Indulge in a delectable journey with our Christmas Fruitcake, an iconic holiday treat brimming with festive flavors and textures. This traditional cake is a celebration of the season, handcrafted with a symphony of dried fruits, candied citrus, warm spices, and a hint of rum, all enveloped in a moist and tender crumb. Discover the secrets to creating this beloved classic with three enticing recipes, each offering unique variations to suit your taste. Embark on a culinary adventure as you explore the boozy brilliance of the Rum-Soaked Fruitcake, the nutty delight of the Chocolate-Walnut Fruitcake, and the zesty charm of the Orange-Glazed Fruitcake. Whether you're a seasoned baker or a novice in the kitchen, these recipes will guide you effortlessly towards a perfect Christmas Fruitcake, a centerpiece that will grace your holiday table and create memories to cherish for years to come.
Here are our top 15 tried and tested recipes!
FRUITCAKE CHRISTMAS COOKIES
As holiday gifts, these rich fruit-and nut-filled cookies are pretty and practical. These are great make ahead Christmas cookies -the taste actually gets better over time! -Julia Funkhouser, Carson, Iowa
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Desserts
Time 40m
Yield about 3-1/2 dozen.
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 325°. In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Stir in remaining ingredients., Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Store in an airtight container. (Cookies are best after a few days.)
Nutrition Facts : Calories 265 calories, Fat 15g fat (6g saturated fat), Cholesterol 33mg cholesterol, Sodium 168mg sodium, Carbohydrate 33g carbohydrate (23g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 3g protein.
CHRISTMAS SPECIAL FRUITCAKE
I've made this quick and easy Christmas fruit cake many times during the past several years, giving it to family and friends for gifts. I also gave one to my doctor, and he claims it's the best he's ever tasted.
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Desserts
Time 2h
Yield 24 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 300°. In a large bowl, combine the nuts, dates and cherries. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; add to nut mixture, stirring until nuts and fruit are well coated. , In a small bowl, beat eggs until foamy; stir in vanilla. Fold into nut mixture and mix well. Pour into a greased parchment-lined 9x5-in. loaf pan. , Bake at 300° for 1-3/4 hours or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 230 calories, Fat 12g fat (3g saturated fat), Cholesterol 27mg cholesterol, Sodium 71mg sodium, Carbohydrate 29g carbohydrate (21g sugars, Fiber 3g fiber), Protein 4g protein.
CHRISTMAS FRUITCAKE
It's a shame that fruitcake as a species gets such a bad rap. With its two key ingredients--rum and butter--it ought to be a hit. This recipe includes dried fruit, instead of the glowing, candied stuff we've all learned to associate with fruitcake, and is less dense and more cake-like than many fruitcake recipes. It has become a favorite of my friends and family around the holidays (even the skeptical ones), and is delicious by itself, or covered with a layer of almond paste.
Provided by Karen Uffelman
Categories Desserts Specialty Dessert Recipes Liqueur Dessert Recipes Rum
Time P20DT6h57m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Soak cherries, mango, cranberries, currants, and citron in 1/4 cup rum for at least 24 hours. Cover tightly, and store at room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Butter a 6x3-inch round pan or loaf pan and line it with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; mix into butter and sugar in three batches, alternating with molasses and milk. Stir in soaked fruit and chopped nuts. Scrape batter into prepared pan.
- Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with 2 tablespoons rum.
- Cut out one piece parchment paper and one piece cheesecloth, each large enough to wrap around the cake. Moisten cheesecloth with 1 tablespoon rum. Arrange cheesecloth on top of parchment paper, and unmold cake onto it. Sprinkle top and sides of cake with remaining rum. Wrap the cheesecloth closely to the surface of the cake, then wrap with paper. Place in an airtight tin, and age for at least 10 weeks. If storing longer, douse with additional rum for every 10 weeks of storage.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 302.3 calories, Carbohydrate 33.3 g, Cholesterol 54.1 mg, Fat 14.8 g, Fiber 1.3 g, Protein 2.5 g, SaturatedFat 7.8 g, Sodium 202.7 mg, Sugar 20.5 g
THE ABSOLUTE BEST WHITE CHRISTMAS FRUITCAKE
This is the most ultimate fruitcake you will ever bake, please don't be afraid of making a fruitcake it is not at all hard just a little time consuming, but well worth the effort! --- this will make one 9 x 5-inch loaf and two smaller 3 x 8-inch pans --- plan ahead the fruit needs to soak in the juice for 24 hours.
Provided by Kittencalrecipezazz
Categories Dessert
Time 2h25m
Yield 3 loaf cakes
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Place the orange peel, currants, raisins, cherries and chopped candied pineapple in a large bowl.
- Pour the orange juice over the fruit and let sit for 24 hours, mixing/tossing a couple times during the 24 hours period.
