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Vegetarian
Christmas Fruit Cake with Brandy
In this recipe we use brandy, but many other recipes call for everything from sherry, to rum, to whiskey, to flavored liqueur. It depends on your preferences and you can feel free to try a few different options to see what you like best! Here is a guide on choosing the best brandy for fruitcake.
At least a day in advance so that the dried fruit can soak and plump up!
No, you do not need to age it! This fruit cake is enjoyed fresh in my house. But if you’d like to age it, you can wrap it in brandy-soaked cheesecloth, then wrap it again in some plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Store it in an airtight container in the dark. If you intend to age it for several months, you’ll have to rewrap the cake in freshly soaked cheesecloth every so often.
You can explore using different types of dried fruits. Be sure to remember they will yield different flavors. You may have to practice trial and error to find the perfect combo. If you’d like to customize your fruit cake further, you can also add in touches of different ingredients. These could be cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and nutmeg.
Yes, you can in theory, but keep in mind that the baking times will differ.
This recipe doesn’t have this issue. If you like, you can always toss your fruit and nuts in a light coating of flour before mixing them into the batter.
You can store it at room temperature in an air-tight container for about a month. If you want to refrigerate it, you can store it in the fridge for about 6 months. Or, you can freeze it for about a year. If you store it in the fridge or the freezer, be sure to allow the cake to cool to room temperature before storing.
How To Enjoy Fruit Cake
- As an hors’ devours. Fruit cake makes a great addition to a charcuterie board!
- Enjoy fruit cake as a dessert because it’s sweet and delicious.
- Serve a small square of fruit cake with an aperitif.
- I’m always a fan of cake for breakfast and fruit cake is no exception.
- Have fruit cake as a snack with a mug of fresh coffee, tea, hot cocoa, or cider on a chilly day!
Key Ingredients For Nut and Fruit Cake
Cake Base
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Sour cream (room temp)
- Unsalted butter (room temp)
- Egg (room temp)
- White sugar
- Brown sugar
- Orange zest
Mix-ins
- Walnuts
- Raisins
- Dried apricots
- Glazed cherries
- Dried cranberries
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How to Make Christmas Fruit Cake
Christmas Fruit Cake with Brandy
Equipment
- Loaf pan
- mixer
- bowls
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup sour cream (at room temperature)
- ½ cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 1 large egg (at room temperature)
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1-2 Tbsp orange zest (zest of 1 orange)
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped
- ¾ cup raisins
- ¾ cup dried apricots, chopped
- ¾ cup glazed cherries
- ¾ cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup brandy
Instructions
- Wash and drain dried fruits, and soak them in brandy overnight.
- Line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 325F.
- Using a mixer, beat the butter with both types of sugar until light and fluffy. Add the sour cream, egg, and orange zest and mix until well combined.
- In a separate bowl mix flour with baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix.
- Add dried fruits and chopped nuts and mix the batter.
- Transfer the batter to your prepared pan and bake it for 1.5 hours-2 hours until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool for about 20 minutes before taking it out of the pan.
