Your Rich Grandma’s Fruitcake

Anybody like fruitcake? It was okayyyy, for a fruitcake. I put some butter on a slice, which transformed it into a somewhat delicious treat. This tasted like what I always imagined fruit cake would. It is yummy, but on the verge of being delicious. I will probably never make it again because there are soooo many other dessert-y breads that I would choose to make over this one. But! We are working our way through The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Dessert Cookbook, and the WHOLE POINT is to TRY NEW THINGS. Mission accomplished! I can check fruitcake off my list.

The taste is good, the seasoning is great, the consistency is perfect so if fruit cake is your thing, you need to make this. Another point against fruit cake is how expensive the ingredients are to make it, jeez! I had no idea how expensive fruit cake is! Hence my new title for the loaf, Your Rich Grandma’s Fruitcake.

Adapted from the Fruitcake recipe in The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Dessert Cookbook

Print Recipe

Your Rich Grandma's Fruitcake

Prep Time

45 minutes

Cook Time

110 minutes

Passive Time

2 days

Servings

loaves

Ingredients

• 6 oz pitted prunes
• 3 oz golden raisins
• 6 oz dried apricots
• 3 oz orange peel
• 3 oz candied citron
• 5 oz dried cherries
• 1 1/2 cups grape juice or sweet red wine
• 1 cup dark rum
• 1 cup natural (skin-on) almonds
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tbs baking soda
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 8 oz Unsalted Butter (Room Temperature) 2 sticks
• 1 1/3 cups packed dark brown sugar
• 5 large eggs at room temperature
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Prep Time 45 minutes Cook Time 110 minutes Passive Time 2 days Servings loaves Ingredients 6 oz pitted prunes 3 oz golden raisins 6 oz dried apricots 3 oz orange peel 3 oz candied citron 5 oz dried cherries 1 1/2 cups grape juice or sweet red wine 1 cup dark rum 1 cup natural (skin-on) almonds 3 cups all-purpose flour 2 tbs baking soda 1 tsp ground allspice 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg 1/2 tsp Salt 8 oz Unsalted Butter (Room Temperature) 2 sticks 1 1/3 cups packed dark brown sugar 5 large eggs at room temperature 1/2 cup maple syrup 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions

1. In a large plastic or glass container with a cover, combine the prunes, raisins, apricots, orange peel, citron, and cherries.Add 1 1/2 cups of the grape juice and the rum, cover, and let stand at room temperature for at least 2 days or up to 3 weeks, shaking the container twice a day.

   
2. Preheat the oven to 300 F. Generously butter three 8 x 4 inch loaf pans.
3. Working in batches, puree the fruit and the soaking liquid with the almonds in a food processor, pulsing until coarsely ground.
4. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
5. In a bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and brown sugar until well combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the molasses and vanilla. Gradually beat in the flour mixture, then stir in the fruit mixture.
6. Scrape the batter into the pans and cover with foil. Bake for 1 hour 50 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean. Cool in the pans on a wire rack, then run a small metal spatula around the sides of the cakes and invert (right side up) onto the rack to cool completely.
7. They can be served immediately or store in a cool, dry place for up to a month.

   

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