This is a traditional fruitcake recipe, given to one of my co-workers at The Wine Source by a customer after she brought us a slice to sample (it was delicious). Like all good and generous cooks, the customer shared the way she changed the recipe with us: “This is just a guide. I added dried peaches and dried cranberries and [more] bourbon instead of brandy, and left out the ginger. After the cake cools, wrap in good quality cheesecloth; then brush with bourbon whenever the cloth is dry.”
2 cups golden raisins
1 cup dark raisins
1 cup currants
2 cups dried apricot halves
2 cups dried figs, halved
1 cup pitted prunes
1 cup whole pitted dates
4 cups walnuts, in halves or large pieces
2 cups pecans, in halves or large pieces
Grated zest of 3 oranges
Grated zest of 3 lemons
1/2 cup chopped candied ginger
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon mace
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup molasses
2 cups brandy
1/2 cup orange liqueur
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 pound (4 sticks or 2 cups) butter
3 cups dark brown sugar
8 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
The day before you make the fruitcake, combine all the dried fruits, the nuts and citrus zests in a large mixing bowl or kettle. Sprinkle on the candied ginger and the spices, and toss well to mix. Add the molasses, brandy and orange liqueur, and mix well. Cover and let stand overnight, stirring once or twice. (The mixture may sit for several days, if you wish. Stir it occasionally, and add a little more brandy if it has been absorbed.)
The day you make the cakes, preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Grease four 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pans, line the bottoms with waxed paper, grease the paper, then roll flour about the pans to coat them lightly and evenly. Knock out excess flour.
Sprinkle 1 cup of flour over the fruit mixture and stir well. Combine the remaining 3 cups of flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt, and sift them together onto a piece of waxed paper; set aside. Cream the butter, then add the brown sugar and beat well. Add the eggs 2 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Add the combined dry ingredients and beat until the batter is thoroughly blended and perfectly smooth. Pour the batter over the fruit mixture and mix well until all the pieces of fruit are coated with batter— your clean hands are the best tools for this.
Divide the batter among the prepared loaf pans, filling them within 1/2 inch of the top. Bake the cakes for about 2 hours: each cake will rise just above the rim of the pan, the top will crack slightly in several places, and there will be a faint line of shrinkage around the edge of the pan. A long wooden skewer inserted in the center of a cake should come out clean, or with a light residue of sticky fruit, but no raw batter. Remove the cakes from the oven and place them on a rack to cool for about 30 minutes. Turn out of the pans, peel off the waxed paper, and let cool top side up on a rack. If you wish, pour an additional tablespoon or 2 of brandy over the cakes as they cool.
To store: Wrap each cake first in plastic wrap, then in a secure wrapping of foil and keep in a cool place. Or, if you wish, you may first wrap each cake in a brandy-soaked cloth, then in foil, and store as directed above. The cakes will keep for months. To serve, cut in thin slices with a long serrated knife. Makes 4 loaves.
