Recipes: It’s fruitcake weather!

Turns out, quite a few. From India to Illinois, Jamaica to Jersey, fruitcake took shape over hundreds of years as a holiday tradition. These days, most folks liken it to a doorstop.

Poor fruitcake. It’s such a storied cake that’s now so sadly maligned.

It can be traced to Roman times when it was studded with meat as well as dried fruits and used as sustenance for the Roman army. The cake most likely proliferated throughout the Roman Empire and made its way to Britain during Anglo-Norman times. By the Middle Ages, it had become a common celebratory cake, especially for weddings and the holidays. Most places in the modern world that have some form of the cake can trace it back to some relationship to Britain, most often through colonialism.

In India, Allahabadi cake is similar to British versions, but almost always contains murabba (orange marmalade) and often petha (candied ash gourd). German stollen, which uses yeast instead of chemical leavening, is a close cousin, much like Italian panettone, though not related in shape. Rum-soaked fruitcakes are found throughout the Caribbean at Christmas time.

My family’s version is very much like that of Capote’s: a dense, heavy cake studded with lots of dried and candied fruits, soused with bourbon (an obvious Southern adaptation from the brandy in English versions that Capote makes into a delightful adventure in his story).

The mystique built around fruitcakes may come from the fact that they are an elaborate undertaking. Most use the creaming method of mixing, with lots of eggs, butter and spices. American versions of the cake almost always include nuts — pecans in the South.

Fruitcakes require the procurement of things not likely on hand: candied fruits, dried fruits, nuts and varied baking spices not often kept in the kitchen apothecary. While not difficult to mix, they are, by today’s standards, byzantine in preparation. The fruits are often soaked for days, weeks or months before chopping; nuts are chopped; five or six different spices are measured. Once baked, the cakes are usually doused with brandy or wine, wrapped, and left to macerate for weeks at a time before eating.

In our age of instant gratification and easy five-ingredient, one-pot, sticky chocolate, cake mix kitchen fixes (guilty!), the fruitcake hardly measures up. But haven’t we lost something in the balance? Isn’t it worth it — at least once a year — to go out of our way to accomplish something that requires a certain amount of ritualistic difficulty?

Set aside some space this holiday and make way for a fruitcake. There is magic in it.

RECIPES

These three fruitcakes represent a worldly offering, ranging in difficulty from easy to involved. Read through each recipe thoroughly before beginning; some steps take more time than others.

Fruitcake Facts

Nearly all fruitcakes use the creaming method of cake mixing, where butter and sugar are creamed together and eggs are added until fluffy. Flour is then alternately added with whatever liquid may be in the recipe. Because the ratio of eggs in a fruitcake is so much higher than that of other types of cakes, the butter, sugar and eggs will be runny, not fluffy.

Most fruitcakes are baked in a low oven (usually 250-300 degrees), with a water bath to help moisten the cake. If your recipe doesn’t call for a water bath, use one anyway: simply fill a pan of equal or larger circumference and place it on the oven rack below the fruitcake pan.

All fruitcakes benefit from soaking the fruits, at least overnight, in either a hot water bath or the wine or alcohol called for in the recipe. Some fruitcake lovers soak their fruits for up to a year for full flavor! Alternatively, the cakes can be moistened after baking by poking holes in the surface and pouring the alcohol over the cake to soak. For best results, do this immediately after removing the cake from the oven.

Credit: Meridith Ford

Credit: Meridith Ford

Hensler Family Fruitcake

Some form of this recipe has been used in my family for several generations. This is the version my mother and I always made. We believe it was altered over the years by the influence of a recipe my mother found in Southern Living magazine.

If you decide to make the cake prettier by using a Bundt pan, there will be too much batter, so have a small muffin pan ready for the overflow. You’ll get about 4 large muffins. I have also substituted a few of the fruits, as I do not like candied cherries. I drizzle my fruitcake with a caramel drizzle, but that’s optional.

For the fruits and nuts:

1/2 cup drained Luxardo or candied cherries, finely chopped

1/2 cup candied pineapple, finely chopped

1/4 cup candied lemon peel, finely chopped

1/4 cup candied orange peel, finely chopped

1 cup golden raisins

1/3 cup currants

1 cup slivered almonds

2 cups pecans, chopped

1/2 cup dried figs

1/2 cup dried apples

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon cocoa

For the cake:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing the pan

1 1/8 cup granulated sugar

6 large eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for greasing the pan

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup apple jelly

3/4 cup bourbon, divided

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

Dulce de Leche Sauce (see recipe) (optional)

Put the fruits and nuts in a large bowl. Add 1 cup flour and the cocoa. Toss to combine. Set aside.

Heat the oven to 275 degrees. Place an 8-inch cake pan filled with water on the lowest rack of the oven. Butter and flour (or use baking spray) a 10-inch tube pan or Bundt pan.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attached, beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time. Scrape down the bowl between every two eggs.

In a large bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups flour, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder and salt together. In a small bowl, whisk together the apple jelly, 1/2 cup bourbon, lemon juice and vanilla. Add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and egg mixture alternately with the apple jelly mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake over the water bath for 3 hours. Remove from the oven, and use a toothpick or sharp knife to poke several holes across the top. Pour the remaining 1/4 cup bourbon over the cake while still hot.

Serves 10.

Per serving, without Dulce de Leche: 806 calories (percent of calories from fat, 48), 13 grams protein, 91 grams carbohydrates, 55 grams total sugars, 8 grams fiber, 43 grams total fat (14 grams saturated), 160 milligrams cholesterol, 213 milligrams sodium.

