Classic Dark Fruitcake

Name: Classic Dark Fruitcake
Yield: Serves 15 to 20
Cuisine: United States
Ingredients: 3 eggs; ⅓ cup jam or preserves, such as blackberry, fig, or strawberry; ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened; 1 cup dark brown sugar; 7 cups total of candied and dried fruit of your choice, chopped into small chunks (candied cherries and pineapple, dried apricots, dates, currants, and raisins are some to consider); 7 cups total of candied and dried fruit of your choice, chopped into small chunks (candied cherries and pineapple, dried apricots, dates, currants, and raisins are some to consider); 7 cups total of candied and dried fruit of your choice, chopped into small chunks (candied cherries and pineapple, dried apricots, dates, currants, and raisins are some to consider); 7 cups total of candied and dried fruit of your choice, chopped into small chunks (candied cherries and pineapple, dried apricots, dates, currants, and raisins are some to consider); ½ cup orange juice; ⅓ cup molasses or sorghum; 1 tablespoon grated orange zest; ⅓ cup jam or preserves, such as blackberry, fig, or strawberry; ⅓ cup molasses or sorghum; ⅓ cup jam or preserves, such as blackberry, fig, or strawberry; ⅓ cup jam or preserves, such as blackberry, fig, or strawberry; ½ teaspoon baking powder; 1½ cups (all-purpose) flour; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; ¼ teaspoon salt; 7 cups total of candied and dried fruit of your choice, chopped into small chunks (candied cherries and pineapple, dried apricots, dates, currants, and raisins are some to consider); 1½ cups coarsely chopped walnuts; 7 cups total of candied and dried fruit of your choice, chopped into small chunks (candied cherries and pineapple, dried apricots, dates, currants, and raisins are some to consider); 7 cups total of candied and dried fruit of your choice, chopped into small chunks (candied cherries and pineapple, dried apricots, dates, currants, and raisins are some to consider); ¼ teaspoon ground cloves; ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg; 2 cups coarsely chopped pecans; ¼ teaspoon ground allspice

Preparation info

Serves
15 to 20

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Southern Cakes

By Nancie McDermott

Published 2007

About

Dark fruitcakes take their deep brown hue from the intensely colored and flavored ingredients enriching their batter. First comes molasses, sorghum, or cane syrup, followed by a bouquet of spices, including cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and mace. Stir in a generous scoop of last summer’s home-canned blackberry jam or fig preserves, or store-bought jam or jelly, and finish up with a good dose of spirits: a wineglass full of brandy, bourbon, sherry, or dark rum. Traditional ingredients

Ingredients

Americas
United States
Dessert
Vegetarian
Cake
New Year
Passover
Summer
Christmas

Ingredients

Method