The fruitcake is a dessert of Anglo-Saxon origin and is one of the first cakes ever prepared. Traditionally, it was prepared months in advance, by soaking the fruit in alcohol; it is therefore advisable to plan well the realization of the original dessert. However, you don't have to worry if you want to eat a fruitcake in the near future; in this article you will also find a "quick" recipe that allows you to enjoy the dessert in no time at all.
Ingrediants
Traditional Fruitcake
- 230 g unsalted butter
- 100 g of brown sugar
- 100 g of brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 45ml brandy, plus another 15ml to brush the cake
- Juice and zest of one orange
- Zest of one lemon
- 80 g of ground almonds or almond flour
- 100 g of mixed and coarsely chopped nuts (hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds or pecans)
- 750 g of chopped candied fruit (dried apricots, candied cherries, candied peels, figs, plums and dried dates)
- 380 g of dried fruit (raisins, dried cranberries, dried berries, sultanas)
- 260 g of flour 0
- 5 g of yeast
- A pinch of salt
Quick Recipe
- 110 g of slightly soft butter
- 150 g of granulated sugar
- 5 g of ground cinnamon
- A pinch of powdered ginger
- 10 g of yeast
- A pinch of salt
- 5 g of vanillin
- 2 large eggs
- 200 g of flour 0
- 200 g of pineapple in syrup in pieces with its liquid (a jar)
- 150 g of mixed nuts (raisins, pineapple, dates, apricots or cranberries)
- 50 g of chopped walnuts or pecans
- 50 g of candied red cherries and cut in half
- 20 g of bright white sugar sprinkles for decoration
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Traditional Fruitcake
Step 1. Turn on the oven and prepare the cake pan
Preheat the oven to 160 ° C and lightly butter a 20 cm diameter hinged cake pan. Cut out a sheet of parchment paper to line the greased bottom of the pan and prepare another strip for the rim.
Make the baking paper protrude over the edge of the pan for a few centimeters; in this way you will have less difficulty in removing the cake after cooking it
Step 2. Put the butter, brown sugar, and wholemeal sugar in a bowl
If you have a planetary mixer, pour the ingredients into the special container and work them with the leaf whisk; if you don't have this appliance, take a whisk. Whip the ingredients until you get a light and fluffy mixture.
Make sure the butter is not completely cold and hardened, otherwise you will have some difficulty working it
Step 3. Add the eggs
Put one in the mixture and mix until completely incorporated; pour the second egg and whip the mixture again. Finally, add the last one and keep stirring until it is well blended.
Step 4. Pour in the brandy, add the juice, orange zest and lemon zest
Stir the ingredients until you get a smooth blend.
Step 5. Incorporate the chopped almonds, nut mix, dried and candied fruit
Take a spatula and incorporate these ingredients into the batter, gently twisting your wrist.
Don't just mix or beat the batter, or you'll lose all the volume you've created by working the butter
Step 6. Put the flour, salt and baking powder in a separate bowl
Mix the three ingredients with a whisk for 20 seconds to evenly distribute the leavening agent.
Step 7. Incorporate the dry ingredients into the moist batter
Add the flour mixture by integrating it into the batter with gentle, circular movements of the wrist, using a spatula.
Step 8. Transfer the batter to the pan
Pour it into the pan you have prepared and smooth the surface with a knife. Place the springform pan on a larger baking sheet.
Step 9. Cook the fruitcake
Place the pan in the oven and cook the batter for an hour.
Step 10. Lower the temperature and continue cooking
Bring it to 150 ° C and leave the cake in the oven for another 90 minutes.
Step 11. Check for doneness and remove the cake from the oven
Insert a metal skewer or toothpick in the center of the cake; if it comes out clean, turn off the oven and take out the fruitcake.
If not, put it back in the oven and check it again every 5 minutes until it's ready
Step 12. Wait for it to cool completely while still in the pan
Make several holes in the surface and brush it with some brandy.
Step 13. Remove the cake from the mold and wrap it
When it is completely cold, unzip the pan and remove the bottom of the pan. Remove the parchment paper from both sides and bottom, wrap the entire cake in cling film, add a layer of aluminum foil and place your creation in a sealable bag or cake box.
Step 14. Brush the fruitcake with brandy
Repeat this once or twice a week. Each time close the wrapper carefully and continue in this way for several weeks or until you are ready to serve the dessert.
Method 2 of 2: Quick Recipe
Step 1. Turn on the oven and prepare the cake pan
Preheat the oven to 160 ° C, lightly butter a 22.5 x 12.5cm bread pan and set aside.
Step 2. Put the butter, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, salt and vanilla in a bowl
If you have a planetary mixer, pour all the ingredients into the special container and work them with the leaf whisk; if not, use a hand mixer. Whip the various ingredients until the mixture is smooth.
Make sure the butter is not completely cold and hard, otherwise you may have a hard time working it
Step 3. Add the eggs
Pour the first into the mixture and continue stirring until it is completely incorporated. Put the second and continue to work the batter.
Step 4. Incorporate the flour
Pour it into the mixture and mix thoroughly until completely blended.
Step 5. Pour the pineapple
Empty the entire contents of a jar of syruped pineapple into the batter, stirring until you get a uniform mixture.
Step 6. Add dried fruit, nuts and candied cherries
Keep stirring until the ingredients are incorporated into the batter. However, avoid working the mixture too much, otherwise the cake will become hard.
Step 7. Transfer the batter to the pan you made earlier
Smooth the surface with a knife and cover it evenly with the sprinkles of sugar.
Step 8. Cook the fruitcake
Put the pan in the oven for an hour.
Step 9. Cover it with aluminum foil and finish cooking
After an hour, take a sheet of aluminum foil, place it on top of the fruitcake and bake the cake for another 15 minutes.
The aluminum foil prevents the cake from burning during the final stages
Step 10. Check for doneness and remove the cake from the oven
Insert a metal skewer or toothpick in the center of the fruitcake; if it comes out clean, turn off the appliance and take the cake out of the oven.
If not, return the pan to the oven and check the cake every 5 minutes until it's ready
Step 11. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack
Once out of the oven, let it rest for 20 minutes in the pan. Then, run the blade of a knife along the inside of the pan and turn the cake upside down on the wire rack to cool completely.
Resting for 20 minutes allows dried fruit, nuts and cherries to stabilize
Step 12. Wait for the cake to cool completely
Do not cut it while it is still hot, or the slices will tear and the fruit may come off in lumps.
Advice
- You can use self-raising flour instead of regular flour and baking powder.
- By letting the fruit soak in the brandy you give an interesting flavor to the dessert and make it more moist.
