Tips For Making Fruitcake

 Print     Email

Tis the season for fruitcakes and if you’d like to try your hand at making one yourself (or troubleshoot any problems), here are a few tips and recipes I’ve collected to help achieve the best results possible…

Homemade Fruitcake On The Holiday Table Is Looked Forward To Year After Year

• Completely dust the fruit and nuts with flour so they don’t fall to the bottom of the batter while baking. Shake off excess flour before mixing in the recipe.
• Oven temperature should be low enough to cook the batter fully without drying out the cake (250°F).
• First line the cake pans with several layers of brown paper, this insulates the batter against excess drying.
• Baking pans should only be filled 2/3 full of batter, not full.
• After baking, the cake should be thoroughly cooled on a rack, then removed from pan and wrapped in aluminum foil. Store in a cake box. Cake may be wrapped in several thicknesses of cheesecloth. Brandy or fruit juice may be poured on the cloth occasionally.
• Make fruitcakes at least 3 weeks before using, this allows them time to ripen.
• Don’t freeze a fruitcake right away. Let it age at least 3 to 4 weeks first so it has a chance to build its flavor (ripen).
• Use the best spices, nuts and dried fruits you can afford. Spices should be fresh.

I found the above information in an old community cookbook. If you’re always on the lookout for cake baking tips, you won’t want to miss this big list: 43 Cake Baking Tips & Tricks.

Old-Fashioned Recipes Collection

These are from old cookbooks…

White Fruit Cake

Ingredients

1 cup butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp salt
2 cups plus 2 TBS flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups seedless raisins
1 pkg (8oz) mixed fruit
1/2 cup red cherries
1/2 cup green cherries
1/2 cup nuts
1 lemon (juice and rind)
1 orange (juice and rind)

Directions:

• Prepare fruit and pour over the fruit juices and let stand overnight.
• Cream butter and sugar till foamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well between each.
• Add flour sifted with salt and baking powder, alternating with fruit.
• Bake in slow oven (275°F) for 3 1/2 hours.

Tip: Place a small pan of water in the oven to help keep cake moist.

Yield: 1 9×9″ cake

Dark Fruit Cake Recipe

Prepare Fruit & Nut Mix:

• 1 lb currants
• 3 lbs raisins
• 1/2 lb dates
• 2 lbs mixed glace fruit
• 1 6oz bottle red maraschino cherries, drained
• 1 6oz bottle green maraschino cherries, drained
• 2 cups blanched almonds, slivered
• 1 cup walnuts

Dredge the above with 1 cup sifted flour.

Cream together well (Creamed Mixture): 1 lb butter, 1 1/2 cups white sugar, 1 cup brown sugar

Blend in and beat thoroughly:

• 1 TBS lemon flavoring
• 1 TBS vanilla
• 1 TBS almond flavoring
• 1/2 cup thick, sour cream

Beat well and add to creamed mixture: 10 eggs

Sift together (Flour Mixture):

• 4 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp allspice
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cloves

Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture.

Then add 1/2 cup thick strawberry jam and juice from bottle of red maraschino cherries.

Pour the batter over the fruit mixture and mix thoroughly.

• Line pans as instructed in the Light Fruit Cake Recipe (below).
• This will make a 3 tiered cake.
• Fill pans about 2/3 full.
• Bake at 250°F

Master List of Ingredients:

• 1 lb currants (about 3 cups)
• 1/2 lb dates
• 3 lbs raisins (about 9 cups)
• 2 lbs mixed glace fruit (about 6 cups)
• 1 6oz bottle red maraschino cherries, drained
• 1 6oz bottle green maraschino cherries, drained
• 2 cups blanched almonds, slivered
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 cup sifted flour
• 1 lb butter
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 TBS lemon flavoring
• 1 TBS vanilla
• 1 TBS almond flavoring
• 1/2 cup thick, sour cream
• 10 eggs
• 4 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp allspice
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1/2 cup thick strawberry jam
• juice from bottle of maraschino cherries

Light Fruit Cake:

1. First cream 1 1/2 cups of butter.
2. Then gradually blend in 1 1/2 cups sugar.
3. Add one at a time, beating well after each addition: 6 medium size eggs.
4. Add 1 tsp almond extract, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp lemon extract and beat well.
5. Sift together three times: 3 1/2 cups sifted flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt.
6. Use about 1/2 cup of the mixture to flour the fruit and nuts as prepared below:
• 1 cup glace or well drained maraschino cherries, halved
• 2 cups seedless raisins
• 3/4 cup mixed lemon and orange peel, finely cut
• 2 rings candied pineapple, diced
• 1 cup blanched, shredded almonds
7. Add to butter & egg mixture the remaining sifted dry ingredients and 3 TBS cream.
8. Fold in the fruits and nuts
9. Now line your cake tins* with three thicknesses of brown paper on the bottom and two on the sides.
10. Grease the paper next to the cake.
11. Fill the pans about 2/3 full. Build the cake batter well up to the sides and corners of the tin, making a slight hollow in the center.
12. Bake at 250°F until done (small and medium size pans will take 2 to 3 1/2 hours, large size pan takes 4 to 4 1/2 hours).
13. Cake should be firm and should no longer sizzle when pressed lightly.
14. Cool on cake rack until thoroughly cold.

Cake Tin Sizes:

Large – 8x8x3-1/2″
Medium – 6x6x3-1/2″

Master List of Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 6 eggs, medium size
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp lemon extract
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup glace or well drained maraschino cherries, halved
• 2 cups seedless raisins
• 3/4 cup mixed lemon and orange peel, finely cut
• 2 rings candied pineapple, diced
• 1 cup blanched, shredded almonds
• 3 TBS cream

Mincemeat Fruit Cake Recipe

This makes a quick and economical fruit cake.

1. Cream together 1/2 cup shortening and 1 cup sugar.
2. Add and beat until smooth and creamy: 2 eggs, well beaten.
3. Sift together: 2 cups sifted flour, 2 TBS cocoa, 3 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt.
4. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, alternating with 1/2 cup water, sherry or grape juice (real grape juice, not the purple powdered stuff).
5. Beat the above until everything’s thoroughly blended.
6. Then add 1 cup mincemeat (first drained dry), 1/2 cup nuts, finely chopped.
7. Pour into a greased pan 8x8x2 inches. Bake at 300°F. approximately 1 1/4 hours.

Master Ingredient List:

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, well beaten
• 2 cups sifted flour
• 2 TBS cocoa
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup water, sherry or grape juice
• 1 cup mincemeat, drained dry
• 1/2 cup nuts, finely chopped

Fruit Cake Glaze

Combine and bring just to rolling boil:

• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup water

Remove from heat. Cool to lukewarm.

Pour over cold cake before or after storing.

Decorate with candied fruits.