Gourmand’s Basic Fruitcake Recipe | Epicurious

Step 1

Mix 2 cups diced candied combined fruits, 2 cups golden raisins, 1½ cups dried currants, 1 cup darkish raisins, ½ cup chopped candied angelica, and ½ cup halved candied pink cherries in a big bowl. Pour ¾ cup darkish rum over; toss to mix. Cowl fruit combination and let sit at room temperature 12 hours.

Step 2

Place a rack in center of oven; preheat oven to 300°. Toast 1 cup blanched almonds in a dry small skillet over medium warmth, tossing typically, till barely darkened and aromatic, about 3 minutes. Let cool, then finely grind in spice mill.

Step 3

Butter springform pan and line backside with a spherical of parchment paper; butter parchment. Sift collectively 1½ cups (188 g) all-purpose flour, ½ tsp. baking powder, ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, ¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg, and ¼ tsp. floor ginger in a small bowl.

Step 4

Utilizing an electrical mixer on medium-high velocity, beat 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, and 1 cup (packed; 200 g) brown sugar till gentle and fluffy. Beat in 4 massive eggs one after the other, beating effectively after every addition. Pressure fruit soaking liquid by a fine-mesh sieve into bowl with butter combination; beat to mix. Pat fruit combination dry with paper towels, then toss with ⅓ cup of the flour combination in one other small bowl. Add remaining flour combination to bowl with butter combination in 4 additions, folding with a rubber spatula simply till integrated after every addition. Fold in fruit combination, floor almonds, and ½ cup chopped uncooked walnuts or pecans simply till mixed. Scrape batter into ready pan; easy prime.

Step 5

Fill 2 loaf pans with scorching water and set in oven on reverse sides of rack; set springform pan in between. Bake fruitcake 1 hour. Flippantly beat remaining 1 massive egg in a clear small bowl, then brush over cake. Return fruitcake to oven; bake one other 1 hour. Switch pan to a wire rack and let cake cool in pan half-hour. Take away sides from pan and invert fruitcake onto rack; fastidiously take away pan backside and parchment. Flip cake proper facet up and let cool utterly.

Step 6

In the meantime, carry ½ cup apricot jam and remaining 1 Tbsp. darkish rum to a boil in a small saucepan over medium warmth, stirring sometimes. Pressure by a clear fine-mesh sieve right into a heatproof small bowl, urgent on solids; discard solids. Let apricot glaze cool barely.

Step 7

Enhance fruitcake with candied angelica and candied pink cherries as desired. Brush prime of cake with some apricot glaze (save remaining glaze for an additional use).

Picture by Elizabeth Coetzee, Meals Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich

Do Forward: Cake might be made 2 months forward. Wrap in plastic, then foil, and retailer at room temperature. 

Editor’s notice: This fruitcake recipe was first printed within the December 1991 subject of ‘Gourmand’ as ‘Christmas Fruitcake.’ Head this manner for our best Christmas desserts →