Ah, fruitcake 🎄—the classic dense, spiced cake loaded with dried fruits and nuts. Loved by some, dreaded by others, but when done right, it’s rich, moist, and festive. Here’s a traditional, reliable recipe:
🍰 Classic Fruitcake
Servings: 12–16
Time: ~2–3 hours (plus optional soaking)
Ingredients
Fruits & Nuts:
- 1 cup chopped dates
- 1 cup raisins or sultanas
- 1 cup chopped dried figs or apricots
- ½ cup candied cherries, chopped
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
- ½ cup chopped almonds
Cake Batter:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp cloves
- ¼ tsp allspice
- ½ cup orange juice or brandy
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
1️⃣ Preheat oven
- Preheat to 325°F (160°C). Grease and line a 9-inch loaf pan or round pan with parchment paper.
2️⃣ Prepare fruit & nuts
- Chop fruits and nuts into small pieces. Toss in 2 tbsp flour to prevent sinking.
3️⃣ Cream butter & sugar
- Beat butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well.
4️⃣ Mix dry ingredients
- In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and spices.
- Gradually fold into the butter mixture.
5️⃣ Add liquids & fruits
- Stir in orange juice and vanilla.
- Fold in the floured fruits and nuts until evenly distributed.
6️⃣ Bake
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 1–1.5 hours (check after 1 hour). A toothpick should come out mostly clean; a few moist crumbs are fine.
7️⃣ Cool & optional soak
- Cool completely before slicing. For extra richness, brush with brandy, rum, or orange juice and wrap in foil. Repeat every few days for deeper flavor.
🔹 Tips & Variations
- Soaking: Soak dried fruits in rum or brandy overnight for more moisture and flavor.
- Spices: Adjust cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice to taste.
- Nuts: Swap or mix any nuts you like—pecans, macadamia, or hazelnuts work.
- Make ahead: Fruitcake improves over time; store tightly wrapped for a week or more.
This recipe gives a classic, moist, spiced fruitcake—perfect for holidays or gift-giving.
If you want, I can also give a quick fruitcake muffins version, a boozy aged fruitcake, or a dense, dark Christmas-style cake recipe.
Do you want me to do one of those?
