Get The Party Started At Christmas With A Delicious Rum-Soaked Fruitcake

Food & Cooking Articles

Of all of the traditional Christmas desserts, fruitcake has an unfairly bad reputation. In fact, compared to typical Christmas puddings and cakes, fruitcake is one of the healthiest options. Depending on the fruits and nuts you choose to include, fruitcake is absolutely packed with a myriad of vitamins, heart-healthy antioxidants, and protein sources.

If you really want to wow your friends and family at Christmas dinner and help them eat a little bit healthier, a classic fruitcake from a place like Beatrice Bakery Co. with an adult twist is just the dessert for the job. You could even make one yourself. Moist and deliciously spicy, rum-soaked fruitcake is a perfect compliment to a slice of oven-roasted turkey or glazed ham. 

Ingredients And Materials:

• 1/4 cup mixed raisins, currants, and cranberries 
• 1/8 cup maradol papaya seeds (A spicy-sweet secret ingredient.)
• 1/2 cup mixed dried fruit of your choice (Dried kiwi, banana, cherry, apple, mango, papaya, pineapple, melon, and plum all work well for this recipe.)
• 1/8 cup chopped pecans
• 1/8 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 1/2 tablespoon orange zest
• 1/3 cup dark rum
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon apple pie spice (or substitute ground cinnamon)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Preparation:

1. Mix together 1/4 cup dried raisins, currants, and cranberries with you 1/2 selection of dried fruits in a plastic storage container. Pour the 1/3 cup of rum over the fruit mixture until it is completely covered and close the container. Place the mix in a dark place away from sunlight and allow it to soak for 72 hours. Check the fruit at 24 hour intervals to make sure it is fully covered, adding more rum as necessary.

2. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and grease a nonstick 6 inch round pan. Be sure your pan can hold up to 3 inches of cake.

3. In a large mixing bowl, cream together brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining dry ingredients. Add the milk and molasses to the dry ingredient bowl and mix thoroughly. Add in the rum-soaked fruit and reserve the soaking liquid for later.

5. Combine both mixtures, stirring slowly until an even consistency is reached. Pour combined mixture into your pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes.

6. After removing the fruitcake from the oven, allow it to cool for about 10 minutes, and then douse it with two tablespoons of your reserved rum soak.

7.  Cut out a piece of cheesecloth large enough to wrap entirely around your fruitcake. Using a basting brush, wet it with a tablespoon of your reserved rum. Carefully remove your fruitcake from the pan and wrap it tightly in the cheesecloth, then wrap it tightly again in clingfilm. Wrap it in two final layers of aluminum foil and allow it to cure in an airtight container in your fridge for 10-12 weeks. Baste it with a fresh coat of reserved rum every two weeks to ensure it stays moist.

8. Once your fruitcake has aged, it's ready to be eaten. Just before serving, you can cover the fruitcake a thin layer of your favorite jam and sprinkle on some freshly chopped pecans to make it even more delicious.

Despite being the butt of holiday jokes every year, homemade fruitcake is one of the most delicious treats available around Christmas time. Filled with vitamins and antioxidants from fruit and protein from nuts, fruitcake is not only tasty, but also good for you. Considering the healthy ingredients that go into a homemade fruitcake, maybe you can skip the guilt when you take a second slice!

30 September 2014