Boozy Christmas Fruitcake

Photo Courtesy: Dr. Debarshi Chatterji

Recipe Inspiration: Mary Berry

At my mom’s Christmas is always celebrated with a big round fruitcake and puff pastry stuffed with spiced potatoes. Earlier she used to bake a lot and mind you, our Indian homes don’t have convection ovens (because most of the cooking is done on stove top). So, she used to bake in a big pressure cooker lined with brown paper. All four of us (mom, dad, me and sis) had our own roles in the cake baking. So, someone will be chopping the nuts and someone else will be weighing the ingredients or mixing the batter. It was a tiresome work and it used to take hours for the cake to get ready. We used to be so excited at the thought of eating it that often we would stay awake for hours for it to finish baking. Oh! I don’t think my mom has ever baked anything as beautiful or delicious as that cake. 

Later, when I started working in Delhi, sometimes mom used to send me a care package. It would have tons of things along with a huge piece of that yummy fruitcake. I think, recently she has stopped baking it from scratch because of all that work. However, they still maintain that sweet tradition of having it on Christmas (be it bakery bought).

It was my first Christmas after coming to the U.S., Debarshi had gotten me varieties of baked goods. I was thoroughly enjoying them but somehow you know, I was still missing that fruitcake and then it happened...

My best friend (Vicki) got me a piece of fruitcake baked by her mom and immediately it brought back all those sweet memories. In the last five years I have baked her mom’s recipe quite a few times. This year, I thought, I am going to try an English recipe and who else is best at English baking than Mary Berry. Now I have improvised a couple of things according to easy availability and cost however, the cake tasted every bit as authentic and delicious as it should be. I think this fruitcake is going to be a part of our Christmas tradition now.

This cake is every bit rich, magnificent and full of delicious dried fruits which you can add according to your choice! The spices make it taste very Indian (or should I say very English?). 

Let’s start with soaking the fruits. The original recipe suggested just ¼ cup of brandy, however, I have used ½ and ¼ cups of rum which surprisingly didn’t taste strong at all. I would recommend not to use an expensive booze for soaking and feeding the cake. Also, please do not serve this to any kids. Some things are best kept aside for the grown ups only.

A little planning ahead goes a long way for this cake. Yes, you will still have to wait a couple of days to finally eat this cake (because of the soaking and feeding), however, the result will be every bit worth the wait. This cake is sooooo good, so make sure to savor every bite. I am telling you, it will be difficult to keep your hands off the cake and it will be gone before you know it. Please do not skip any step otherwise it wont turn up quite as boozy as it should be. It takes a while for the flavors to mature and the alcohol to infuse well. It should not strike your taste buds as loaded with alcohol but just feel like a hint. Now don’t be greedy and over feed the cake because it may make it soggy. There should be a mild touch of booze in the cake so that it tastes fruitier.

Now if you are one of those people who don’t like fruitcakes, then this cake will convert you. Believe me, this isn’t another one of those candy filled cakes. There is a lot of time, cost and effort in this cake along with organic and fresh ingredients. Still thinking of a reason? I will give you two - booze and sugar. If you love drinking and sweet treats, you will love this cake. If you would rather like a non-alcoholic cake, then I read somewhere that you can substitute the Rum with apple juice. Also, since there is almost no candied stuff in it, you can have it anytime! Yes, perfect to satisfy those fruitcake cravings during the summer months (when normally you wont find the candied cherries in the market). Bake this cake whenever you want and satisfy your heart.

This boozy Christmas cake is amazing! You will taste the delicious dried fruits with a hint of the spices. Yes, that is one of the best things about this cake. We usually have all these spices in our pantry and we need just a little for the cake. Please do not get confused with the ingredient - Mace. It does not mean pepper. Mace is an aromatic spice used widely in Indian and English cuisine. If you don’t have Mace at home, you should definitely buy a pack from the Indian store because it is also used in a variety of other dishes (like Kababs, Biryani and Pulao). 

Now you can very well use whatever nuts or dried fruits you like best. However, do not change the amount of the fruits which is 5 cups. I know, it is astonishingly high! That is why we have to bake it at a low temperature for a longer time so that nothing burns. This cake is moist, rich and so fruity! We are totally spoiled now! After having this delicious homemade cake, we cannot even think of buying a fruitcake from a bakery. 

I am not sure you will have any leftovers from this delicious cake to eat later. You can always save a piece by freezing it. Just transfer the piece of cake in a zip lock bag and tuck it away before it’s all gone. Even while feeding the cake, I would recommend refrigerating it so that its shelf life increases.

Now don’t wait, plan this fruitcake for this Christmas so that you can enjoy a big slice while listening to Christmas carols and decorating your shiny beautiful tree. I am so fond of dried fruits that I have already eaten quite a lot while preparing, baking and feeding the cake. Just don’t ask me to account for the Rum!

