World’s Best Fruitcake
I know, I know. She’s posting a fruitcake recipe?
Trust me, I’ve heard all the jokes. Door stop, pin cushion, sand bags, you name it. The words “world’s best” and fruitcake are generally not seen as compatible with one another. After all, it’s probably one of the most ridiculed baked goods in existence.
You know those ones that are sold in the stores or sent as gifts at this time of the year? I despise those ones too.
They’re dry (in a this-must-have-been-baked-several-months-ago kind of way) and filled with those scary neon, candied fruit bits. I’m not even sure if they are actually fruit.
Just all around bad.
But….this recipe, which I’m sharing today, is not your average fruitcake recipe.
It’s actually my mom’s recipe, which she has tweaked and perfected over the years, and makes every single year during the holidays.
At one point, my mom and godmother even attempted a very short-lived fruitcake business–that is until they realized that it is probably one of those expensive desserts to make of all time (dried fruit and booze!) and they had to charge a fortune to break even.
Regardless, Christmas is just not the same without this fruitcake.
In fact, British desserts are sort of the go-to at our house during this time of year (my dad’s English, so its not completely random). We even have homemade year-old figgy pudding, which is flamed right before we serve it, on Christmas evening.
Anyway, back to the recipe. This fruitcake is all about the dried fruit. And there is a ton of it in there.
Dried unsweetened apricots, cherries, figs, prunes, raisins, pears, peaches, apples–all of which gets soaked in dark rum the day before baking.
Have I mentioned that this cake is boozy? Because it is.
This gets folded into the batter the following day, along with fresh apple, slivered almonds, and lots of fresh lemon and orange zest–and baked in a loaf tin at a low temperature for nearly an hour and a half. [As you might notice in the recipe, you can also add dark chocolate, which is my dad’s and oldest sister’s favorite version.]
The resulting fruitcake is so incredibly moist and is perfectly balanced in sweetness. It really does taste like Christmas. And…here comes the fun part. To store it, you wrap it in sherry or triple sec soaked cheesecloth! Yes, lots and lots of booze.
Brush it with a simple apricot glaze and serve it sliced with a little bit of butter. You’ll definitely become a fruitcake convert for life!
World's Best Fruitcake
Ingredients:
Soaked Fruit:
- 2 ½ cups dried currants
- 2 cups dark raisins
- 1 ¾ cups mixed combination of dried fruit (apricots, apples, pears, peaches)
- 1 cup dried black figs
- ¾ cup chopped prunes
- ½ cups dried cherries
- 6 ounces dark rum
Cake Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ¼ cups brown sugar
- 5 eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
- ½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 granny smith apple (peeled), chopped or grated
- ¾ cup slivered almonds (or if prefer, chopped pecans or walnuts)
- 2 tablespoons finely diced crystallized ginger
- one batch soaked fruit mixture (see above)
- ½ to 2/3 cup of dark/bittersweet chocolate pieces or chocolate chips (optional)
Apricot Glaze:
- 1/4 cup apricot preserves
- 1/4 cup water
For Storage:
- dry sherry or triple sec
- unbleached cheesecloth
Directions:
Prepare the night before:
- Chop all of the dried fruit and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the dark rum, cover with plastic wrap, and allow fruit to soak overnight in a cool place.
Prepare Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly butter two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans and line with parchment paper.
- In separate bowl, whisk together the flour, spices, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In bowl of stand mixer (fitted with a paddle attachment), cream the butter and sugar over medium speed until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time and beat until just incorporated, scraping the bowl down with a spatula after each additional.
- Over low speed, slowly add the flour mixture until just combined. Add the orange juice, zest, maple syrup, fresh apple, slivered almonds, candied ginger, and soaked dried fruit and stir with a spatula until everything is incorporated.
- Divide the batter evenly among the loaf pans. Bake at 300 degrees (F) for 1 ¼ to 1 ½ hours, or until cake is set. Remove from oven and place on rack to cool completely, before removing. Once the cake has cooled, soak cheesecloth in sherry (or triple sec) and wrap each cake in cheesecloth tightly.