- Line bottom of one 9 x 5-inch AND two 3 x 8-inch loaf pans with parchment paper or two sheets of wax paper.
- Set oven to 275 degrees.
- Place a pan of cold water directly onto the bottom of your oven.
- In a large bowl cream butter with confectioners sugar until very smooth.
- Add in the egg yolks and almond or vanilla extract; beat until combined.
- Stir in the soaked fruit and the juice along with nuts.
- Using a wooden spoon stir in the flour.
- In a clean dry bowl beat the egg whites until firm peaks form; fold into the batter.
- Fill the large pan and the two smaller pans about two-thirds full.
- Bake for 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until golden brown, the smaller pans will take less time to bake (or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle).
- Let cool in pans on a rack.
- Remove cakes from pan; peel of parchment.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 3844.8, Fat 215.7, SaturatedFat 88.7, Cholesterol 828.8, Sodium 1083.2, Carbohydrate 457.5, Fiber 27, Sugar 308.5, Protein 56.1
RICH BRANDY CHRISTMAS FRUITCAKE
A very very rich fruitcake...perfect for Christmas, just remember, the longer it sits in the tin, the tastier it will be.
Provided by Samuel Holden
Categories Dessert
Time 5h20m
Yield 8 inch cake
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- The night before you cook this place all the fruit fruit peel and nuts into a bowl and soak for 12 hours in the brandy and orange juice; Stir every time you go into the kitchen!
- pre-heat oven to 275ºF/140ºC.
- Grease and line with greaseproof paper an 8 inch/20cm round cake tin.
- Sift the flour salt and spices into a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl cream the butter and sugar together until the mixtures fluffy.
- Beat the eggs and add them a little at a time.
- Fold in the flour and spices.
- Stir in the fruit that has been soaking along with any excess liquid.
- Mix in the treacle.
- Spoon into the cake tin and spread out evenly.
- Cover the cake with a double square of greaseproof paper with a small hole in the top.
- Bake the cake on the lower shelf for 4& 1/4- 3/4 hours.
- When the cake is cold wrap in double greaseproof paper and store in an airtight tin.
- Feed the cake every two days for the first 2 weeks with a spoonful of brandy and/or orange juice and/or glacè cherry syrup.
- First poke little holes in the cake with a knitting needle or a skewer.
- Come Christmas you will have a very very rich fruit cake.
- Use royal icing to ice it or almond paste and royal icing, I don't like almond paste!
MAMA'S CHRISTMAS FRUITCAKE - DEE DEE'S
This has to be the very best fruitcake ever!! This recipe was passed down to my mother from her mother. I can remember mama making 2 to 4 of these cakes at a time for Christmas. Everything mama put into her fruit cakes was very fresh. She would crack a fresh coconut and grate it. The pecans she put in this cake were not...
Provided by Diane Atherton
Categories Cakes
Time 3h30m
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- 1. Sift all dry ingredients together. Coat fruit and nuts with just enough of flour mixture (about 1 cup) to ensure that the fruit does not stick together; set aside.
- 2. Cream butter and sugar; add eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- 3. Add remaining dry mixture to egg, sugar and butter mixture; add liquor and vanilla; mix well.
- 4. Pour the creamed mixture over the fruit and nuts. Hand stir until mixed well.
- 5. Pour into 2 10-inch waxed paper lined tube pans, garnish top of cake with cherries, pineapple slices and pecan halves; place in cold oven, set oven at 275 degrees; bake 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours or until a long skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs. MY MOHTERS RECIPE STATES BAKE IN SLOW OVEN FOR ABOUT 2 1/2 HOURS. IT TOOK MUCH LONGER IN MY OVEN.
- 6. Once cakes are done, cool and wrap in wine soaked cheesecloth, then in Reynolds Wrap and then wrap in towels.
- 7. NOTE: The secret to these wonderful cakes is in the aging process. Mama would age her cakes from 2 to 3 weeks. Once a week she would un-wrap the cakes and pour enough liquor over the cakes to keep them moist until Christmas.
RICH CHRISTMAS FRUITCAKE
I have been making this particular fruit cake recipe for about 28 years now. It's a traditional cake for weddings, birthdays and Christmas in Australia. Although I submitted the original recipe, I personally would soak the fruit for a day or two in port or brandy before I baked the cake, as I like a really moist and boozy fruit cake. I double or triple the recipe depending on the size tins I will be using, and often make about 12 of these in varying sizes as gifts for Christmas.
Provided by JustJanS
Categories Dessert
Time 4h
Yield 1 cake
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Line a 8-inch round, or 7-inch square tin with 3 layers of paper.
- Having said that, I find it easier to line it with one, then wrap the OUTSIDE of the tin in several layers of newspaper, tied with kitchen string.
- Weigh and measure ingredients.
- Sift flour salt and spices.
