Description
It’s a shame that fruitcake as a species gets such a bad rap. With its two key ingredients–rum and butter–it ought to be a hit. This recipe includes dried fruit, instead of the glowing, candied stuff we’ve all learned to associate with fruitcake, and is less dense and more cake-like than many fruitcake recipes. It has become a favorite of my friends and family around the holidays (even the skeptical ones), and is delicious by itself, or covered with a layer of almond paste.
Ingredients
- ⅛ cup chopped dried cherries
- ⅛ cup chopped dried mango
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup dried currants
- 2 tablespoons chopped candied citron
- ¼ cup dark rum
- ½ cup butter
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup unsulfured molasses
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- ¼ cup dark rum, divided
Instructions
- Soak the fruit: Place cranberries
- currants
- cherries
- mango
- and citron into a medium bowl and stir to combine. Pour in rum and mix again. Cover tightly
- and store at room temperature for at least 24 hours.
- When ready to make the fruitcake
- preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Cut a 6-inch circle of parchment paper. Spray a 6×3-inch round pan with cooking spray. Place the parchment circle in the bottom of the pan
- and spray it with cooking spray.
- Beat butter and brown sugar in a large bowl until light and creamy
- about 3 minutes. Beat in egg until incorporated.
- Whisk together flour
- salt
- cinnamon
- and baking soda in a separate bowl. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 3 batches
- alternating with molasses
- beating batter briefly after each addition.
- Stir in soaked fruit and pecans. Scrape batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top.
- Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean
- 40 to 45 minutes.
- While the fruitcake is baking
- cut one piece parchment paper and one piece cheesecloth
- each large enough to wrap around the cake.
- Remove fruitcake from the oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes
- then drizzle 2 tablespoons rum over top.
- Moisten the cheesecloth with 1 tablespoon rum. Place it on top of the parchment paper
- and unmold fruitcake onto it. Brush the top and sides of fruitcake with remaining 3 tablespoons rum. Wrap the cheesecloth closely to the surface of the cake
- then wrap with the parchment paper.
- Transfer the wrapped fruitcake to airtight container or tin. Seal the container and let age at room temperature for at least 10 weeks before serving.
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 45 mins
Total Time: 2 weeks 6 days
Servings: 8