recipe reviews for:

Christmas Fruitcake

“It's a shame that fruitcake as a species gets such a bad rap. With its two key ingredients - rum and butter - it ought to be a hit. This recipe includes dried fruit, instead of the glowing, candied stuff we've all learned to associate with fruitcake, and is less dense and more cake-like than many fruitcake recipes. It has become a favorite of my friends and family around the holidays (even the skeptical ones), and is delicious by itself, or covered with a layer of almond paste. Fruitcake is also traditional for wedding cake in England, and makes a very rich, sophisticated dessert for luncheons or teas.”

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Reviewed: Apr. 19, 2012

I love this cake. I've received a number of compliments on it as well. We have it all year and use whatever dried fruit we fancy. (I omit candied fruit though.) I prefer to use brandy instead of the rum, though I've had success with both. I also tend to add extra spices such as nutmeg and ginger. Always a great cake. I prefer it after at least a week of aging, though some members of the household sometimes sneak into it before. But if you can hide it away, do so as long as possible. It'll be worth it.

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Reviewer:

Rhieley

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Port Huron, Michigan, USA

Reviewed: Feb. 5, 2012

I have been making this fruitcake for the past several years. Everyone loves it! Best after several weeks. Any mix of dried fruit is good. Cut the butter to a scant half cup (about 3/8 cup) as I found that the butter came out of the cake during baking. Very rummy. Keeps well for many weeks but only if you hide it and forget about it. Yum!

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Reviewer:

darbl

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Reviewed: Jan. 20, 2012

Amazing! Used currants, cranberries, some blueberries, golden raisins, cherries, pecans and orange rind.

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3 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

rumfruitcake

Reviewed: Dec. 27, 2011

Very easy recipe and simply delicious. Instead of a bake tin, I used a muffin tray to have mini fruit cakes. Very easy to serve and not crumbly as I don't need to slice it. Served with a small dollop of ice cream it's so beautiful!

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Reviewer:

JungleJee

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia

Reviewed: Dec. 27, 2011

I couldn't find any citron, so I skipped it. I also only had spiced rum (Sailor Jerry) so that's what I used. I also didn't know you were supposed to let fruitcake sit around for weeks/months before eating it... so I only had 7 weeks before Christmas to let it sit. Having said all that, the person I made it for said it was fantastic, and wants it again next year. For never having made fruitcake before, this was easy enough, and everyone enjoyed the taste. I think I'll make sure not to use spiced rum next time, though, because Sailor Jerry pretty much dominated the cake.

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moxie & mirth

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Reviewed: Dec. 27, 2011

I simply LOVE fruitcake and this fruitcake recipe is simply one of the best I have tried! I used dates, dried pineapple, dried mangoes, dried papaya, sultanas, dried cranberries, dried cherries and just a little bit of candied citron. A few things I did differently was to sprinkle the fruitcakes with brandy plus honey (equal amounts) instead of plain rum while they were still in the pans and I let them cool in the pans covered by a cheese cloth to trap in the steam. This I think made them really moist. I baked a couple of batches on November 1 and brushed the cakes with the brandy and honey every week for four weeks and let them mellow. Two days before Christmas, I glazed a few of the cakes with a mixture of pineapple juice and corn syrup which I boiled and simmered till thick and sticky. This was also the time I decorated the tops with some walnuts and additional dates. I purposely omitted adding any nuts into the cake mixture because I was planning to save one or two of the cakes and let it continue to age for Christmas 2012 but at the rate the cakes are disappearing, I doubt if the five cakes I made will make it through the New Year. Wow, they were so delicious!

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Reviewer:

natzsm

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Makati, National Capital Region, Philippines

Reviewed: Dec. 10, 2011

Smells delicious can't wait until it's done curing so we can finally taste it!

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Reviewer:

cgrims

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Bloomfield, New Jersey, USA

Reviewed: Dec. 5, 2011

Help! Anyone who might have experience with this cake. I did not have 6 inch round cake pans, so I doubled the recipe and split it between two regular size loaf pans (8.5 x 4). How does that change the cooking time? They are in the oven now. How can I tell when they are done? You can reply to jorjannk@hotmail.com. Thanks.

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Reviewer:

Jorjapie

Reviewed: Nov. 14, 2011

This is the best fruit cake ever! Thanks for sharing

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8 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

banga108

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Reviewed: Nov. 14, 2011

I'm not personally a fan of fruitcake, but my parents are and I made this cake for them and it was eaten in about ten minutes between the two of them. So, I've started making them now for Christmas gifts. They're very excited!

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6 users found this review helpful