This stands to reason, right? It's Christmastime, so it's natural that December should be National Fruitcake Month. There's an old joke that says there's only one fruitcake, and it has been passed along to everyone around the world for the past 40 years. I admit I've never had a good fruitcake, though I'll also admit after having a couple of bad ones I never sought out another, and my family isn't big on fruitcakes.
But there was must be a recipe for a good one, right? Post (or link to) yours in the comments below. In the meantime, I found two that might be worth trying: Alton Brown probably makes a good fruticake because he's usually carefully about his recipes. His is called Free Range Fruitcake. And here's one for Chocolate Fruitcake, from Nigella Lawson.
Here's a quick history of the fruitcake.
12-10-2007 @10:00AM Kassie said... My dog sure liked Alton's Fruit Cake. So much, after he ate the first one (which I wrapped in cheesecloth and doused with Brandy) he started in on the second one. We had one drunk, sick dog.
Saving the second one, I did take a little bite, and it is super tasty. I'm curing it for Christmas day, but I think it is going to be really good. I love Alton.
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12-10-2007 @10:05AM Michelle Solomon said... I have recipes for many fruitcakes, as we are a fruitcake-kinda family (Irish and all that); orange juice can be used in place of the alcohol. In my family we usually also make our own marzipan and top (at least the light fruitcake) with it.
1. DARK FRUITCAKE
Ingredients:
• 1 cup butter or margarine
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 c molasses
• 1/4 c milk
• 2 c dark raisins
• 2 c golden raisins
• 2 c candied fruit
• 2 c walnuts (opt.)
• 2 1/2 c sifted flour
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp instant coffee
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1/2 tsp. ginger
Method:
• Beat butter and sugar until light.
• Add well-beaten eggs, molasses and milk.
• Mix fruits together in a bowl; add 2 tbs. flour and mix, to prevent sticking together.
• Add fruits and nuts to butter mixture, then flour, resifted with soda, salt, instant coffee and spices.
• Spoon into greased and floured 9-inch tube pan. (Pan may be lined with greased brown paper.)
• Bake at 300º, 2-2½ hrs.
While baking, place shallow pan of water on bottom oven shelf to prevent cake from drying out.
When cold, wrap in foul or plastic. Store 6 weeks in cool place. (Before wrapping, brush with wine or spirits.)
2. LIGHT FRUITCAKE
Ingredients:
• 1 c butter
• 1¼ c granulated sugar
• 6 eggs
• 2 c flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. mixed spices (cinnamon, ginger, ground cloves, nutmeg, etc.)
• 1 c currants
• 1 c sultanas (golden raisins)
• 1¼ c raisins
• 1 c candied peel
• ½ c sweet almonds
• Grated rind of one lemon
• 1 glass sherry
Method:
Prepare lined and greased tins before starting to work!
• Combine fruits and blanched nuts, sprinkle slightly with flour, and mix.
• Cream butter thoroughly
• Add sifted sugar and beat 1- minutes
• Beat eggs separately until thick and creamy
• Add to creamed butter and sugars, and beat 10 min. longer
• Add flour by degrees; pour in sherry and a very little milk if required.
• Stir in fruit, lemon rind, and baking powder and mix until well blended - DO NOT BEAT!
• Fill pan ¾ of the way; Place on top tray in the middle of the oven.
• Bake 2-4 hours at 275º- 300º.
• It is done when it turns brown around the edges and on the top; insert toothpick in the middle to test whether fruitcake is done (it would be mostly dry). Alternatively, when it has begun to crack a bit on the top you know the cake is done.
MARZIPAN
Ingredients:
• ½ lb. ground almonds (completely white, no dark brown skins)
• 6 oz. fine granulated sugar
• 6 oz. confectioner's sugar
• 1 tbs. lemon juice
• Egg yolks to bind (1 usually)
• ½ tsp almond flavoring
• Other possible flavorings: rum/vanilla/orange/ataxia
Method:
• Sieve sugars into bowl.
• Add almonds and lemon juice.
• Flavor to taste.
• Add enough egg yolk to bind.
• Knead well by hand until a smooth paste is formed.
• Roll out 1 inch longer and wider than cake.
N.B. Brush top of cake with egg white, and invert cake on top of icing. Press down gently.
I roll icing out on waxed paper, which can then easily be turned over with the cake. Dust the waxed paper with some confectioner's sugar first, so that it does not stick.
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12-10-2007 @11:15AM pedantic said... Collin Street Bakery!
http://www.collinstreet.com/pages/deluxe_fruitcake
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12-10-2007 @12:31PM DD said... We have been making Alton's fruit cake for four years now or so, and giving them away at Christmas, and people love them. The most common thing we hear is, "I don't like fruit cake, but this is delicious!"
We doubled the batch the first year, then tripled the next year. This year we made two triple batches. We make a few big loaves, and the rest using small loaf pans, so we end up with more cakes.
We can't keep up with demand.
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12-10-2007 @8:04PM Ray said... I agree with pedantic, Collin Street Bakery is great. I grew up with one of these every holiday and they are awesome
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12-11-2007 @12:16PM Nick said... I made some fruitcake half-following the Good Eats recipe at the beginning of November. I've almost certainly over-boozed it, as the raisins are almost inedible (although the rest of the fruit is okay), and the cake just reeks of rum. I'm planning on slicing it thin and letting it "air out" a bit before serving, though, so hopefully I won't kill anyone with it.
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12-14-2007 @12:38AM Rita said... Swiss Colony has the BEST fruitcakes........... 1-608-324-6000, yummmmmmmmm
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