- Cream butter and sugar.
- Gradually add the eggs to the creamed mixture.
- Mix well.
- It may look a bit curdled at this stage, but that's OK.
- Add the fruit, nuts, then the flour and liquid.
- Stir gently and thoroughly. I do this with my (clean) hands.
- Place in the prepared tin, hollowing out the centre a little to allow for rising.
- You can decorate the top with blanched whole almonds now if you wish.
- Bake in a 325°F oven (decreasing the temp gradually as the cake cook) for 3- 3 1/2 hours.
- When baked, leave in the tin for at least 10 minutes before turning out-until completely cold is better though.
- This is good made in about October, and stored wrapped in foil in an airtight container until Christmas.
CHRISTMAS FRUITCAKE
Though some people love it and other people hate it, fruitcake is the ultimate homemade Christmas food gift. Since it is nothing more than fruits and nuts in an egg-flour-butter batter, you can vary the proportions to suit your taste.
Provided by Nancy Harmon Jenkins
Categories dessert
Time 3h
Yield 4 cakes
Number Of Ingredients 22
Steps:
- Combine all fruits, preserves, vanilla and liquor in a large bowl. Mix well, cover with plastic wrap and store in a cool place overnight.
- Add hazelnuts, coconut and pecans to the fruits, mix well and set aside. Butter and flour four loaf pans. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
- Make batter in two batches for greater ease of working. In a large bowl, cream 1 cup of butter until it is light and fluffy. Beat in 1 cup of brown sugar, a little at a time. Beating continuously, add 6 eggs, one at a time.
- Mix flour and spices together and sift half the mixture over batter. Fold together well.
- Mix half the fruits and nuts into batter and turn into two loaf pans. For second batch, repeat the last three steps with remaining ingredients.
- Cover loaf pans with aluminum foil and place in preheated oven. Bake for 2 hours. Remove foil and bake 40 minutes longer.
- Remove cakes from oven, run a knife around edges of the pans and turn upside down on a cake rack. Leave to cool. When cakes are thoroughly cool, wrap well in cheesecloth and pour liquor on top, bottom and sides until cheesecloth is soaked. Wrap each cake in several layers of aluminum foil to protect them from the air. They are ready to eat in two to three weeks, although the longer they're kept the better they are. Open every few weeks and add more liquor if cheesecloth seems dry.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 621, UnsaturatedFat 13 grams, Carbohydrate 79 grams, Fat 31 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Protein 8 grams, SaturatedFat 15 grams, Sodium 67 milligrams, Sugar 49 grams, TransFat 1 gram
CHRISTMAS FRUITCAKE BARS
I have baked this cookie every Christmas for at least 25 years. I've had the recipe for so long, I don't even remember where it came from! -Jeaune Hadl, Lexington, Kentucky
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Desserts
Time 35m
Yield 2 dozen.
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350°. Beat butter, sugar and eggs until fluffy. Add biscuit mix. Stir in candied fruit, pecans and coconut., Spoon into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Dust with confectioners' sugar.
Nutrition Facts :
MRS. MACKINNON'S CHRISTMAS FRUITCAKE
The cake takes its name from the wife of Jack Turner's former headmaster, but the recipe is reportedly an ancient Scottish one. Aluminum foil stands in for the traditional newspaper.
Categories Cake Rum Egg Dessert Bake Christmas Currant Raisin Bon Appétit Vegetarian Pescatarian Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free Kosher
Yield Makes 12 servings
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Mix first 6 ingredients in large saucepan. Add 1/2 cup rum; bring to simmer over medium heat, stirring often. Remove from heat. Mix in grated orange and lemon peels, syrup, and baking soda. Let stand until fruit mixture absorbs liquid, stirring often, about 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 10-inch-diameter springform pan, then line bottom and sides of pan with parchment; butter parchment. Sift both flours and salt into medium bowl. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until well blended. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Add flour mixture; beat until just blended. Stir in fruit mixture. Transfer batter to pan. Cover pan with foil.
- Bake cake 2 hours. Reduce oven temperature to 275°F; continue to bake covered until tester inserted into center comes out clean but slightly moist, about 30 minutes longer. Transfer to rack; remove foil. Pierce top of cake all over with skewer. Drizzle 6 tablespoons rum very gradually over cake. Cool completely in pan. Cut around pan sides to loosen; remove pan sides. (Can be made 3 weeks ahead. Wrap in foil; chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.)
CHRISTMAS BOURBON FRUITCAKE SQUARES
A wonderful and colourful festive dessert for the holiday cookie platter that only gets better over time, so you may make well in advance --- these are *very* good!
Provided by Kittencalrecipezazz
Categories Bar Cookie
Time 40m
Yield 50 bars (approx)
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Set oven to 350 degrees.
- In a saucepan or microwave, melt butter, pour into a 15" x 10" baking pan.
