By Claire Saffitz
- Total Time
- 2½ hours plus overnight soak, time to cool and time to set
- Rating
- 4(468)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Though this cake requires you to soak dried fruit overnight in a mixture of rum and orange juice, allowing it to become plump and soft and flavorful, before you assemble the batter, it’s exceedingly faster (and every bit as delicious) as a traditional fruitcake that takes weeks to age. For the best flavor, use the highest-quality dried fruit you can find.
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Ingredients
Yield:12 to 14 servings
- 1¼cups/170 grams dried cherries
- 1⅓cups/170 grams dried apricots, cut into 1-centimeter pieces
- 1⅓cups /170 grams prunes, cut into 1-centimeter pieces
- ¾cup/113 grams dried cranberries
- ¾cup/113 grams dried currants
- ½cup/113 grams dark rum or brandy
- ½cup/113 grams fresh orange juice
- 8ounces/226 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pan
- 2cups/270 grams all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
- 1½cups/170 grams walnuts or pecans
- 1½teaspoons kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) or ¾ teaspoon coarse kosher salt (such as Morton’s)
- 1½teaspoons ground ginger
- ¾teaspoon baking powder
- ½teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch of ground cloves
- ¾cup/165 grams packed dark brown sugar
- 2teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
- 1teaspoon finely grated orange zest
- 7ounces/200 grams almond paste
- 4large eggs, at room temperature
- 2teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅓cup/76 grams dark rum or brandy
- ⅓cup/107 grams apricot preserves
- 1½cups/165 grams confectioners’ sugar
- 2tablespoons milk
- 1teaspoon lemon juice
- Pinch of kosher salt
For the Fruit Mixture
For the Batter
For the Assembly
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Preparation
Step
1
Make the fruit mixture: The day before you bake the cake, combine the dried cherries, apricots, prunes, cranberries, currants, rum and orange juice in a medium bowl and fold thoroughly to combine. Cover the bowl tightly and let sit at room temperature until the fruit is soft and has absorbed all (or nearly all) of the liquid, stirring once or twice, 12 to 24 hours.
Step
2
Arrange an oven rack in the center position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Generously brush the inside of a 12-cup Bundt pan with butter. Dust the inside of the pan with several pinches of flour, then tap the pan on the counter at different angles to coat every buttered surface. Tap out the excess, then set the pan aside.
Step
3
Scatter the walnuts (or pecans) across a sheet tray and transfer to the oven. Toast until the walnuts are golden brown and fragrant, shaking the pan halfway through, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely on the baking sheet, then chop the walnuts. Set aside.
Step
4
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, ginger, baking powder, allspice, baking soda and cloves. Set aside.
Step
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In a large bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, lemon zest and orange zest. Pinch off small pieces of the almond paste and add to the bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat the mixture on medium-low until combined, then increase the speed to medium-high and continue to beat, scraping down the sides once or twice, until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Step
6
With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time, increasing the speed just to incorporate each egg before decreasing to low and adding the next, until the mixture is very smooth. Beat in the vanilla, then, on low speed, add the flour mixture and mix just until it disappears. Tip in the fruit mixture, along with any unabsorbed liquid, along with the chopped nuts; use a flexible spatula to fold the batter several times, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl, until the fruit is evenly distributed.
Step
7
Scrape the batter into the prepared Bundt pan, distributing it evenly all the way around and taking care not to form large air pockets. Smooth the surface, then bake the cake until the surface is golden brown, risen and cracked, and a cake tester inserted into a crack comes out clean, 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
Step
8
Use a skewer or toothpick to poke holes all over the surface of the cake. Use a pastry brush to generously soak the cake with about half of the rum. Let the cake absorb the rum for a few minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack. Poke more holes all over the cake and dab the remaining rum across every surface.
Step
9
Warm the apricot preserves in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring often with a heatproof flexible spatula, just until the preserves are fluid. Pass the preserves through a fine mesh sieve into a small bowl, pressing on the solids with the spatula to extract as much of the liquid as possible (discard the solids, or scrape back into the jam jar). Use the pastry brush to paint the strained jam over the cake, covering every surface. Let the cake sit uncovered until it’s completely cooled and the jam is set (it should be slightly tacky but not wet to the touch).
Step
10
In a medium bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar, milk, lemon juice and a pinch of salt, and whisk slowly to combine, then whisk vigorously until you have a thick, smooth icing. Slowly pour the icing onto the tallest part of the cake all the way around, letting it slowly cascade down the side. Let the cake sit until the icing is completely set, about 1 hour.
Tip
- The cake will keep, covered at room temperature, for 1 week.
Ratings
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out of 5
468
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Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Gerry
I'm Irish. Grew up with rich, brandy soaked fruit cake and loved it - still have my grandmother's hand written recipe 70 years later. BUT this cake is a different bird and rather than make suggestions for changing it why not give it a go as written. That's what I plan on doing . And hey, I'll have the extra brandy on the side.
Julia Felix
I inquired about this for a different recipe (not owning a bundt pan) and was told that 2 loaf pans would work. You can then give one 'fruit loaf' away!
