays this year (hope to make it there next March, tho), I think I shall try your's. And I know that she anteed up the brandy every week. One question, here in the lonestar state cool places can be hard to find so how cool is cool? I'm thinkin' it must at least 50º and that would be impossible-DH would kill me if I set the a/c that low (and I don't think it actually goes that low :p ). Would it still age properly if stored in the fridge?

[Shirley Ekstein]

Hi sneezles - actually, wouldn't bother putting it in fridge - I know I said store 'cool and dry', but really, cool isn't all that necessary. Just choose the coolest place you have - maybe somewhere in the house that faces away from day-time sun?

But having said that, if you're at all bothered about keeping it, then put it in the fridge - it'll slow down the maturation slightly but I very much doubt you'll notice the difference.

Just keep pouring on the brandy and it'll be fine.

After all - what wouldn't?!

Regards,
Shirley

[Little Bit]

Hi Shirley,

Thanks for sharing the recipe! I do have kitchen scales, so the measurements won't be a problem. I probably won't get to the pudding til next year, since I've already got four fruitcakes in the pantry now. (Most are gifts, LOL!)

Gotta run, I'm almost late for yoga class!
Anna

[Little Bit]

Hi again,

As I re-read this thread, it occurs to me that the fruitcakes I've made this year seem an awful lot like Shirley's Christmas Cake, so I'm thinking it might be fun to try topping mine with marzipan and icing. I've never attempted this before, so I'm clueless on the details.

Could Shirley or anyone else that knows such things give me some advice on how to proceed?

I got started with this year's fruit after being inspired by Laurie Colwin's "Black Cake" recipe which calls for the marzipan and icing when served, but I wound up using the fruit in a more standard fruitcake recipe. My cakes aren't black, just sorta dark brown and rich looking.

The few recipes I've seen for the marzipan topped with icing idea are pretty skimpy on details, so any help would be greatly appreciated.:)

[funnybone]

Here are some Canadian recipes from www.chatalaine.com


White Fruitcake

Like many daughters, Eileen Ironmonger of Pincher Creek, Alta., carries on her mother's tradition of holiday baking. Her mother's recipe makes three cakes, enough for sharing with others.

Preparation Time : 15 minutes
Baking Time : 1-1/2 hours
Makes : 3 cakes, each 8 slices


6 cups (1.5 L) golden raisins
2 cups (500 mL) glacé pineapple wedges, about 450 g (1 lb)
2 cups (500 mL) cut mixed peel or glacé red and green cherries, about 450 g (1 lb)
1 to 2 cups (125 to 250 mL) blanched almonds, toasted and finely chopped
3 cups (750 mL) all-purpose flour
6 tsp (30 mL) baking powder
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
1-1/2 cups (375 mL) butter, softened
1-1/2 cups (375 mL) granulated sugar
7 eggs
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract
1 tsp (5 mL) almond extract
1/2 cup (125 mL) cream (half 'n' half or table)
3 tbsp (45 mL) brandy, rum or bourbon



1. Preheat oven to 275 F (140 C). Line three 9x5-inch (1.5-L) loaf pans (or any baking pans that will hold a total of 18 cups of batter) with foil. To easily make a foil pan, smooth ample pieces of foil over the outside of pans, then drop the shaped foil into the pans. Coat with cooking spray or lightly grease.

2. In a very large bowl, stir raisins with pineapple, peel and almonds. Add 1/2 cup flour and toss until fruit is coated. In another bowl, use a fork to stir remaining 2-1/2 cups flour with baking powder and salt. In another large bowl, beat butter with sugar using an electric mixer on medium speed or a wooden spoon. When creamy, after about 3 minutes beating with mixer, add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then, beat in vanilla and almond extract.

3. Beat in a third of flour mixture. As soon as it is mixed in, beat in half of the cream. Mix and repeat additions, ending with flour. Using a large rubber spatula, stir in fruit mixture, using a folding motion until evenly distributed. Spoon into prepared pans and smooth tops. Bake in centre of 275 F (140 C) oven until golden and a cake tester or skewer inserted into the centre of cake comes out almost clean, about 1-1/2 hours. Cake top should feel firm when lightly pressed. Cool in pans on rack. Turn out cakes and remove foil.

4. Saturate cheesecloth with brandy and wrap around cakes. Seal in plastic bags and refrigerate. Check after a week and re-soak cheesecloth if necessary. Cakes will keep well for months.

Nutrients per slice
3.0 g protein, 1.0 mg iron, 7.9 g fat, 47.0 mg calcium, 41.7 g carbohydrates, 240.0 calories.




Double-Layer Fruitcake

This family recipe originated way down south in Louisiana over a half century ago and immigrated with Vi Heath to Kamloops, B.C. Chock-full of pineapple, toasted nuts, raisins and coconut, we find it more like a carrot cake than a fruitcake--only better than both. Yes, it's possible! Since we don't have a sweet tooth, we've included a choice of sugar amounts and tested with both.