- Sprinkle with Vanilla wafer crumbs evenly on top.
- Arrange fruits and nuts evenly on top of the crumb mixture; press down gently.
- Combine the sweetened condensed milk with the Bourbon; pour evenly over top of fruit/nut mixture.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Remove from oven; cool completely.
- Cut in squares.
CAROLYN'S CHRISTMAS FRUITCAKE
This is an old recipe that my mother-in-law has made every Christmas for many, many years. I have no idea where the recipe originally came from but I can tell you that if you hate fruit cake, there's a good chance that you'll love this one. It doesn't have the orange peel and other ingredients that can give fruitcakes a bitter...
Provided by Elaine Bovender
Categories Cakes
Time 2h45m
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- 1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Grease and flour or coat a 10" tube pan with cooking spray, set aside.
- 2. Mix together sugar, eggs, butter and vanilla until mixed well. Combine flour and salt. Add to sugar/egg mixture and mix thoroughly by hand, DO NOT use a mixer at this point!
- 3. Using your hands, mix in candied fruits, nuts, coconut and orange juice. When mixed spread into tube pan. Bake 2 1/2 hours. At 2 hours, check with a tooth pick. Cake is done when tooth pick comes out clean. Cool completely before removing from pan.
CHRISTMAS KEEPING CAKE (FRUITCAKE-LIKE, LESS FRUIT)
From "The Spirit of Christmas Book III," Leisure arts, 1989. Made it for 2009 Christmas party-delicious, and not too "fruity." People who don't like fruitcake loved it. It has the most delicious scent when you unwrap it that remains until the last slice is eaten. I believe it took mine no more than 2 hours to bake. Keep an eye on it, so the cake won't dry.
Provided by EURrosa1
Categories Winter
Time 3h
Yield 1 cake, 12-14 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg yolks until fluffy.
- Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk; beat it into eggs.
- Combine 2 1/2 cups flour with spices. Add to egg mixture, alternately with jam.
- Beat egg whites until almost stiff and fold into batter.
- Combine remaining flour with pecans, raisins and dates; fold into batter.
- Pour into well-greased and floured 10" tube pan. (I used bundt pan.). Bake at 300 F 3 to 3 1/3 hours (depends on oven). (NOTE: I believe it took mine no more than 2 hours to bake.) Place on wire rack until completely cool.
- Soak cheesecloth in liquor and wrap cake. Wrap with foil. Brush with more liquor every week, closing tight with foil. Let age 4-6 weeks in cool place.
CHRISTMAS DRIED FRUITCAKE
Make and share this Christmas Dried Fruitcake recipe from Food.com.
Provided by ellie_
Categories Dessert
Time 1h10m
Yield 1 cake
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Dust the fruit with the 1 Tablespoon of flour to make it easier to combine with the cake batter.
- Cream the butter/margarine with the sugar until light and lemon colored.
- Add the eggs and beat until thick.
- Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Mix into batter, and then stir in the orange peel and the dried fruit.
- Turn into a well-greased loaf pan (5"x9").
- Bake in 350-degree oven for 50-60 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
FROZEN CHRISTMAS FRUITCAKE SALAD
So easy to make, and so delicious, a great dessert for the holidays, because of the red and green cherries...I usually make two of these when I am making this recipe, and just keep them frozen in the freezer until ready to serve.
Provided by Kittencalrecipezazz
Categories Frozen Desserts
Time 15m
Yield 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- In a bowl, mix all ingredients together.
- Turn into a mold; freeze.
- Remove from freezer, unmold, let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 318.3, Fat 18.1, SaturatedFat 7.8, Cholesterol 29.9, Sodium 25.2, Carbohydrate 39.1, Fiber 2.2, Sugar 30.9, Protein 3.6
Tips:
- Use high-quality ingredients: The best fruitcake starts with the best ingredients. Use fresh, ripe fruit, nuts, and spices. Opt for good-quality butter, sugar, and flour.
- Soak the fruit: Soaking the fruit in alcohol (rum, brandy, or whiskey) before adding it to the batter helps to plump it up and add extra flavor.
- Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy: This will help to incorporate air into the batter, resulting in a lighter, more tender cake.
- Add the eggs one at a time: This will help to prevent the batter from curdling.
- Gradually add the flour: Adding the flour all at once can make the batter too dry and dense. Gradually adding it will help to ensure that the batter is smooth and well-mixed.
- Bake the cake in a low oven: A low oven temperature will help to prevent the cake from overcooking and becoming dry.
- Let the cake cool completely before frosting: This will help to prevent the frosting from melting.
Conclusion:
With its rich, flavorful fruit and nuts, Christmas fruitcake is a classic holiday treat that is sure to be enjoyed by everyone. By following these simple tips, you can make a delicious fruitcake that will be a hit at your next holiday gathering.
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