- Cover loafs with wax paper and foil, before placing in a large ziploc bag. Store in refrigerator for up to 6-8 weeks. Unwrap and soak cheese cloth with medium dry sherry once a week.
To Serve:
- Combine apricot preserves and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a light simmer, until glaze is thin and shiny (you can reduce if too thin, or add more water if it gets too thick).
- Brush tops of fruit cakes with apricot glaze and garnish with pecans or waters.
Use unsweetened (dried) fruit for best results.
Share your Beautiful Plate!
post it on instagram and tag it #abeautifulplate.
This looks and sounds amazing (and your photos are gorgeous!). Fruitcake totally gets a bad rap — though yes, those neon-colored fruits and other weird bits do scare me. I would be all over this, though. What a lovely tradition!
Thank you so much!! This one has none of the weird stuff, promise.
Do you have to use parchment paper? If so HOW do you put it in the pan?
My fruits are in dark rum soak mode!!! I am using three types of nuts, 2 oz each slivered almonds, chopped walnuts and pecans. Will be using Sandemans med dry sherry after they come out of oven tomorrow and for the next few weeks. I do not have a mixer so I have already put my husband on standby to do my stirring tomorrow. He already said he is not waiting 6-8 weeks to have some, Christmas morning is Fruit cake D-Day!!!! Thank you for a gorgeous recipe and tell your mum, thank you, too!! Merry Christmas!
it will be interesting to see if anyone makes this:)
Poor fruit cake, it gets such a bad rap. But yours looks amazing! Way better than those horrible store bought ones. Cannot get over how beautiful these pictures are Laura : )
It really does. Poor fruit cake. Thanks so much for the compliments Natalie! Means a lot.
Wow your photos are beautiful!! I have never tried to make a fruit cake, but this one actually sounds and looks really great! I should finally attempt to do one!
If you’re ever gonna try one, definitely make sure it’s this one. Thanks so much!!
I think this can also be called “the world’s most beautiful fruitcake!” So pretty. Honestly, I’ve never even had it, but you’re making me want to try it!
If you ever try fruitcake, definitely make sure it’s homemade!! 🙂 Thank you!!
These photos are amazing, Laura (although, they’re always pretty darn great!)!!!! I’ve never actually had fruitcake. This may have to change sometime soon.
Aww, thank you Kelli! Means a lot. Glad to know I wasn’t the only person who couldn’t make the twitter party–we’ll have to reschedule another time! 🙂
I have yet to try fruitcake, actually… unfortunately with all its glorious boozy-ness I have to miss out again this year, but I’m making next year the year I finally try fruitcake! Starting with this recipe. 🙂
Yep, it’s pretty boozy, you might want to skip it this year, haha. Thanks friend!
My family are all about the British Christmas too! No-one’s British though, so I guess it’s pretty random. This fruitcake looks awesome.
Hahaha! But your Australian, so it’s not weird at all 😉
I love fruitcake. I was raised on it! My grandmother insisted that we eat a piece or two every Christmas when we visited. She said we’d have a “happy year” for every piece we ate 🙂 I guess after a while, I actually started liking it. Yours looks absolutely perfect. Enjoy and Merry Christmas!
I’m going to start telling myself that…that will make me feel much better about consuming the entire loaf. Glad to know there is a fellow fruitcake fan out there.
Thank you!!!
Laura! Thanks for the lovely write-up and beautiful photos of our fruitcake! It looks as though you may have made some coverts! Yeah! You made it look so pretty! Let’s see if I can make ours look even half as lovely as this one! I guess you didn’t want to tell them about the marzipan and royal icing bit!!!! Butter as well…. Wow!
Thanks mom! And I don’t like royal icing or marzipan–so I definitely left that out for a reason, haha.
This fruit cake looks amazing! And I am preparing to make it for Thanksgiving and Christmas. One question though, is it always necessary to refrigerate this recipe, as I have made fruit cake in the past and always sealed and covered in a rum soaked cheesecloth in a cool place. I want to make plenty for gift giving and there’s no room in the refrigerator. Oh the dilemma, haha.
