Dedicated to my Mom and to Lucile F. Locher Mishler “Mum”, her maternal grandmother.
Traditional Fruitcake
Ingredients:
2 cups mixed Dried Fruits, minced
1 cup Rum
1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Ginger
3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
5 Eggs
3 Tbsp Canola Oil
1/4 cup Rum
1 Tbsp Lemon Zest
1 Tbsp Orange Zest
1/2 cup Pecans, chopped
1 cup Pecans, whole
1 cup Candied Red Cherries
1 cup Candied Green Cherries
1 cup Candied Pineapple
Directions:
- Soak the minced Dried Fruits in 1 cup of Rum overnight.
- Preheat the Oven to 300°F.
- Sift together the Flour, Baking Powder, Salt, and Spices into a large bowl.
- In a second bowl cream the Eggs with the Sugars.
- Whisk in the Olive Oil and 1/4 cup Dark Rum.
- Slowly incorporate into the Flour mixture.
- Fold in the Dried Fruits, Zest, and 1/2 cup of crushed Pecans.
- Grease a bunt pan well.
- Pour mixture into the bunt pan, and lightly tap it against the counter.
- Decorate with the Candied Fruits and whole Pecans.
- Bake on the middle rack for about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in it comes out clean.
NOTES: Fruitcake has always been one of my favorite deserts. My mom tells me about how when she grew up her grandmother “Mum” used to make Fruitcake in early fall, and stick it in cheesecloth a tin. Every couple weeks she’d pour Port on top of it. By Christmas it was amazing. I’m still nervous about keeping a cake in a tin and pouring alcohol on it for over a month…so here’s my version with a less pungent Rum.
Mixed Dried Fruit can include Cranberries, Raisins, Dates, Figs, Apricots, Apples, Pears, Pruns, etc.