Preparation Time : 45 minutes
Cooking Time : 2 minutes
Baking Time : 35 to 40 minutes
Makes : 1 cake, 12 slices


1 cup (250 mL) butter, at room temperature
1-1/2 cups to 2 cups (375 to 500 mL) granulated sugar
3 eggs
3 cups (750 mL) all-purpose flour
3 tsp (15 mL) ground allspice
1 tsp (5 mL) baking soda
1 cup (250 mL) drained crushed pineapple
1 cup (250 mL) coarsely chopped toasted nuts, such as pecans or almonds
1-1/2 cups (375 mL) sweetened coconut, preferably angel flake or fine shred
1 cup (250 mL) raisins
1 cup (250 mL) buttermilk
2 cups (500 mL) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (50 mL) corn syrup
1/3 cup (75 mL) milk
1/2 cup (125 mL) butter
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla



1. Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Grease the bottoms of two 9-inch (23-cm) round pans or coat with cooking spray. Line with waxed paper and grease again.

2. Using an electric mixer or a wooden spoon, beat 1 cup butter and 1-1/2 to 2 cups sugar together until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating constantly until blended. Measure flour, allspice and soda into a bowl. Stir with a fork until blended. Mix pineapple, nuts, coconut and raisins in another bowl.

3. Beat a third of the flour mixture into the butter mixture, then half of the buttermilk. Repeat, ending with last third of flour mixture. Stir in pineapple mixture until evenly distributed. Spoon into pans, then smooth tops. Bake in centre of preheated 350F (180C) oven until cakes start to pull away from sides of pan, and a cake tester inserted near centre comes out fairly clean, from 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes. Turn out and remove waxed paper. Then, finish cooling on rack. Invert one layer, bottom-side up, onto a plate.

4. For glaze, fill sink with about 2 inches (5 cm) cold water. Measure 2 cups sugar, corn syrup, milk, 1/2 cup butter and salt into a large saucepan. Place over low heat and stir until butter is melted. Raise heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Place pan in cold water. Beat just until it begins to thicken, 2 to 3 minutes for a glaze that will drip down cake sides or 4 to 5 minutes for a fudge-like frosting. Spoon about one-third of icing over bottom of inverted layer. Spread evenly. Top with remaining layer, right-side up. Spoon rest of icing overtop, spreading decoratively. Icing will firm up on cake. Cake will keep well, covered, in refrigerator for up to 1 week or can be frozen up to 1 month.

Nutrients per slice
7.4 g protein, 2.5 mg iron, 33.6 g fat, 69.0 mg calcium, 106.9 g carbohydrates, 739.0 calories.

[funnybone]

Here are some from Martha's site:

Mrs. Maus's Fruitcake

Makes five 6-inch cakes

Mrs. Maus, Martha's childhood neighbor, offers a few tips for making the perfect fruitcake: Use the best quality of candied fruit available, hand-cut the candied fruit to assure the proper texture, and use just enough batter to hold the fruit and nuts together. Packed in sealed tins, these spirited cakes will keep for 25 years. You may consider eating yours sooner.

1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
2 cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar
12 large eggs
4 pounds candied and dried fruits, such as citron, lemon peel, orange peel, sour cherries, and apricots, chopped
1/2 cup molasses
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons ground allspice
2 pounds assorted nuts, such as walnuts and pecans
2/3 cup brandy
Glacéed fruits, such as figs, oranges, pears, apricots, peaches, and pineapple, for garnish
Candied cherries and kumquats, for garnish
1 cup apricot jam

1. Heat oven to 275°. Butter five 6-by-2-inch round cake pans. Butter five 18-by-3-inch strips of heavy brown paper, and fit them into each pan to form a collar.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in 2 cups of the fruit and the molasses, blending well. Remove batter to a large bowl. Sift together flour and allspice, and add to mixture, one cup at a time, mixing well between additions. Reserve 1 cup assorted fruit to use later, for decorating. Add remaining fruit and nuts, stirring with a spoon. Divide batter evenly among pans.

3. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 3 to 3 1/2 hours. While cakes are still warm, brush them with 1/3 cup brandy mixed with 1 tablespoon sugar. Let cool in pans on a wire rack. Gently remove cakes from pans, leaving paper collar intact. Decorate cakes with glacéed and dried fruits.

4. Heat apricot jam and remaining brandy in a small saucepan over medium heat. Strain, and brush over fruits to hold in place.




Dowager Duchess Fruitcake

Makes five 5 3/4-by-3-inch tea loaves, or two 9-by-5-by2 1/2

Make sure to plan ahead: This cake needs to sit for at least one month to allow the flavors to develop. To serve, slice it as thinly as possible.

1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
2 pounds 4 ounces candied citrus peel(6 cups), such as grapefruit, orange, or lemon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
15 ounces (2 1/2 cups) whole almonds, blanched
2 1/2 cups sugar
5 large eggs
3 tablespoons dry sherry, plus more for dousing
Zest of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 orange
4 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1. Preheat oven to 300º. Line bottoms of pans with buttered parchment. Combine candied citrus and almonds in a mixing bowl, and set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl at least twice. Stir in 3 tablespoons sherry and the citrus zest.

3. Reduce speed of mixer to low. Add flour, 1 cup at a time, beating until just combined. Fold in candied citrus and almonds.

4. Pour the batter into prepared pans. Bake until golden and set and a cake tester inserted into the middle of each cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes (20 to 30 minutes for larger cakes).

5. Remove the cakes from oven, and douse each with 3 tablespoons sherry. Cool the cakes completely on a wire rack. Remove cakes from loaf pans, and discard parchment paper. Wrap the cakes in muslin or cheesecloth. Store in a cool, dark, dry place, dousing cakes with several tablespoons of sherry once a week for at least 1 month before serving.