So sorry for only just getting back to you. Honestly, my mom is the expert at fruit cake (not me, ha!), but I do believe it would be fine if it was kept in a very cold area, especially if it was consumed in a relatively quick amount of time. I don’t think it has to be refrigerated because of the alcohol, but I just like to say that to be safe. Hope this helps!
Fact: I have never actually had fruitcake, but with all the booze and fruit together and I thinking I would love it! Thinking i need to make this for big family Christmas (am I do mean big, 20+). Oh and Gorgeous photos!
Woh! That is definitely a big Christmas. We have 9 and that feels big sometimes.
Umm… I love you moms comment!! Haha! So cute!!
And geez!! This fruitcake it the most gorgeous ever! Love the photos and am thinking it is finally time to actually try some fruitcake this year. All the booze in this one has me thinking it will be awesome!
My mom is ridiculous. She is still getting the hang of leaving comments–for a while she thought she had to put her full name in the “contact” form. Haaa! Thanks Tieghan!!
Wow Laura… this looks amazing and I’m SO all about soaking dried fruit in rum. Now I want fruitcake {there’s a sentence I never thought I’d say}… Big thanks to your mom for making fruitcake edible!
She’ll love to hear that!! Thanks so much Lauren 🙂
This looks fantastic. My husband is one who likes fruitcake, he will love this I’m sure. You photos are lovely.
Thank you so much Norma!!
Hi I have recently come across this beautiful fruit cake I too have never liked fruitcake but I’ve actually made too they are currently in a cool dry place sucking up all that boozy goodness I made them in Bundt pans and they’ve turned out beautiful thank you so much
I love how much fruit you’ve got in this cake…and the fact that it’s been soaked in rum makes it sound extra delicious! I’m pinning now!
Yes. Tons and tons of dried fruit!! That’s why it’s definitely worth making a few loaves at a time (this recipe makes two). Thank you Caroline!!
I’m one of the people who think it wouldn’t be Christmas without baking a fruitcake. Your cake looks and sounds wonderful.
Yes!! You and me both. So glad to hear I’m not alone in that. Thank you Karen!
I have always been a fan of fruitcake, and this recipe looks excellent! Thanks for sharing!
Well, I happen to be a fruitcake lover, and this one is so similar to my family’s plum pudding! I love it, and will definitely try it. When the weather is cooler, mind you. It’s summer here, and averaging 95º to 100º every day, so the oven is out of bounds. But give me a ton of dried fruit in a dessert and I’m happy!
This will be my first time attempting fruitcake making. Your recipe looks delicious. A question about soaking the cake. Recipe says to soak cheesecloth once a week in sherry. Could you soak in triple sec? Thanks. looking forward to enjoying this.
YES! You could definitely use a good quality triple sec, or even Grand Marnier (if you feel like splurging). I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Hi — looking for a fruitcake to make as part of this year’s holiday gift baskets. This recipe looks AMAZING! But I would like to make into smaller, 3×6 loaves?
Advice on expected yield & modification to baking instructions please? Thank you!
Cant WAIT to try this!
T
Hi Tanya! Thanks for your comment! Unfortunately, I haven’t tried to make this recipe in 3×6 loaf pans, so I really don’t have any explicit baking instructions that I can offer. On that note, my GUESS is that it would make four loaves of that size. I would recommend baking at the same temperature as the original recipe, but it will probably only take 30-45 minutes for loaves of that size. Again, this is all pure speculation, so I can’t guarantee anything, but that is my educated guess! Please report back if you try it! Thanks again!
Hello Laura. This cake seems very good.
I have an old recipe that mother said won
Some prize in 1945! It does have the crystalized
Fruits , and cocoa. Plus melasses and rum or
Brandy. Almonds, pecans & walnuts. Figs and
Dates and a few spices. We soak it and keep
It just the way you do. And We love it!
