The Best Fruit Cake Recipe
This is truly The Best Fruit Cake Recipe we’ve ever come across. It makes a moist, delicious, dense, fruity cake with deep flavors and not the candied mess that is sold at markets.
We know everyone likes to joke about Fruit Cake, but it’s probably because they have never tasted good homemade fruit cake.  No joke…our recipe is truly The Best Fruit Cake Recipe we’ve ever come across. Our dad made this every year for the Holidays. This cake is a dense fruity cake with deep flavors. It is not the candied mess that is sold at markets. The alcohol added during the ripening process enhances the rich taste of the fruitcake. It is a classic Holiday dessert for a reason and you should give this recipe a try. It will be a revelation!
Ingredients You Will Need
How to Make the Cake Batter
Step 1: In a mixing bowl, add the eggs, mincemeat, sweetened condensed milk, and candied fruit. Fold together with a spoon until combined.
Step 2: Add the chopped nuts. Stir until combined.
Step 3: Stir until combined.
Step 4: Add the sifted flour and baking soda to the bowl.
Step 5: Gently fold the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients together until they are thoroughly combined.
Baking Instructions
Step 6: Butter 2 loaf pans (or 1-9 inch tube pan) and line with waxed paper. Pour the fruit cake batter into the prepared pans.
Step 7: Bake in an oven pre-heated to 300 degrees for 75-80 mins. Bake until golden brown and center springs back when you touch it. Fruit Cake is a very dense batter loaded with fruit, so it will not rise. Allow the cakes to cool completely.
How to Ripen the Fruit Cake
Step 8: You now need to “ripen” the Fruit Cake which is the process of soaking it in alcohol to preserve it, keep it moist and add flavor. Here is how you do it: once cooled, wrap the fruitcake(s) in cheesecloth. (Cheesecloth can be bought at most markets, Target and Walmart.) Wrapping the fruitcake in the cheesecloth is an important step. You do not want the foil to touch the fruitcake. The alcohol will evaporate quickly if you just use foil.
Step 9: Once wrapped, sprinkle the loaves with your chosen liquor. We use brandy, but you can also use dark rum, whisky, sherry, or Orange-flavored Liqueur. If you don’t want to brush your fruitcake with alcohol, you could use orange juice, but the cake will only last for 3-4 days.
Step 10: Then wrap the cakes in foil and put them in a plastic bag. Once a week for four weeks, take the cakes out of the plastic bag and unwrap the foil. Brush, or carefully pour 2-3 tablespoons of the liquor on the cakes. Fruitcakes should be ripened at least 4 weeks. After 4 weeks of ripening, the fruitcakes can be eaten or frozen. Fruitcakes freeze well.
Step 11: Serve the Fruit Cake at room temperature. You can store fruit cake at room temperature for one month. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 6 months or in the freezer for up to a year (but remember to ripen the fruitcake before freezing it (see section above.)
Other Christmas Cake Recipes You Will Love
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The Best Fruit Cake Recipe
This is truly The Best Fruit Cake Recipe we've ever come across. It will make a moist, delicious, dense, fruity cake with deep flavors and not the candied mess that is sold at markets.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour (sifted)
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1 jar Mince Meat (28 oz.)
- 1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk (14 oz.)
- 2 Large Eggs
- 2 cups Mixed Fruit (1 lb. jar)
- 1 cup Chopped Walnuts (or Pecans)
- Alcohol to Ripen the Fruit Cake (Brandy, Dark Rum, Whisky, Wherry, or Orange-flavored Liqueur)
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add the eggs, mincemeat, sweetened condensed milk, and candied fruit. Fold together with a spoon until combined.
- Add the chopped nuts. Stir until combined.
- Stir until combined.
- Add the sifted flour and baking soda to the bowl.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients together until they are thoroughly combined.
- Butter 2 loaf pans (or 1-9 inch tube pan) and line with waxed paper. Pour the fruit cake batter into the prepared pans.
- Bake in an oven pre-heated to 300 degrees for 75-80 mins. Bake until golden brown and center springs back when you touch it. Allow the cakes to cool completely.
- You now need to "ripen" the Fruit Cake which is the process of soaking it in alcohol to preserve it, keep it moist and add flavor. Here is how you do it: once cooled, wrap the fruitcake(s) in cheesecloth. (Cheesecloth can be bought at most markets, Target and Walmart.) Wrapping the fruitcake in the cheesecloth is an important step. You do not want the foil to touch the fruitcake. The alcohol will evaporate quickly if you just use foil.
- Once wrapped, sprinkle the loaves with your chosen liquor. We use brandy, but you can also use dark rum, whisky, sherry, or Orange-flavored Liqueur. If you don’t want to brush your fruitcake with alcohol, you could use orange juice, but the cake will only last for 3-4 days.
- Then wrap the cakes in foil and put them in a plastic bag. Once a week for four weeks, take the cakes out of the plastic bag and unwrap the foil. Brush, or carefully pour 2-3 tablespoons of the liquor on the cakes. Fruitcakes should be ripened at least 4 weeks. After 4 weeks of ripening, the fruitcakes can be eaten or frozen. Fruitcakes freeze well.
- Serve the Fruit Cake at room temperature.
Did you Make this Recipe? Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @twosisterscrafting on Instagram so we can see it!
