Xmas Fruit Cake
Updated: Jan 1
This is an updated version.
You probably had seen a couple of different versions of this Xmas fruit cake on this website. 2020, I decided to revamp this recipe with a bit of extra oomph without going over the top with decor or extra icing. I still prefer my cakes to be simple. Because simplicity is always the ultimate sophistication, do you agree?
I will be dividing this recipe into 2 parts: soaking of fruits and baking the cake. But it will be all in the same post. I will update the 2nd part after 10 days; that is how long I am gonna soak the fruits. You can do it in 7 days. You can of cos use any types of liqueur you desire, I decided to go for Cointreau for that extra fruity punch.
To make life easier, I am using a dried fruits mix from Foodsterr. You can also use any other dried fruit combinations you are fond of too. Dried cranberries, blueberries, candied lemon peels or sultanas are great options. I will see you in 10 days.
After 10 days...
I initially thought of reusing my old recipe, but ended up experimenting with something new, something more intense. This is Xmas, so why not? I am using 3 different types of butter or rather, 3 different stages of butter for this recipe: the usual unsalted, clarified aka ghee and browned butter. I applied my cooking to my baking as well. I am always looking for ways to stack flavors.
Some may not like my approach, while some adore it; food very much like music is very subjective. It is always a love or hate affair. The same goes with flour, I am using 2 types of flour for this recipe too. Regular all purpose flour and dark rye flour. I am adding cocoa powder, so why not bring out the flavors of chocolate even more?
I find that almond flour tends to make the cakes drier, that's why I opt for rye flour instead. Trust me. Once you add rye flour to your brownies and cookies, you will never turn back. If you can't find any rye flour, you can use almond flour.
This is a dark, intense, nutty, fruity cake, definitely for the faint of heart. You can feed the cake for as long as you desire. The longer you feed the cake, the more intense the flavors will get. I fed mine for only 2 weeks. Cointreau or Grand Marnier works beautifully for this recipe. You can use dark or spiced rum or even bourbon. You can also adjust the amount of sugar used. I use the least amount of sugar possible as I don't like my fruit cake to be sugary sweet. In closing, I really hope you will give this recipe a try.
Ingredients:
(Make one 8 inch round cake or one 4.5 inch X 8.5 inch loaf)
Fruits:
Dried Fruits Mix Preferably Foodsterr, 238g or A Combination of Raisins, Sultanas, Green Raisins, Dried Apricots, Candied Orange Peels, Candied Lemon Peels, Dried Cranberries and Blueberries.
Dates Pitted Thinly Sliced, 75g
Maraschino Cherries Halved, 50g
Crystallized Ginger Quartered, 50g
Cointreau / Grand Marnier / Dark Rum, 75g
Spices:
Cinnamon, 1/2 Inch
Cloves, 6
Allspice Berries, 12
Nutmeg Freshly Grated, Pinch
Cake:
Unsalted Butter, 150g
Dark Muscovado Sugar, 38g
Demerara Sugar, 75g
Ghee, 50g
Eggs, 2
Unbleached All Purpose Flour, 85g
Dark Rye Flour, 28g
High Quality Cocoa Powder Preferably Valrhona or Callebaut, 60g
Sea Salt, Pinch
Fresh Lemon Zest, 1/2 Lemon
Fresh Lemon Juice, 1/2 Lemon
Cointreau / Grand Marnier / Dark Rum, 38g + More For Feeding & Flambeé
Walnuts / Pecans Corasely Chopped, 57g
Pistachios / Hazelnuts Corasely Chopped, 57g
Equipment:
Airtight Sterilized Jar
Oven
8" Round Cake Pan / 4.5" X 8.5" Loaf Pan
Hand / Stand Mixer
Spice Grinder
Cast Iron Skillet
Blow Torch
Directions:
Soaking the fruits.
Transfer dried fruits mix, dates, cherries and ginger into a large bowl.
Toss to combine well.
Transfer into the sterilized jar.
Add in the Cointreau or any other liqueur you are using.
Give it a good shake to combine everything well.
Set this aside in a cool & dry place for 7 to 10 days.
Give it a good shake every 24 hrs.
Preparing the spice.
Blitz cinnamon, cloves and allspice berries in a spice grinder until powder forms.
Transfer into a small bowl.
Grate in the nutmeg.
Mix until well combined.
Set aside.
Prepare the cake.
Preheat oven to 150 degree celsius or 300 fahrenheit.
Lightly grease loaf pan or cake pan with butter.
Lined with parchment paper on the bottom as well as the sides.
Run aluminium foil around the perimeter of the pan, cut and fold to create a ring.
Tie the aluminium foil with a thread.
*This is to prevent the cake from rising unevenly. Make sure the reflective side is facing towards out.*
Melt 75g of butter in a skillet.
Once the butter has melted and starts to "sing", keep a close eye on it, as it can go from browned to burn very fast.
Once the "singing" has subsided, transfer into a coffee filter over a sieve and bowl.
Set aside to cool down slightly.
*Weigh the browned butter, if it is under 75g, add any neutral oil to compensate.*
Cream the remaining 75g of butter in a large bowl with a hand or stand mixer.
Cream until it is like mayo consistency.
Add in the sugar.
Continue creaming until everything is well combined, light and fluffy.
Add in the ghee, eggs and the browned butter.
Mix until well combined.
Add in the freshly ground spices.
Mix until well combined.
Sieve and fold in the 2 flour in 1/3 portions at a time.