OMG this is sooo beautiful! Fantastic blog and absolutely stunning pictures! So glad that I found ya! Following!
Thank you so much Mila!
I haven’t given this recipe of your’s a shot yet, but from the looks of it, I think I’ll be making it and finishing it as soon as it is out of my oven. Truly looks like the worlds best fruitcake. I happened to try out another recipe of eggless fruitcake from a Prestige SmartChef website and it looked quite similar. Keep it up Laura.
This cake is awesome … I’ve made it three years in a row for my husbands birthday. Every year when I make it though – I forget to add the nuts and ginger as they are listed in the ingredients, but not added in in the instructions. This year I remembered and thought I might tell you so that you can change it for others. My cake is in the oven as I type this …. Thanks for an awesome recipe … I get so many compliments on it
Hi Leah! Thank you so much for your comment, I’m so glad you’re such a fan of this fruitcake! I’ll have to tell my mom! 🙂 I’m so sorry about the recipe instruction error, I just fixed it now–this is what happens when you don’t properly proofread a family recipe. I really appreciate you letting me know!
I made this cake to see if it would be suitable for my husband to take tramping (hiking). It is way too delicious – I sent him off with something else and kept the cake here at home. Thanks for the recipe – this will be my ‘go-to’ fruit cake recipe.
Hi Laura,
I have a few questions about this recipe. I’m making it for my father-in-law’s birthday, because he loves fruitcake. But he likes it with marzipan and icing (traditional British–I live in the UK). I would assume I could just add that after baking? Also, since it’s a birthday cake, I would like to make it round instead of into 2 loaves. Could I just use the same amount of batter that you’ve divided into 2 pans and put it into one large round cake pan? Any idea on cooking time and temperature if I did that?
And finally, is 6 ounces of rum 6 liquid ounces? I’m assuming so, but I’ve cut up all the dried fruit ready for soaking and it’s LOADS–I just don’t think 6 liquid ounces will come close to soaking all of it, given that 6 ounces is less than 1 cup! But maybe the rum isn’t really supposed to soak all the fruit? I’ve never made fruitcake before so not quite sure. Thanks! 🙂
Eek! Thanks so much for your comment and questions. I have to say, my mom is the pro at making fruit cake, so I am not experienced enough in making it to know if it could be adapted into a traditional round cake form. Personally, I think this particular fruitcake recipe isn’t as ideal for that, because it is SO LOADED on fruit (and it could potentially break if it’s not in a loaf form). Yes! 6 ounces is 6 liquid ounces. It is a TON of fruit, but you also end up soaking the baked fruitcake afterwards in booze, so in that sense it gains more moisture. I’m going to ask my mom to see if she can help with your question, but unfortunately I’m traveling at the moment so it could be a few days!
I see, Joanna, that I’m not the only one thinking about the holidays already!
My question for Laura is about the Sherry – it comes in all types of sweetnesses. I am assuming you use a sweet sherry for this recipe?
And I think from your other posts you find brandy to be an acceptable substitute?
I’m going to ask my mom (pro about the fruit cakes) and get back to you, as it has been a while since I made this. I’m almost positive it is a medium sherry (not dry but definitely not the sweetest either–and definitely not cream sherry!). I’ll be in touch soon!
Goodness, this sounds wonderful! I’ve got to try it! I am just surprised that you have to keep it in the refrigerator… Generally, the alcohol keeps it from spoiling.
Thanks Laura! So, I’ve made the cake and it’s wrapped in sherry-soaked cheesecloth right now. I put all the batter into a quite large, round cake pan (the kind where the bottom unsnaps from the sides). It worked perfectly! I thoroughly greased with butter, then lined the bottom with parchment paper and greased that as well. I would say the pan is a 12-inch diameter circle, maybe 14. I cooked it for 1 hour 50 minutes at 130 degrees celsius (since we work in celsius in the UK–and 300 converts to 150 C, but then minus another 20 degrees C because my oven is fan-assisted, as are most British ovens these days–fan-assisted meaning convection). (Btw, I’m American, but moved to the UK earlier this year–still getting used to everything British!) The cake seems very sturdy, not likely to break at all.
