Fruitcake Lovers Unite!

[melly 0]

I was actually very excited this year as I wanted to make some fruitcake!

However, upon reading several recipes, I found that they all included alcohol which made it a no go for me.

If anyone knows of any fruitcake recipes that don't have alcohol that would be great.

I did make some bread using the dried fruit stuff that goes into fruitcake but it wasn't the greatest tasting bread I've ever made.

[Cassie 8]

A lot of fruit cakes don't use alcohol, or substitute artificial flavouring instead. I'll look to see if I can find one for you

I'm with you, Marilyn, I'm gonna get to eat my grandma's fruitcake AND plum pudding with hard sauce, and I am happy happy happy! Store-bought versions are #######.

Edited December 20, 2006 by Cassie

[ceriserose 1]

Both CAPS and I like fruitcake and this year I made it for the first time, from scratch.

It will be ready on December 24th. Just in time!

[Jenn! 918]

Both CAPS and I like fruitcake and this year I made it for the first time, from scratch.

It will be ready on December 24th. Just in time!

Excuse my ignorance, but does it take several days to make?

[Marilyn. 340]

Both CAPS and I like fruitcake and this year I made it for the first time, from scratch.

It will be ready on December 24th. Just in time!

Excuse my ignorance, but does it take several days to make?

you need to make it a month or two in advance to give it time to ripen or something...

[ceriserose 1]

Both CAPS and I like fruitcake and this year I made it for the first time, from scratch.

It will be ready on December 24th. Just in time!

Excuse my ignorance, but does it take several days to make?

you need to make it a month or two in advance to give it time to ripen or something...

Yeah, you need to soak the fruit mixture overnight, then you mix that in the cake batter and cook it at a low oven temp for 4+ hours. Then when it cools you need to wrap it in "rum-soaked cheesecloth" (which because I had no cheesecloth became rum-soaked clean j-cloths) and let it sit in an air-tight container for 3 weeks.

[brnidokiegurl 0]

ferment (maybe is word)

[ceriserose 1]

ferment (maybe is word)

heh, I'd prefer ripen to ferment.

But yes, the same concept. Waiting for the rum to soak in.

[brnidokiegurl 0]

[Alanlvsjudy 0]

Heh, I love fruitcake, even the "hard lumps" from the store...I'll just get out the trusty kitchen...Radial arm saw!

[TracyLuis 0]

yuk

Yeah...I never understood the appeal.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

I love fruitcake - at least the real, dark, rich, moist kind soaked with rum or brandy:-). Most store-bought fruitcake fall far short of what a real fruitcake should taste like. It is a lot of work making one, but oh, is it ever good. A friend of my mother's (both of whom have now passed away) used to make me a dark fruitcake every year - I so looked forward to it. I love plum pudding too - and plum pudding and fruitcake are more akin than you would think if all you ever tasted was the store-bought commercial kind.

[Marilyn. 340]

I was actually very excited this year as I wanted to make some fruitcake!

However, upon reading several recipes, I found that they all included alcohol which made it a no go for me.

If anyone knows of any fruitcake recipes that don't have alcohol that would be great.

I did make some bread using the dried fruit stuff that goes into fruitcake but it wasn't the greatest tasting bread I've ever made.

I found this one online.... it looks like it could be good...

Fruit Cake

Ingredients

3 cups Mixed dried fruit or

(1 cup Raisins,sultanas,currants)

1/2 cup Glace cherries

1/2 cup Peel

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

1 cup Water/ orange juice

2 cups Wholemeal self raising flour

1/2 cup Milk

1 Egg (beaten)

Preparation

place fruit, cinnamon and water in saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer for 3 min.

Allow to cool for 30 min

add rest of ingredients , mix and pour in an oiled tin.

Bake at 200C for 45 min.

Edited December 20, 2006 by MarilynP

[MichelleandCraig 1]

The sit-and-wait concept reminds me of Amish Friendship Bread...someone gave some to me one time (was quite a fad for a while if anyone remembers...) and I thought it was really yummy...never made it again though! M.

[MichelleandCraig 1]

For those of you who *do* like fruitcake, this recipe sounds pretty good. (aside from all the icky fruit chunks in the bread... ) I stumbled upon it on a different site I go to...here it is:

Applesauce Fruitcake

"Fruitcake made with applesauce and maraschino cherries." Original recipe yield: 1 - 10 inch bundt pan.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1 cup shortening

2 eggs

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

1 1/2 cups raisins

1 1/2 cups dates, pitted and chopped

1/2 cup maraschino cherries, coarsely chopped

2 cups applesauce

6 maraschino cherries, halved

6 pecan halves

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C). Grease a 10 inch tube pan. Line bottom with parchment paper and grease again.

In large bowl, cream sugar and shortening until light and fluffy. Add eggs and blend well.

Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Combine 1/2 cup of flour with nuts, raisins, dates and 1/2 cup cherries, stir until coated. Set aside.

Add remaining 2 3/4 cups flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and salt to egg mixture. Blend at low speed until moistened, then beat 2 minutes on medium speed.

Fold fruit and nut mixture and applesauce into batter. Pour batter into a 10 inch tube pan. Arrange cherry halves and pecans on top.

Bake at 325 degrees F (160 degrees C) for 1hour and 15 to 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes clean. Cool upright in pan 5 minutes. Turn upright onto wire rack and remove pan and parchment paper. Cool completely.

(In fact, I thought I might try it with different types of nuts...walnuts, pecans, etc...instead of fruit in it. I would think it should still turn out...)

Edited December 20, 2006 by MichelleandCraig