a "poundcake."

http://www.marthastewart.com/354028/dowager-duchess-fruitcake

You can speed up the dousing by doing in twice a day, and turning the cake. This is good with candied ginger. Also, don't forget to coat your fruit/nuts with some of the flour to keep them from sinking.

1 pound butter at room temperature
2 cups sugar
6 eggs
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 cup Cognac
1 box (15 1/2 ounces, 2 1/2 cups) seedless raisins
1 box (10 ounces, 2 cups) dried currants
1/2 cup candied orange peel
1/2 cup candied lemon peel
1/2 cup candied citron peel.

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Cream butter and sugar together. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together and fold into mixture. Add vanilla, Cognac and all fruits and mix well.

3. Pour into well-buttered tube pan or into small loaf pans and bake 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until inserted cake tester comes out clean.

4. Allow to cool somewhat and remove from pan. Glaze while still warm with confectioners' sugar-and- water icing to which a little grated lemon rind has been added.

Yield: 1 large fruitcake or 6 small loaf cakes.

My recipe:

Warm the brandy glass and pour half full. Let it breathe a little, get a book and enjoy. Oh fruitcake? To hell with that I have Brandy.

http://www.goodalls.ie/recipe/christmas-cake-recipe/

I love the marzipan layer under the icing. Here is a page on how to do the finishing work: http://www.goodalls.ie/hints-tips/tips-on/how-to-ice-a-christmas-cake/

My friend and I worked as a team, I baking and she decorating, and we entered and won first prize in a baking competition 3 years ago. This is the recipe I used.

Here is an old recipe for Holiday Fruit Cake

You will need the following:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 cups of chopped dried fruit
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 ½ cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts
Lemon juice
Bottle of favorite whiskey

Sample whiskey to check for freshness and quality.

Take large bowl. Check the whiskey again. To be sure it is the highest quality, pour one level cup of whiskey and drink. Repeat.

Turn on electric mixer; beat one cup of butter in the fluffy bowl. Add one teaspoon of sugar and beat again. Make sure the whiskey is OK. Cry another tup. Turn off the mixer.

Break four leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit. Mix it on the turner. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers, pry it loose with a drewscriver. Sample the whiskey for tonsisticity.

Now, sift two cups of salt. Or something….who cares? Check the whiskey. Now, sift the lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one table. Spoon. Of sugar…or something…whatever you can find. Grease the oven. Turn cake tin 350 degrees. Don’t forget to beat off the turner. Throw bowl out the window. Check the whiskey again, and go to bed.

was really good, moist and not too sweet, much like the one online under Canadian Living. Used brandy and is made at least a month before Christmas.

...Fruit Cake Cockaigne from Joy of Cooking:

http://tinyurl.com/lhj4jzz

I add 1-2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg to the flour mixture, and change up the fruit & nuts combinations each year (I like walnuts better than pecans; and sometimes I add dates, or dried cherries to the mix among other combos). When the fruit cakes are baked and cool, I skewer them all over the top, bottom and sides, and drizzle rum or brandy in (at least 1/4 c per fruitcake) (I prefer the rum). Then I wrap them in rum- or brandy-soaked cheesecloth, then aluminum foil, and they're ready to ship. I make them at least a week ahead of time, maybe 2. Some people like to age them more, but I like the alcoholic bite so I age them less. For the kiddies, I'll make some with apple cider instead of the liquor.

My family begs me to make these each year

Last edited Sat Jan 4, 2014, 06:59 PM - Edit history (1)

My daughter brought home her boy friend for the holidays. He is from the Cayman Islands. I made a Caribbean black fruit cake.

Soak ground or small chopped dried fruit in a spiced rum and port or cherry wine. Weeks at least - up to a year - they refill with fruit and top off with the alcohol after each cake.

raisins, currants, cherries, dates, prunes your choice of type and ratio (chop very fine)

Cream one quarter lb butter and one and a half cups brown sugar

mix in ten eggs a few at a time.

2 cups of flour - with up to two table spoons of spices - Cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamon, clove.
one half teaspoon salt and black pepper one quarter teaspoon


Add in up to 2 cups of the soaked dried fruit with a cup of Browning (burnt sugar syrup) and table spoon of vanilla and table spoon almond extract

I make my own Browning but I do not get it as dark as it should be. Melt 2 cups sugar over low heat - brown as dark as you dare - be very careful when you add boiling water (two thirds cup)

Options
toasted almond slivers or crushed (more of less to taste - a cup is fine)
tablespoon of lime zest
up to 2 tbl spoons fresh grated ginger

Add more flour to thicken batter if needed - you want a thick batter

Bake in greased floured heavy glass dishes at 280 for 2 to 3 hours - time depends on the depth of the dishes - flat or loaf pan

When cool paint with rum, port, sugar, vanilla / almond extract mix - paint once a week - until you serve


Frosting - Cream cheese - half as much butter - powdered sugar -vanilla and or almond extracts - a little maple syrup to thin it out - pinch of salt

Sprinkle with toasted almonds

Don't make it. I'm not even kidding.

Thanks for all the great replies, I really do appreciate it. Next year around Halloween I'll come looking for this thread.