Looking forward to your mom’s advice on marzipan and icing. And two more questions for you (or her!). How long will this last if I keep soaking it each week in the sherry? And if it won’t last more than 4-6 weeks, could/should I freeze it? Thanks so much!
hi laura- i am getting ready to make my fruitcakes for christmas. this will be the first year i use dried fruit instead of candied and your recipe looks the most promising! except for the spicing- it is spiced like pumpkin pie and since we will eat pumpkin pie. also, i think i will stick with the citrus zest flavor. funny, not many people say how their cake turned out– i guess because it doesn’t get eaten for a few weeks.
graye
Don’t worry about the cinnamon and nutmeg addition! This fruitcake tastes NOTHING like pumpkin pie or anything in that family. The citrus and fruit are the main stars of this fruitcake! And yes to the feedback. We’ve been making this fruitcake for years, so I’m very confident in the recipe – but it does get prepared way in advance, so I think people forget to come back and tell me the final outcome! 🙂
i am still eating fruitcake! it turned out pretty good. a bit raisin-y, tho. after i had all the fruit snipped- measured separately- i measured it together and had only 6 cups- not 8- and then when i mixed it all up the batter looked way too wet so i added another cup of raisins. shrug! also, i can’t really taste the difference between the dried cherries and the raisins– but i think it is probably because i used brandy, a grape product, instead of rum. i also used dates instead of figs, but other than those 2 things, i stuck to the recipe. it could have used double the nuts i think. and if i could have found dried unsweetened cranberries they would have been good. all in all successful fruitcake with dried fruit instead of candied– i think tho i will use a few candied cherries next year– for the festive look they provide!
okey-dokey! i will stick to the recipe as much as possible. and i’ve bookmarked this page so hopefully you will hear from me christmas-time on the results!
graye
Hello Laura! Those beautiful pictures and the ingredients made me want to make my first fruit cake ever. I bought everything and am ready for attack! Could I cut the alcohol in half and replace the missing liquid by something else? Would it be better to freeze it if I don’t want to resoak the cloth every week? Thanks for the answers. 🙂
Thank you so much! Hmmm…honestly, I’m not sure if would suggest cutting the alcohol in half from the cake itself. I have never tried doing that and most of the alcohol will cook out during the baking. Unfortunately, I have never tried doing this, so I can’t say if a substitute would work (and wouldn’t want the recipe to not work out without having tested it myself).
If you would rather not soak the cloth every week, don’t worry about it! I would soak it the once and as long as it is well-wrapped, it should be fine in the fridge for an extended period of time. I wouldn’t recommend freezing it personally, as the texture would probably change! I hope this helps!
Thanks Laura! Soaking tonight, baking tomorrow! I’ll let you know the results after the holidays. 🙂
I’m just curious, how important is it for this to soak for 4-6 weeks? Has anyone tried for just a couple of weeks? I’d like to make for my dad but I’m not on the ball and it’s super close to Christmas lol
You definitely don’t have to soak it for all of that time! A few days or a week would probably work as well – but it can also be stored for a very long time too. Hope this helps!
Your Mom’s fruitcake recipe sounds wonderful. I was very intrigued by the mention of marzipan. I know you don’t like it, but I love marzipan. Any chance you could tell me how your mom uses the marzipan so I can try it? Also, what was she referring to when she mentioned the “butter?”
Thank you! Happy Holidays!
I’m so excited to make this. I baked thet loaves today and am wrapping them in triple sec soaked cheesecloth. I’m wondering, if I use triple sec now, should I use sherry for the next couple weeks or keep using the triple sec. Does it matter? Thanx for this recipe. Honest confession, I’ve nibble a little off the edges of one fruitcake, already. Delicious, but I want to let it set a few weeks.
