Description
A traditional moist fruit cake made with rum-soaked dried fruit, citrus zest, and candied ginger. This is the best fruit cake recipe you’ll ever make – it turns cynics into converts! The secret lies in soaking mixed dried fruits in dark rum for 24 hours, then aging the finished cakes wrapped in alcohol-soaked cheesecloth for at least a week. This recipe yields two 8×4-inch loaf cakes, perfect for keeping one and gifting another.
Ingredients
- Soaked Fruit Mixture:
- 1¼ cups (200g) dark raisins
- 1¼ cups (200g) golden raisins
- 2 cups (320g) mixed unsweetened dried fruit, chopped (equal parts peaches and apricots work well)
- 1 cup (160g) dried unsweetened black figs, chopped
- 1 cup (160g) dried unsweetened tart cherries, chopped
- ¾ cup (120g) dried unsweetened prunes, chopped
- ¾ cup (180ml) dark rum
- Fruit Cake Batter:
- 1½ cups (180g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 stick (115g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (160g) packed light brown sugar
- 5 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated orange zest
- ½ cup (120ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and coarsely grated
- ¾ cup (90g) slivered almonds
- 3 tablespoons (36g) finely diced crystallized ginger
- ⅔ cup (100g) chopped bittersweet chocolate (optional)
- For Storage:
- Medium sherry or triple sec for soaking cheesecloth
- Optional Decorative Glaze:
- ¼ cup (72g) apricot preserves
- ¼ cup (60ml) water
- Whole pecans for garnishing
Instructions
- Soak the Fruit (Day Before): Combine all dried fruit in a large mixing bowl. Add dark rum, cover, and soak at room temperature for minimum 12 hours, ideally 24 hours before baking.
- Prepare for Baking: Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C) with rack in center position. Prepare two 8×4-inch loaf pans (grease and line with parchment if not using nonstick).
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream softened butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add Eggs: Reduce speed to medium and add eggs one at a time, beating just until incorporated. Mixture may look slightly broken – that’s normal.
- Combine Wet and Dry: On low speed, slowly add flour mixture until just absorbed. Remove bowl from mixer.
- Add Remaining Ingredients: Stir in lemon zest, orange zest, orange juice, grated apple, almonds, crystallized ginger, soaked fruit mixture (with any remaining liquid), and chocolate if using. Mix with large spatula until evenly incorporated.
- Bake the Cakes: Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Smooth tops with offset spatula. Bake 75-90 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until set and golden brown. Cool completely in pans.
- Age for Best Flavor: Remove cooled cakes from pans. Soak cheesecloth pieces in sherry or triple sec (lightly damp, not soaking). Wrap each cake tightly, then cover with wax paper and foil. Store in refrigerator up to 6-8 weeks, re-soaking cheesecloth weekly.
Notes
Essential Tips: Use only unsweetened dried fruit for best balance. The longer you age the cake (minimum 1 week), the better the flavor develops. Alcohol-Free Option: Substitute orange juice, apple juice, or strong Earl Grey tea for rum, though flavor will be less complex. Storage: Cakes keep 6-8 weeks refrigerated when properly wrapped. Serving: Slice with serrated knife into thin pieces. Serve plain or with salted butter. Glaze Note: Only glaze cakes you plan to serve immediately, not those being aged. Equipment: Recipe tested with 8×4-inch loaf pans but readers report success with bundt pans (adjust baking time accordingly).
- Prep Time: 1 day
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Traditional
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (1/32nd of recipe)
- Calories: 196
- Sugar: 26g
- Sodium: 58mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
Keywords: fruit cake, traditional fruit cake, rum soaked fruit, holiday baking, aged fruit cake