Fruitcake

 

Basic recipe for 16 1lb (3"x5" pan) cakes:

Dried chopped fruit 8-9 lb

Liquid for soaking fruit 2 c - jam or fruit juice or liquor (Jack Daniels, bourbon, or rum) plus more for bathing

Nuts 3-4 lb

Butter 1 lb

Brown sugar 2 lb (4 c)

Eggs 12

Flour 2 lb (6-7 c)

1 tsp each salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, baking powder

2-7 days before making the cakes, soak the chopped fruit in the liquor and stir I every once in a while.  On the day you’re baking, mix together the butter, sugar, flour, eggs, and spices (it’s basically a pound cake batter).  Mix in the fruit and nuts.  Warning – you probably don’t have a bowl big enough for this – if you have a big dish pan or stock pot, use that, or you can split it between two bowls.  Line your 1 lb pans with parchment and fill them with batter. Bake at 325 for 60-90 min or until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool.  Brush or douse them with a little liquor, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate.  You can repeat the dousing every couple of days or weeks for as long as you like.  I usually wait at least a month before eating them.  They keep indefinitely in the fridge. 

A note on fruit:  If I can get fresh citrons (from my Jewish friends after Succoth, thank you!) I usually candy them myself – they have a wonderful fragrance and a lot more flavor.  Figs, dates, apricots and sour cherries are my favorites but I use whatever I’ve got. 

2022:

2 lb crystallized chopped pineapple

1 lb sour cherries

1 lb candied citron

1 lb candied lemon peel

1 lb candied orange peel

2 lb raisins

1 lb chopped figs

2 lb chopped pecans

1 lb chopped almonds

1 lb chopped walnuts

2024:

1 lb citron

1 lb pineapple

2 lb currants

1 lb apricots

2 lb sour cherries

1 lb dates

1 lb pecans

1 lb walnuts

1 lb almonds