Sieve and fold in the cocoa powder in 1/2 portions at a time as well.
Once everything has incorporated, add in salt, lemon zest and juice.
Add in the soaked fruits mix and Cointreau.
Fold until well combined.
Add in the nuts.
Fold until well combined.
Transfer into the prepared cake or loaf pan.
Level the top with an offset spatula.
Wack into the oven and bake for 2hrs to 2.5 hrs or until it passes the skewer test and it will crack a little on the top.
Check frequently after the 1.5 hr mark.
Remove from oven and set aside to cool completely.
Once cooled, unmold onto a shallow bowl.
Add about 3 TBSP of Cointreau into a sauce pot.
Using a blow torch, light up the Cointreau.
*Be very careful when doing this.*
Pour the flambé liqueur over the cake.
Once the flame has seized, set aside to cool down completely.
Once cooled, wrap with parchment paper.
Wrap another layer of aluminium foil.
Keep it in a cool and dry place.
You can feed the cake with 1 TBSP of liqueur once every week for as long as you desire.
I fed mine for only 2 weeks.
Slice and enjoy.
Here's the recipe video:
I decided to include the original recipe, just in case.
Ingredients:
(Make one 8 inch round cake or one 4.5 inch X 8.5 inch loaf)
Fruits:
Dried Fruits Mix Preferably Foodsterr, 163g or A Combination of Raisins, Sultanas, Green Raisins, Dried Apricots, Candied Orange Peels, Candied Lemon Peels, Dried Cranberries and Blueberries.
Dates Pitted Thinly Sliced, 75g
Maraschino Cherries Halved, 50g
Crystallized Ginger Quartered, 50g
Cointreau / Grand Marnier / Dark Rum, 90g
Spices:
Cinnamon, 1/2 Inch
Cloves, 4
Allspice Berries, 8
Nutmeg Freshly Grated, Pinch
Cake:
Unsalted Butter, 138g
Dark Muscovado Sugar, 60g
Demerara Sugar, 60g
Eggs, 3
Unbleached All Purpose Flour, 138g
Blanched Almond Flour, 38g
Sea Salt, Pinch
Fresh Orange Zest, 1/2 Lemon
Fresh Orange Juice, 1/2 Lemon
Walnuts / Pecans Corasely Chopped, 20g
Pistachios / Hazelnuts Corasely Chopped, 20g
Cointreau / Grand Marnier / Dark Rum, 30g + More For Feeding & Flambeé
Equipment:
Airtight Sterilized Jar
Oven
8" Round Cake Pan / 4.5" X 8.5" Loaf Pan
Hand / Stand Mixer
Spice Grinder
Cast Iron Skillet
Blow Torch
Directions:
Soaking the fruits.
Transfer dried fruits mix, dates, cherries and ginger into a large bowl.
Toss to combine well.
Transfer into the sterilized jar.
Add in the Cointreau or any other liqueur you are using.
Give it a good shake to combine everything well.
Set this aside in a cool & dry place for 7 to 10 days.
Give it a good shake every 24 hrs.
Preparing the spice.
Blitz cinnamon, cloves and allspice berries in a spice grinder until powder forms.
Transfer into a small bowl.
Grate in the nutmeg.
Mix until well combined.
Set aside.
Prepare the cake.
Preheat oven to 150 degree celsius or 300 fahrenheit.
Lightly grease loaf pan or cake pan with butter.
Lined with parchment paper on the bottom as well as the sides.
Run aluminium foil around the perimeter of the pan, cut and fold to create a ring.
Tie the aluminium foil with a thread.
*This is to prevent the cake from rising unevenly. Make sure the reflective side is facing towards out.*
Melt half of butter in a skillet.
Once the butter has melted and starts to "sing", keep a close eye on it, as it can go from browned to burn very fast.
Once the "singing" has subsided, cook for a few more seconds.
Transfer into a coffee filter over a sieve and bowl.
Set aside to cool down slightly.
*Weigh the browned butter, if it is under 69g, add any neutral oil to compensate.*
Cream the remaining 69g of butter in a large bowl with a hand or stand mixer.
Cream until it is like mayo consistency.
Add in the sugar.
Continue creaming until everything is well combined, light and fluffy.
Add in the browned butter.
Mix until well combined.
Cream in eggs in portions until everything is incorporated well.
Add in the freshly ground spices & salt.
Mix until well combined.
Sieve and fold in the flour in 1/3 portions at a time.
Sieve and fold in almond flour.
*Note. If your almond flour isn't blanched, it will not pass thru' the sieve. Be sure to use blanched almond flour.*
Once everything has incorporated, add orange zest and juice.
Add and fold in the nuts.
Add and fold in the soaked fruit mix.
Fold until well combined.
Transfer into the prepared cake or loaf pan.
Level the top with an offset spatula.
Wack into the oven and bake for 2hrs to 2.5 hrs or until it passes the skewer test and it will crack a little on the top.
Check frequently after the 1.5 hr mark.
Remove from oven and set aside to cool completely.
Once cooled, unmold onto a shallow bowl.
Add the Cointreau into a sauce pot.
Using a blow torch, light up the Cointreau.
*Be very careful when doing this.*
Pour the flambé liqueur over the cake.
Once the flame has seized, set aside to cool down completely.
Once cooled, wrap with parchment paper.
Wrap another layer of aluminium foil.
Keep it in a cool and dry place.
You can feed the cake with 1 TBSP of liqueur once every week for as long as you desire.
I fed mine for only 2 weeks.
Slice and enjoy.
