fruitcake?
It's that time of year again, and I'm setting out to make some fruitcakes to send out. I made a good one last year but unfortunately lost the recipe, I'm up for trying a new one though, the only requirements being that it doesn't contain any of the creepy neon green and red fruit like candies. I want a more natural cake with real dried fruits and nuts, anyone have any luck?
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18 Comments:
Go here:
Shockingly Tasty Fruitcakes
http://www.chow.com/stories/11292
The recipes there sound delicious, and NONE feature that iccky neon fruit!
I've got their "Spiced Dark Fruitcake" aging in my pantry right now for gift-giving. It was easy, and smelled divine! (I can't have gluten, so I haven't tasted it, but those who did said it was really good, and will be even better after it is aged.)
Brownie at 11:16AM on 11/22/08
This is my third year making this Christmas cake, and it's unbelievably rich and good, and not a neon-coloured fruit in sight:
http://pudding.denyer.net/ingredients_list.html
http://pudding.denyer.net/recipe_instructions.html
Overall, the recipe calls for 23 ounces of currants, raisins, dates/prunes, and candied citrus peel, but I always substitute part of that with chopped candied ginger, dried cranberries/cherries, and dried apricots, to add some fresher, fruitier notes to the cake.
mongoose at 11:48AM on 11/22/08
@mongoose -- I love candied ginger in fruitcake too! As you said, it "freshens" the taste.
Brownie at 12:42PM on 11/22/08
Have you all met the Fruitcake Monkey? He (she?) is amusing. Recipes at the end or try this one from Delia Smith. Alton Brown has a recipe using dried cranberries & cherries & blueberries instead of those funky, fluorescent colored glacé fruits.
kjgibson at 1:41PM on 11/22/08
For any recipe, you can sub home-candied citrus peel for the neon stuff. Just use organic so the peels won't have pesticide on the surface.
An unexpected benefit of home candying--About 15 years ago, a seed from a grapefruit I was prepping germinated. The rootstock must have been Kaffir Lime, because now we have a 5 foot tree with leaves that look and taste just like the lime leaves used in Thai cooking.
When I saw this topic I thought, "Oh, trotting out the old anti-fruitcake jokes." I'm so glad too see all the creative pro-fruitcake comments.
SallyMutant at 3:53PM on 11/22/08
ate a slice of fruitcake once. it was pretty good after a bunch of spiked eggnog. then the cramps set in. i will never eat another piece again. they are something that gets regifted .
dearrie at 12:52PM on 11/23/08
@dearrie: What you ate wasn't fruitcake. Trust me. Most of what passes for 'fruitcake' in the US is a horrid joke.
But I'll stop here, since this hasn't a thing to do with avryan's question... she wants recipes ;)
mongoose at 1:16PM on 11/23/08
no it was a fruitcake. my sister made it.
holiday fruitcake---
1c chopped candied fruit
2/3c pitted dates, chopped
1/2c chopped walnuts
1/4c brandy or orange juice
1 package jell-o instant pudding, vanilla
1 pkg yellow cake mix
4 eggs
1c sour cream
1/3c veg oil
1T grated orange rind2/3c cold milk
mix candied fruit, dates, walnuts and brandy.Reserve 1/3c pudding mix. combine cake mix, remaining pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, oil, and orange rind in large bowl. beat at low speed just to moisten. beat at med speed 4 min. stir in fruit mixture.
pour into a well-greased and floured 10-inch fluted tube of loaf pan. bake at 350, for 45 min. or until a toothpick comes out clean. cool in pan for 15 min. remove from pan finish cooling on wire rack. beat reserved pudding mix and milk until smooth and spoon over top of cake to glaze if you so desire.
dearrie at 2:44PM on 11/23/08
kjgibson--that fruitcake monkey was the cutest thing I have seen in AGES! I just wasted quite a bit of time watching the monkey decorate Christmas trees too, and do other holiday crafts. I also agree with the monkey that Truman Capote's "A Christmas Memory" is a must for 'fruitcake season.'
dearrie--fruitcake does not contain Jell-O pudding mix--I concur with the others, what you had is not fruitcake!
HeartofGlass at 5:50PM on 11/23/08
that truly sounds nasty dearrie! I have never seen a fruitcake like that.
love2cook at 12:10AM on 11/24/08
@dearrie: Oh God. Seriously? I mean... No. That isn't fruit cake, that is a gastric assault. Think about it: Take away the cup of 'candied fruit' (I've seen that stuff, and although the ingredient list includes 'mixed peel' and an assortment of dyes, no one is ever going to convince me those aren't bits of plastic; besides, 'mixed peel' isn't fruit, anymore than peanut shells are a cocktail snack), and that recipe still sounds really heavy.
You could not pay me to eat something like that.
But I love fruitcake, and when it's well-made, it's great.
(@avryan: Sorry about going off-topic, but people hating fruitcake based on these atrocities makes me see red...)
mongoose at 3:30AM on 11/24/08
I know this is really Sandra Lee of me but truly, the Costco fruitcake is as good as the $60 ones from the Saks holiday department. And I know they bake them in store. If you want a no-bake, no fuss recommendation. I am actually going to have a piece right now. This discussion made me hungry.
JohnFred at 11:39AM on 11/24/08
I think the best fruitcakes are from the caribbean or west indies, and they call them "black cakes" -- pretty much a rum soaked hunk of loveliness with some candied orange peels, and maybe a nut here or there. Mostly rum. Rummmmm. mmmmmmm
I'll see if I can find a recipe...
juliebugsmama at 1:47PM on 11/24/08
Here's a recipe for "Black Cake" that uses Tawny Port. Lordy it sounds great. Incidentally, can anyone tell me how to turn links into blue words...if you know what I mean?
http://www.chefdecuisine.com/baking/fruitcakes/CARIBBEAN_BLACK_CAKE.asp
juliebugsmama at 2:17PM on 11/24/08
JBM, if you look below your comment preview, there's a set of helpful HTML Hints.
nightowl at 2:25PM on 11/24/08
Thanks nightowl. hoot hoot!
juliebugsmama at 2:28PM on 11/24/08
it doesn't matter what kind of fruit cake it was, you'll never get me to try it or any other so called real one again.
dearrie at 5:28PM on 11/24/08
I'm not gonna lie, I love the store-bought fruitcake with the neon "fruit". My dad and I thought it would be a really good idea to make homemade fruitcake one year, and that was the last time we'll try it. It's just not the same.
CassieRose at 6:46PM on 11/24/08