When my landlord and Martina and I were deciding what to do for Christmas, the landlord requested fruit cake. I volunteered to bake it. Not quite sure what I was thinking when I did that.
I haven't eaten a piece of fruit cake since...since I don't remember when. I certainly haven't made a fruit cake since the 80's when I lived at home.
I found a recipe in my Australian Women's Weekly Christmas cookbook, and then decided it was too much work, so found an less intensive recipe online.
Except the recipe called for mace. What the hell is mace? Other than a chemical you spray in someone's face when they are trying to attack you? Apparently mace is a spice. I never knew. I used ground ginger instead.
Cost me close to $100 for all those candied fruits and nuts. It had better taste good. Next time someone asks me to make a fruit cake, I'll buy one at half the price!
The recipe I used is Alison's Dad's Fruit Cake from Canadian Living.
Ingredients:
- 1-1/2 cups (375 mL) halved red glacé cherries
- 1-1/2 cups (375 mL) halved green glacé cherries
- 2 cups (500 mL) candied mixed peel
- 2 cups (500 mL) dark seedless raisins
- 2 cups (500 mL) golden raisins
- 2 cups (500 mL) dried currants
- 1 cup (250 mL) brandy
- 1 cup (250 mL) slivered almonds
- 1 cup (250 mL) pecan halves
- 3 cups (750 mL) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) butter, softened
- 3/4 cup (175 mL) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (250 mL) packed brown sugar
- 5 eggs
- 2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla
- 1 tsp (5 mL) almond extract
- 1 tsp (5 mL) baking powder
- 1 tsp (5 mL) cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp (4 mL) ground nutmeg
- 3/4 tsp (4 mL) ground mace - I used ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp (2 mL) baking soda
- 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
- 1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground cloves
Directions:
In very large glass bowl, combine cherries, mixed peel, dark and golden raisins, currants and 3/4 cup (175 mL) of the brandy.
Cover and let stand, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours or overnight.
In bowl, toss together almonds, pecans and 1/2 cup (125 mL) of the flour. Toss with fruit mixture.
In large bowl or stand mixer, beat butter with granulated sugar until light.
Beat in brown sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs, 1 at a time.
Beat in vanilla and almond extract.
In separate bowl, whisk together remaining flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, baking soda, salt, allspice and cloves; stir into butter mixture until combined. Scrape over fruit mixture; mix well.
Scrape batter into 13- x 9- inch (3.5 L) parchment paper–lined metal cake pan; smooth top.
Set shallow pan on bottom rack of 300°F (150°C) oven; pour in enough water to come halfway up sides of pan.
Bake cake on centre rack of oven for 1 hour.
Lay foil loosely over cake; bake until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean, 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
Let cool in pan on rack.
Remove cake from pan; peel off paper.
(9 lbs 2 3/4 ozs doesn't include the cake pan. I zeroed it out with the cake pan on the scale and then put the fruit cake back in the cake pan. 9 lbs 2 3/4 ozs is all fruit cake. I could have knocked an intruder out with it!)
Soak double-thickness 32- x 16-inch (80 x 40 cm) piece of cheesecloth in remaining brandy; wrap around cake. I didn't have a cheesecloth so I soaked a tea towel in brandy.
Wrap in plastic wrap then foil.
Refrigerate for 1 month or for up to 3 months. I unwrapped it every 2-3 days for 3 weeks in the lead up to Christmas and brushed more brandy on.
Cut crosswise into 6 bars. Cut bars into 14 slices each.
Source : Canadian Living Magazine: December 2009