Ingredients:

• Corn Syrup - 1 tablespoon, light or dark 
• Dried Apricots - 1 ¼ cups 
• Dried Cherries - 1 cup 
• Golden Raisins -  ½ cup 
• Dates - 1 cup 
• Dried Figs - 1 ¼ cups 
• Rum – about 1 cup
• Lemon – 1, un-waxed, finely grated zest only
• Orange – 1, un-waxed, finely grated zest only
• Orange Extract - ½ teaspoon 
• Brown Sugar – 1 ¾ cups 
• All Purpose Flour – 1 ¼ cups 
• Nutmeg - ½ + ¼ teaspoons 
• Ground Cinnamon - ¼ teaspoon
• Ground Mace - ¼ teaspoon
• Ground Cloves - ¼ teaspoon 
• Butter – 14 Oz (or 3 ½ sticks), softened, unsalted
• Walnuts - 5 tablespoons, broken
• Eggs – 5, large
• Candied Peel of 1 Orange (Click for the recipe)

The original recipe suggested many things (like Black Treacle, All Spice, Mixed Spice etc.), some of which were not available easily and some were too expensive. While trying a new recipe, I always keep in mind the over all cost. I baked the cake using substitutions and it worked.

The original recipe also asked for currants, sultanas, raisins, glacé cherries, apricots and mixed peel. We went to Costco and got big packs of dried fruits. You can also vary the fruit if you like (like I did), but make sure the total weight remains the same as given in the recipe (5 cups).

Tips: 

• ¾ cup is ¼ * 3 (for the sugar).
• You can use the Mortar and Pestle to grind the spices.

Let’s do some preparations:

• Chop all the dried fruits (Apricots, Cherries, Dates and Figs) and put them in a bowl along with the Golden Raisins. Dip the knife in water occasionally to cut the dried fruits smoothly.

• Dip the dried fruits in ½ + ¼ cups of Rum in a large bowl.
• Add the Orange Extract and mix everything well.
• Cover the bowl and transfer to the fridge.

Tips: 

• The original recipe asked for ¼ cups of Brandy for this. So, if you want you can reduce the amount. However, I should mention here that even though I used more amount of Rum, my cake didn’t taste too alcoholic.
• Also, make sure to do this step at least 48 hours before you bake the cake so that the dried fruits become plump. 

Directions:

• Lightly grease a 9-inch-deep round cake pan.
• Cut a strip of baking parchment to cover the sides of the pan.
• Put a circle of baking parchment into the base of the pan and lightly grease it.
• Cut another piece of parchment big enough to cover the top of the pan. This will be placed on top of the cake so that the long bake does not dry it out.
• Preheat the oven to 275 F.
• Start the mixer on the lowest speed, beat the Butter.
• Start adding the other ingredients one by one - Sugar, All Purpose Flour, mixed spices (Nutmeg, Ground Cinnamon, Ground Mace and Ground Cloves), Eggs, Corn Syrup, Lemon zest, Orange zest and chopped Candied Peel (leave out a few good pieces for decoration) and beat well.

• Fold in the walnuts and soaked fruits.

• Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin and spread out evenly with the back of a spoon. Decorate the top with the remaining candied peels (you can also use walnuts, almonds, apricots)

• Cover the top of the cake loosely with a layer of parchment paper. Bake for 4 hours, or until the cake feels firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan (on a cooling rack).

• Feed the cake with a little splash of rum (do not take out the cake from the pan at this stage).
• Repeat this step for at least 3 days. You can refrigerate the cake if you want.

Boozy Christmas Fruitcake is ready to be shared with friends and family.

You can also freeze the cake. Just put it in a zip-lock bag and transfer to the freezer.

Tips: 

• Can't find a toothpick to test your cake? A skewer works just as well.
• To grease your baking pan with ease, rub butter or oil around the baking pan using a piece of paper towel.
• The recipe works well for two 6-inches cakes. Just bake them at the same temperature for 3 hours.
• Not a fan of alcohol or serving to kids? Brush a little simple syrup or warm honey on the cake to bring that glazed look.

Recommended reading:

• Simple Chocolate Cake
• Easy Pineapple Upside Down Cake
• Chocolate Raspberry Cake with Chocolate Ganache
• Pecan Cake with Rum Frosting
• Chocolate Coconut Cake (with Coconut Pastry Cream filling and Buttercream Frosting, topped with Chocolate Glaze and Toasted Shredded Coconut)
• Black Forest Gateau
• Chocolate Sponge Cake with Salted Caramel Buttercream (decorated with Shaved Chocolate and Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting)
• Remember the characteristics of a good quality Cake
• Basic Kitchen Measurements
• Mortar and Pestle
• Candied Orange Peel
• No Knead Dutch Oven Artisan Bread
• Mary Berry’s Victoria Sandwich Cake
• Martha Stewart’s Classic Pound Cake