This Christmas fruit cake is made from candied tropical fruit and soaked in rum which gives it a moist texture and delicious flavor. A staple of our family's holiday traditions.
Course Dessert
Cuisine British
Prep Time 1 hourhour
Cook Time 2 hourshours
Total Time 3 hourshours
Servings 2loaves
Calories 2745kcal
Equipment
knife
measuring cups & spoons
large bowl
shallow baking pan
sifter
Electric mixer and bowl
2 4" x 8" loaf pans
parchment paper
pencil
wooden mixing spoon
wire cooling racks
4 16-inch square pieces of cheesecloth
saran wrap
foil
Ingredients
2cupssweetened shredded coconut
1½cupsdried papayaschopped
1½cupsdried mangoeschopped
1½cupscandied pineapplechopped
1cupgolden raisinscarefully checked to remove any little stems
1cupred glace cherrieshalved
1cuprum
2cupsblanched almondsslivered
2cupsall-purpose flour
2teaspoonsbaking powder
½teaspoonsalt
½cupbuttersoftened
1cupgranulated sugar
3eggs
Instructions
Prepare The Fruit
Chop the fruit.
In a large bowl, combine coconut, papayas, mangoes, pineapple, raisins, cherries, and ½ cup of the rum.
Cover and let stand for 1 day, stirring occasionally.
Prepare The Oven
Set a shallow pan on the bottom rack of the oven and pour in enough water to come halfway up the sides.
Preheat oven to 250 deg. F.
Cut Parchment Paper To Fit The Pans
Cut 4 pieces of parchment paper that are large enough to wrap up the sides of the loaf pans
Center the loaf pan in the middle of the parchment paper.
Draw the bottom of the pan onto the parchment paper.
Fold the paper around the lines you drew
Make a cut in each one of the edges along the fold you made. The cut should reach almost to the first perpendicular fold line.
Use the parchment paper to double line the loaf pans.
Make The Fruit Cake Batter
Gently stir ½ cup flour into the fruit.
Add the almonds to the fruit mixture. Set aside.
Sift together 1 ½ cups flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
With electric mixer on high, cream the butter.
Add the sugar gradually and beat until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Add the eggs one at a time and beat well.
Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture.
Now stir the cake batter into the fruit/almond mixture with a wooden spoon. It will be very stiff.
Pack the cake batter into the prepared loaf pans, smoothing the tops with the back of the spoon.
Bake in the center of the oven for 1¼ to 1½ hrs., until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. If the top begins to crack, shield it with foil.
Let cool in pans on wire rack.
Remove cakes from pans and peel off the parchment.
Soak 2 double thicknesses of 16-inch square cheesecloth in the remaining rum.
Poke a few holes in the cakes with a skewer (which will let the rum run into them).
Wrap cakes in the cheesecloth.
Then wrap with saran wrap and foil.
Refrigerate for at least 1 month, or up to 3 months
Notes
To avoid having a lot of left-over ingredients, buy the candied fruit at the bulk food store and take a measuring cup with you. That way you can purchase the exact amounts that you need.
Mix the batter only as much as you need to combine the ingredients. Over mixing will result in a tough cake.
If you prefer not to use alcohol to soak the fruit cake, substitute artificial rum extract