Traditional English Fruitcake
Banish the image of stodgy cakes loaded with sickly-sweet, fluorescent candied fruits and say “hello” to a true-blue English fruitcake. Loaded with real, dried fruits and fed with brandy, this is truly the stuff of Christmas past, but get ready for it become your Christmas present! You know, “Christmas present“? You get it.
- Serves: 2 Loaves
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 2 weeks
Ingredients
- 3 c. Flour
- 3 Eggs
- 1 c. Vegetable Oil
- 2 c. Brown Sugar
- 2 tsp. Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
- 2 c. Zucchini, finely grated
- 3/4 c. Pecans, chopped
- 3/4 c. Walnuts, chopped
- 1 tbsp. Vanilla
- 2 tsp. Ground Allspice
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 1 tsp. Ground Nutmeg
- 1 tsp. Ground Cloves
- 1 tbsp. Ground Cinnamon
- 3/4 c. Brandy + extra for feeding
- 1 c. Golden Raisins
- 1 c. Dried Currants
- 1 c. Dried Apricots, cut into small chunks
- 1 c. Dried Prunes, cut into small chunks
- 1/2 c. Dried Apples. cut into pieces
Instructions
Place all dried fruits in a large, resealable jar and top with brandy. Allow fruits to soak overnight, turning every so often to ensure even marination.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees and thoroughly grease and flour 2 standard loaf pans. In a large bowl, combine eggs, oil, brown sugar, and vanilla; separately, combine flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Slowly whisk flour mixture into egg mixture until fully combined. Drain brandy-soaked fruit and add to batter with pecans, walnuts, and zucchini. Transfer batter to prepared loaf pans, and bake for 1 hour or until a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Drizzle each loaf with 1 tablespoon brandy while cooling.
To age the fruitcake, soak a cheesecloth in brandy and wring out excess; wrap each loaf in prepared cheesecloth then in aluminum foil and set aside. Check daily to ensure cloth is still damp, and drizzle with additional 1 tablespoon brandy once weekly; allow fruitcakes to age for 2 weeks before serving.
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