There they are ... fruit cake jokes. Shame on them.
Some of you never tried fruit cake because of the jokes and stories associated with it. It wasn't until I had a piece of this homemade fruit cake that I became a fruit cake ambassador.
It has nothing to do with the bourbon I put in it. The purpose of the bourbon is to take away the nasty candied fruit taste, and like all recipes with alcohol in them, during the baking process the alcohol disappears.
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Wrapping your fruit cake in cheesecloth lets the cake breathe and will facilitate the distribution of the additional bourbon you splash on the cake.
This recipe came to me from a very dear friend. She worked with my husband, and every Christmas, she would bring it to work and share it with him. Once in a while he would bring a piece home to me.
It was a secret family recipe. It wasn't until she was diagnosed with cancer that she shared the recipe. She wanted to keep the recipe alive. I make a double batch of her recipe and share it with my friends just like she did. When I make this fruit cake, it gives me time to think about her and the times we shared.
Things to keep in mind when making this recipe: Make sure everything is room temperature. Cold butter or eggs will firm up the chocolate and make the batter look "spotty." This won't hurt the final product, but keeping everything room temp helps mix everything smoother.
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From the collection of Beky Davis 2 cups candied mixed fruit 1 cup candied cherries, halved 3 cups raisins 1 cup currants 1/2 cup bourbon 1 cup butter at room temperature 1 cup firm packed brown sugar 6 eggs at room temperature 1/2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted 3 cups walnuts, coarsely chopped 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 cup brandy or more as desired baking parchment paper cheesecloth large enough to wrap the cake Before you start, set aside eight whole cherries and eight whole walnuts to decorate the top of the fruitcake. Mix the fruit, cherries, raisins and currants with 1/2 c. bourbon overnight at room temperature. (I have been known to soak it for a few days and add a little extra bourbon every day.) Cream the butter and brown sugar. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add chocolate, walnuts and marinated fruit. Blend one minute, add flour and dry spices, baking soda and salt. Mix well. Pack batter into greased or parchment-lined 10” x 4” springform pan, angel food cake pan or three loaf pans. Decorate with the cherries and walnuts you set aside. Bake in preheated oven 300 degrees for 2 hours and 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool cake. After completely cool, wrap the cake in cheesecloth and put in a tin. Drizzle with half of brandy. Sprinkle additional brandy every few days. You decide when to stop. The best time to start this cake is the day after Thanksgiving so it will be ready for holiday gifting. Top 10 things to do with fruit cake 10. Collect enough of them and make a fallout shelter. 9. Throw it in the trunk of the car for extra weight in the winter. 8. Use it to hold up a broken table or chair leg. 7. Use as an exercise stepping block for step aerobics. 6. Shellac it and use it as a door stop. 5. Use it for a dog chew toy 4. Launch it, for an inexpensive skeet. 3. Use as freeweights to bulk up your biceps. 2. Regift it next year. 1. If it is homemade ... maybe you should try eating it? — Compiled by Beky DavisBefore you start mixing the fruit cake, line your baking pans with baking parchment. The batter will stick like glue if you don't. I do not recommend greasing the pan. It just won't work as well.
After the cake is cool, wrap it with cheesecloth and put it into a tin or self-sealing food storage bag. You will find the cheesecloth at the fabric store. It is usually packaged in plastic and hanging near the notions section. For a round fruit cake, you will need one yard of cheesecloth. Remove the parchment paper when you wrap it in cheesecloth. The cheesecloth lets the cake breathe and will facilitate the distribution of the additional bourbon you splash on the cake. I usually add bourbon every few days (about four times).
And, yes, there is such a thing as too much bourbon. Don't drown out the flavor of the fruit and nuts.
By Christmas day, your fruitcake will be perfectly intoxicating!