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Old-Fashioned Dark Fruitcake

Close-up of a rich fruitcake slice, showcasing abundant candied fruits and nuts embedded in the dark cake.
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A rich, spiced, and boozy fruitcake recipe, perfect for the holidays. This recipe aims to redeem fruitcake’s reputation with a balanced mix of fruits and nuts, and tips for moisture and aging.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
  • 1 cup golden raisins
  • 1 cup dark raisins
  • 1 cup chopped candied cherries
  • 1/2 cup chopped candied citron
  • 1/2 cup chopped candied orange peel
  • 1/2 cup dark rum or brandy, plus more for feeding

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C). Grease and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan, or line it with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
  3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and baking soda.
  5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.
  6. In a medium bowl, toss the chopped nuts and dried/candied fruits with 2 tablespoons of the all-purpose flour. This helps prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
  7. Gently fold the floured fruit and nut mixture into the cake batter.
  8. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly.
  9. Bake for 2 to 2.5 hours, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Check the cake after 1.5 hours and loosely tent with foil if the top is browning too quickly.
  10. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes before inverting it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  11. Once completely cool, wrap the fruitcake tightly in cheesecloth that has been soaked in dark rum or brandy.
  12. Store the fruitcake in an airtight container. Feed the cake weekly with 1-2 tablespoons of rum or brandy by poking holes in the top with a skewer and drizzling the liquor over it. Age for at least 2 weeks, or up to several months, for best flavor.

Notes

  • For a darker cake, you can use dark brown sugar instead of granulated sugar.
  • If you don’t have candied citron or orange peel, you can omit them or substitute with more candied cherries or dried fruit.
  • Ensure your dried and candied fruits are chopped into relatively uniform, bite-sized pieces.
  • The aging process is crucial for developing the deep flavors and moist texture of this fruitcake.
  • You can substitute whiskey or bourbon for rum or brandy if preferred.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://recipestokeep.com/fruitcake-recipe/