Credit: Meridith Ford

Credit: Meridith Ford

Dulce de Leche

This easy caramel sauce dresses up the Hensler Family Fruitcake.

1 (14-ounce) can evaporated milk

1 cup brown sugar (light or dark)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon orange extract (optional)

Place evaporated milk, brown sugar and butter in a small saucepan and cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat until the butter and sugar melt. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and allow to cook without stirring until nappe (when the mixture can coat the back of a spoon without running), about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Whisk in the powdered sugar and orange extract, if using. Once the sauce and the fruitcake are cooled, drizzle the sauce over the cake before serving.

Makes about 2 cups.

Per tablespoon: 72 calories (percent of calories from fat, 50), 1 gram protein, 8 grams carbohydrates, 7 grams total sugars, no fiber, 4 grams total fat (2 grams saturated), no cholesterol, 15 milligrams sodium.

Credit: Meridith Ford

Credit: Meridith Ford

Caribbean Christmas Cake

This cake, often referred to as Jamaican Black Cake, is a descendant of Colonial British plum pudding and has become a Christmas staple in the Caribbean. The cake will be darker depending on the fruits (dark raisins will create a darker cake), how long they are soaked, and the use of browning sauce, a sugar syrup that is commonly used in Jamaica. You can substitute an equal amount of molasses (bringing the total amount of molasses to 10 tablespoons) for the browning sauce with little difference in taste, but the cake will be lighter in color.

In Jamaica, the Wray and Nephew Red Label wine is most often used. It is a sweet wine perfect for soaking the fruits. Port is an easy substitute. Most recipes call for soaking the fruits for at least a week, but if you’ve mis-planned, you can bring the fruits to a boil with the rum, wine and molasses, and let them soak overnight at room temperature for a similar effect.

For the dried fruit mixture:

1 1/3 cups dried fruits, such as raisins, apples, apricots and plums

1 1/2 cups Wray and Nephew Red Label Wine or port

1 cup white or dark rum

For the cake:

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for greasing the pan

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons allspice

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing the pan

1 cup dark brown sugar

8 eggs

1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice

1 teaspoon lemon or lime zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 tablespoons browning sauce (see note, above)

5 tablespoons molasses

1/4 cup white rum

Chop the fruits and place them in a large mixing bowl. Add the wine and rum. Cover and let soak at room temperature for at least a week (see note, above).

When ready to make the cake: Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Grease and flour (or use baking spray) a 9-inch cake pan. Place a separate 9-inch cake pan filled with water on the lowest rack of the oven.

Using a blender, blend the macerated fruit until no longer whole, but not pureed (it should still have a few lumps). Set aside.

In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a standing mixer using the paddle attachment on low speed, cream together the butter and dark brown sugar until fluffy. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, lemon juice and lemon zest. With the mixer still on low, add the egg mixture to the butter and sugar a little at a time.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture a little at a time. Add the blended fruit, vanilla extract, browning sauce and molasses. Combine without overworking the batter.

Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Bake for about 2 hours, until a toothpick in the middle comes out clean.

Remove from oven and place on a rack to cool. While hot, pour the remaining 1/4 cup white rum over the cake.

Serves 10.

Per serving: 570 calories (percent of calories from fat, 34), 10 grams protein, 78 grams carbohydrates, 39 grams total sugars, 2 grams fiber, 18 grams total fat (10 grams saturated), 185 milligrams cholesterol, 115 milligrams sodium.

Credit: Meridith Ford

Credit: Meridith Ford

Panforte

This is the ancient Christmas cake of Siena, Italy. It’s as much candy as it is cake. Italians rarely make it at home anymore since it is so readily found at cafes and groceries. It’s highly versatile with its ingredients. Substitute dried fruits or candied ginger for the citrus peel and the result will be just as delicious. I like to make mine with pecans instead of walnuts. Chocolate versions (nero) are commonly found in shops, too. This is super easy to make, and a big hit with kids from one to 92. It can be stored at room temperature for up to two months, wrapped tightly in parchment paper. Muffin-sized panforti make great gifts!

1 cups hazelnuts, skinned

1 1/4 cups whole almonds, skinned and blanched

1/2 cup walnuts or pecans

2 1/2 cups candied lemon or orange peel (or both)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for greasing the pan

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup honey

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan

Powdered sugar, for dusting

Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Grease and flour (or use cooking spray) an 8-inch cake pan.

Place the hazelnuts, almonds and walnuts on a dry baking sheet and bake until golden brown, shaking the pan occasionally, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven. Let cool then chop them coarsely.

To a large mixing bowl, add the chopped nuts, candied peel, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, coriander, salt and pepper. Add the flour and toss until combined. You may need to mix with your hands as the mixture can get sticky, and you’ll want to coat the ingredients with the flour as much as possible.

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, honey and butter. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Boil the syrup, stirring frequently, until it reaches 245 degrees, about 2 minutes.

Pour the boiling syrup over the fruit and nuts in the bowl. Stir to combine, and pour into the prepared pan. Smooth with a spatula; work quickly as the mixture will stiffen.

Bake the cake for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes, then turn it out of the pan. Wait until completely cool before sprinkling heavily with powdered sugar to serve.

Serves 8-10.

Per serving, based on 8: 752 calories (percent of calories from fat, 49), 13 grams protein, 84 grams carbohydrates, 37 grams total sugars, 13 grams fiber, 41 grams total fat (5 grams saturated), 8 milligrams cholesterol, 171 milligrams sodium.

Meridith Ford is a local chef and food writer who owns Cremalosa gelateria in Decatur.

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