{ Blogtober 2025 - Day 29 - Baking the Christmas Fruit Cake }

I am so late this year.  I usually have both my fruitcakes baked by the middle of October, and here I am, just starting, and I've made just one cake today.  Will work on the second one this weekend, after I get some groceries.

 

Do you like fruitcake?  Do you make one every year?  Have you made yours already? 

 

If you're wanting to use the recipe that I do, it is already on the food blog, under Christmas Fruit Cake.  But, I will leave it here as well, to make it easier for you all.

 

Christmas Fruit Cake

Source: Helen Wright

200 gr flour
200 gr butter
200 gr sugar (I used half light brown sugar and half white)
4 eggs
800 gr fruit
half tbsp salt
4 tbsp spice and cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped cherries
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup raisins
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


In a bowl, mix all the ingredients, until well incorporated.  I used my kitchenaid which made it easier to mix everything.

Line a cake pan.  The recipe didn't specify the size, but I used a round 8 inch pan for mine.  Make sure to line the bottom and sides of the pan.  Most fruit cakes require you to then wrap the pan in newspaper or brown paper and tie it, but this recipe didn't say to do that.

I was wondering if it would affect the bake, but it didn't and it baked up beautifully.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 for one hour and a half to two hours.  The cake is ready when you insert a wooden skewer and it comes out completely dry.  Helen actually makes it a point to say that is what her grandmother used to say, so it needs to be absolutely dry which will help it keep for a long time once it's out of the oven.

Once baked, removed from oven and allow to cool completely, then poke holes with a wooden skewer and pour over either whiskey, brandy or rum. 

I use rum in my cakes, that's our preference.  There really is no measurement but if you need to measure then I would say about 2 tablespoons or so.

Allow it soak in, then double wrap the cake in saran plastic wrap, then double layer of aluminum foil.  You can keep the cakes in a tupperware cake box, or as they are, but keep them out of sunlight and in a dark spot.  I keep my cakes in the pantry.

Every week, until Christmas, unwrap them and feed them again with more drink of your choice.  These cakes will keep for a really long time.