I am so excited to make this recipe! My mother loves fruitcake, but she doesn’t like the store bought version very much. I plan on making them this weekend to give it time to soak over the next 3 weeks until Christmas. One question (if you’re still checking!), the second loaf will go to a family friend in another state. Does it need to be refrigerated or will it hold up for a few weeks just wrapped in the cheesecloth, wax paper, and foil?
laura,I have made fruit cakes for years but this one is simply fabulous. I soaked my fruit in peach brandy for about a week. I added drained pineapple and it added moisture to the cake.Thank you for taking the time to share this wonderful Christmas cake.Sandra
My friend and I love your recipe. In fact we seem to have gone fruitcake crazy! Can we freeze the cakes for later use, we have done the whole thing just as your recipe states, but we made a lot of cakes!!!
Wonderfully tasty & easy to make!! SO GOOD!! I’ve made this recipe twice!! For me, recipe makes 2 loaves….. just took one out of refrig made Nov 2016 & so delicious! Plan to make more in a week or two! Thank you !
How do I use the parchment paper? Is it absolutely necessary to use it particularly if I use nonstick loaf pans? I will be trying this recipe for the first time. For about 20 years I have made fruitcake with candied fruit and rum. Is it ok to soak in rum rather than sherry?
Thank you,
Alisyn Edwards
Hi Alisyn! Sorry for not getting back to you right away (saw your earlier comment – it just hadn’t been approved yet). I don’t think you would *have* to line them with parchment paper, but since the cake is on the more delicate side – I would strongly recommend lining it to be safe. It will also make it easier to remove. In order to line it, you’ll want to cut a piece of parchment that is large enough so that the sides of parchment paper go up all the way on the longest edge of the pan (it should actually end over the top, so that you can grab the pieces of parchment paper from both sides to remove the loaf). Here’s a visual: http://www.framedrecipes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/DSC_7063_Cumin_Bread_4.jpg
Hope this helps!
Thank you Laura! This will be my first year in over 20 years of making fruitcake with dried fruit rather than candied fruit. One other question, do I butter the parchment paper before putting the batter in it?
Yay! I think you’ll like it more than candied (if I do say so myself 😉 ). You can butter it. I think it would be fine either way though! Hope this helps and please let me know if you like the cake once you make it.
Also – I think rum could also definitely work if you prefer that flavor. My mom prefers sherry and has always used that, but I think its totally up to your own preference.
Hi, made this tonight and it smells delicious. Mine didn’t turn brown though; they stayed a medium pail brown. Any ideas why? I used mini loaves, otherwise the same. Took around 45 minutes to cook.
Can I make this with almond flour instead of wheat flour? I was looking for a booze-soaked, dried-fruit and nuts grain-free sort of fruitcake I could make, partly for an excuse to soak it in sherry (or something). This looks great except for the flour……..
Sorry for only just responding to this Lisa! I’ve never tried this and am a bit hesitant to advise it (especially since it’s not a cheap recipe to make and I don’t want you to get bad results), because it is VERY fruit filled and I’m worried there wouldn’t be much structure left if you used a non-gluten nut flour. Could you try a gluten free 1:1 blend? Perhaps Bob’s Red Mill brand?
I made this last year and am soaking my fruit again at this moment. I grew up with that fruitcake with glazed cherries and bitter fruit My dear mother made a lovely dark version of it and would take out those old fashioned tins to bake them in. I wish I still had them! I learned to love her fruitcake … But times change and we move forward and this recipe is outstanding !Last year I gifted this cake to my fruitcake loving friends and family. It was a huge hit. Thank you for this beautiful recipe !
Several people have asked how to put marzipan on top. Could you get your mother to advise you and update your response please.
Also, could you let me know if your loaf pans are metal or glass? The temperature gets adjusted depending on the material. Thanks in advance for your help!
I’ll ask my mom about the marzipan – we don’t really do that with these fruitcakes, but I’m sure its more than possible. Also, the loaf pans that my mom uses are metal – thanks for the great question!
