ATH: Fruitcake, the misunderstood holiday treat

  • Kyle Valentini
  • October 17, 2013
  • 477
                        
I think fruit cake gets a bad rap at Christmas each year. With jokes about using the cakes as science projects or as mortar when building a log cabin it’s amazing we still make them. We do still make them but according to a survey done by The New York Times, only 19% of us eat them. The rest of them, according to the survey, we give away, use as doorstops or throw away. The fruit cake has been around a long time. Egyptians buried them with their dead so they would have something to eat on their way to the afterlife. A version of today’s modern fruit cake was said to be carried from Italy on the Crusades. They have been used as bride’s cakes in Great Britain and it is believed that unmarried wedding guests will dream of the one they will marry if they sleep with a piece of fruitcake under their pillows. The history of fruitcake is also closely related to the European nut harvests of the 1700s. After the harvest, accumulated nuts were mixed and made into a fruitcake that was saved until the following year. At that time, the fruitcake was consumed in the hope that its symbolism would bring the blessing of another successful harvest. A fruit cake is essentially a dense cake made from dried fruit and nuts with only enough batter to hold it together. They are soaked in alcohol to both preserve and flavor them. There are as many recipes for fruitcake as there are cooks who make them. The next time someone gives you a fruit cake give it a taste. You might be surprised at how delicious it really is. Try making one yourself if you like. Fruitcake 2 cups chopped dried peaches or apricots 2 cups golden raisins. 1 cup chopped dried pears 1 cup chopped dried pineapple 1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped 1 -3/4 cups bourbon or dark rum 3/4 cup fresh orange juice 2-/12 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves 3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup blanched, slivered almonds, toasted 12 tablespoons (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1/2 cup sugar 4 large eggs 2/3 cup heavy (or whipping) cream or buttermilk 1/4 cup honey In a large mixing bowl, combine the dried fruits, apple and 1-1/4 cups of the bourbon. Heat the orange juice in a small saucepan over low heat until warmed through. Pour it over the fruits. Cover and let stand at room temperature, tossing frequently, until the liquid has been absorbed, about 2 hours or refrigerate overnight. Adjust an oven rack to the middle shelf and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Generously butter a 10-cup Bundt pan or use two loaf pans. Dust the pan/s with flour, shaking off any excess. Sift 1 cup of the flour with the cloves, nutmeg, salt and baking soda into a small bowl. Set aside. Add the remaining 1-1/2 cups flour and the toasted almonds to the fruits, and toss thoroughly. Set aside. With an electric mixer at medium speed, beat the butter and sugar in another large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one a time, beating well after each addition. Fold the batter into the fruit mixture, mixing well. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan. Smooth the top. Bake until a tooth pick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, and then turn it out onto a rack. Combine the honey and the remaining 1/2 cup bourbon in a small saucepan, and cook over low heat, stirring until the honey has dissolved, about 2 minutes. Brush 1/2 of the hot glaze over the top and sides of the cake. Gently turn the cake over, and brush on the remaining glaze. Let the cake cool thoroughly. Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap, then in heavy-duty aluminum foil. Let the cake mellow a couple of days at room temperature before serving.


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