So, I just discussed this with my mom! Haha. She doesn’t do a marzipan layer, because she likes to soak/continually brush the fruitcake with booze as it sits and we choose not to do a royal icing on ours (which is *usually* why you would add a marzipan layer) -BUT basically, you want to brush the top and sides of the fruitcake with a glaze – apricot jam thinned on stove and cooled down will work well for this – and then get about 2 tubes of marzipan from store. Roll out into a thin layer, cut into strips the size of the sides / top of the loaf and apply. Hope this helps!
I have two loaves in the oven at this moment. What a superb recipe. It’s the first time I’ve wavered from the Craig Claiborne NYT recipe from about 1976. I did not use the figs added extra cherries, plums, peaches, and apricots. Couldn’t find the usual currants and really wanted black currants. I will test in 4-6 weeks. Just leftover rum for the cheesecloth. Otherwise I was faithful.
Wow! My mom will be so honored to hear this. Hope you enjoy the fruitcake and looking forward to hearing your thoughts in a few weeks! I’d love if you could take the time to come back and leave a review/comment. Thank you so much Barbara!
I just made this for the first time and couldn’t resist taking a sliver while it was still hot. Wow! This is one of the best things I’ve ever baked. There’s no way this is staying around for weeks! I’l be sharing it with friends tomorrow, but will make some more and see what it’s like when it ages. Didn’t have the exact fruits, so improvised, with quite a bit of dates, some dried mango, lots of raisins, some dried cherries, but it really didn’t matter. Thank you so much!
So thrilled to hear that!
hello from Canada! just got home from the grocery to buy the ingredients. got a question for you, the soaked fruits, am i adding the rum to the batter? or i need to drain the fruits?
also, can i substitute Marsala to Sherry?
thank you.
The fruit should almost entirely soak up the rum, so no need to drain the fruit at all. Hmm, I’m not as sure about the marsala substitute, because I’ve never tried that and my mom hasn’t used that. I wouldn’t personally recommend it, but if you like the taste of marsala (because that flavor will be quite notice since that’s what you’re using to soak the cake), feel free to try it! Sorry I can’t be more specific, but hope this helps.
Hello Laura
I love the sound of this recipe, I have all my ingredients ready to go but I would like to know if I can make this cake in a 20cm Round cake Tin.
The mixture would need to be doubled for this size.?
Hi Pam! This recipe makes TWO standard loaf cakes – since I don’t know the depth of your cake tin (is it deep, is it shallow?), it’s really hard to say. Plus, I’ve just never made this particular cake in one, so I’m hesitant to say an exact recipe conversion. I would recommend checking out this page: http://dish.allrecipes.com/cake-pan-size-conversions/ and trying to determine the volume of the cake pan you want to use and comparing it to the volume of (two) loaf pans as stated in the recipe. I wish I could be more helpful, but I would need to test it properly to give more detailed advice!
Hi, any chance to get cup measurement to kilograms please
Hi Mimi! For most recipes on the site, I include metric conversions, but this recipe is one of the older ones so I haven’t had a chance to add it yet. I’ll work on it, but unfortunately won’t be able to give you exact measurements until I have a chance to test/re-make it. Sorry I can’t be more helpful in the meantime!
Thanks for sharing world’s best fruitcake recipe. I have made this and enjoyed a lot with my family.
Do you have any suggestions of what I can use to soak the cheesecloths and cake in, since I do not want to use the alcohol? Also, can I soak the fruit in juice as opposed to the rum?
Thank you so much for such a wonderful looking recipe. I am making it this weekend.
Hmmm…I’m not sure if I would soak it honestly if you aren’t going to use alcohol. It will still be extremely moist without the cheesecloth step, and I just don’t think fruit juice will benefit the cake (the alcohol does cut the sweetness; fruit juice won’t really add much to it). I hope this helps!!
Can I use Cream sherry to soak the fruit instead of rum?
Hi Julie! Yes – you could definitely use cream sherry if you prefer. I would try to find something on the drier side personally (like an Amontillado), but it will work.
I made this fruitcake exactly as recipe showed. It is indeed the best fruitcake ever. Thanks Laura.