Keweenaw Kathleen
Made hundreds of fruitcakes since 1979, all wrapped in cheesecloth and placed in plastic zip-lock bags before I pour brandy on them. Made 32 this year alone. My best advice: use more brandy or rum on the cake and give it time to soak into the fruit/nut mix. I pour enough brandy on mine so they are well soaked with a tablespoon or so left on the bottom of the bag. I flip the cakes for a few days so the brandy is absorbed before they are put away for a month of aging. Oh, it is all well worth it!
Alex H
Hi, Kathleen, Instead of alcohol, Bread Ahead Bakery in London suggests subbing an equal measure of a really strong brew of black tea, such as an Earl Grey. Bread Ahead uses this tip so they can offer their mince pies and Christmas Cakes to those who can’t or prefer not to consume alcohol. Also makes the taste of your list expensive ingredients (the dried fruits and nuts) really shine without the alcohol, which does tend to overpower things for me. Happy holidays!
A Simpler Alternative
This is a perfectly lovely cake, but if you are seeking a simpler alternative, do a search for the "Tu Bi'Shvat Cake" posted by food blogger David Lebovitz. It is a loaf sized cakes made with dried fruits and nuts, warm spices, 3 eggs, and just enough sugar and flour to hold it together. It takes about 10 minutes to put together, and 90 minutes to bake in a 300° oven. It is the easiest cake I know, and everyone I've made it for, loves it.(Tu Bi'Shvat is a lesser known midwinter Jewish holiday.)
William Wroblicka
You could use an equal amount of apple juice or apple cider, or perhaps a fortified wine like a semi-dry marsala or madeira if those flavors are more to your liking. If it's the taste of raw alcohol you object to, you could boil the rum for a few minutes to cook off the alcohol. In that case, I'd start with twice the amount called for and boil until it's reduced by half.
ClaireG
I made this yesterday in small bundtlette pans. I tested after 40 minutes. Total baking time was approximately 50 minutes.
Valerie
I haven't made this fruitcake yet, but in my experience with other recipes, fruitcake is rich enough without icing. I would consider skipping the icing.
Pat
I'm not a fan of almond paste. Can it be left out? If not, what would be a good substitute?
Shane A
I found the substitution of almond butter for the almond paste led to a perfect cake.
Titi
I often want to bake something that requires soaking dried fruit overnight. I put the fruit in a Pyrex measuring cup, cover it with rum or brandy and heat it in the microwave until it starts to bubble. Cover it for a half hour and it's good to go.
John
To the issue of shelf life, my yearly batch of 10 Guiness Stout fruit cakes wrapped in cheesecloth soaked & topped up from time to time in brandy last until all eaten up - about a year. The cake Robert Scott took with him on his ill-fated expedition to the South Pole was found in excellent condition over 100 years after he left it there - "almost edible".Fruitcake gets a bad name - undeserved in my opinion. The delight is there is no end of dried and candied fruits which can be added.
Kathleen
Hi,I would like to substitute the alcohol for something else, any suggestions?
Ona Colasante
I have made cakes like this, with dried fruits and nuts--they are good. But real, traditional fruitcake must use candied fruits, too. To get around the tasteless supermarket candied fruits, I make my own, which takes weeks but is well worth it. Candied pineapple, orange, & citron (see David Leibowitz's recipes) and apricots, can be glaceed in season when fresh, refrigerated until baking time before the holidays. It is possible to find candied cherries without artificial colors (from Britain).
Patricia
Having been steeped in the traditional English fruitcake recipe, this cake is a revelation. I love the addition of almond paste (homemade of course) and the non- traditional fruits steeped in rum and orange make for an enriched flavour profile. Made as per recipe, but suggest not cutting the cake til the following day when it is fully set. Delicious with a cup of tea.
dee from New Orleans
This was delicious and held at room temperature for about 10 days. Started to look a bit sloppy and crumbly but the taste remained.Thanks Claire for the very explanatory video. I watched it several times to get the hang of it. It helped a lot.This is a rather expensive cake to make but so worth it! Mine turned out like the picture but more drips of icing. I will definitely make it again.
Jennifer M
I try to make a fruitcake for my mom every year, as she loves them. The past cakes have all been ones that I needed to feed or age for weeks but this one was way easier and the family favorite so far. In order to modernize it a bit I used a mixture of dried strawberries, cherries, cranberries and dates instead of currents etc and I glazed it with a cream cheese glaze. The cake was so moist and even some of the fruitcake haters liked it!
Daniel Schmidt
Made my third "Saffits" Fruitcake cake of the season and all have come out great and eaten quickly by three different parties. Didn't have apricot jam the third time so used plum jam, which darkened the cake even more. Also used Walnut & Fig Rum: a winner! My daughter divided her recipe into small loaf pans wanting individual portions but came out a bit drier than mine. Also, in my most recent one I used green raisins that gave it an even juicier texture. Added to my yearly tradition.
Sarah H
I made this and it was enjoyed by many! I tried making it in advance so that it wouldn’t turn out crumbly like many commenters noted, however, mine did still turn out quite crumbly. I might leave out just a little dried fruit next time to see if that helps, or chop the fruit even smaller.I really enjoyed the flavor the almond paste brought! The cake didn’t taste boozy at all, which I also appreciated, however, I really didn’t taste the rum at all, so maybe a little more would be ok :)
Joy Q
This will irritate some. I love the flavours of fruitcake but cannot stand the texture fruits in cake. I baked this cake and it was lovely. My sister and mum are beyond thrilled by it. I want a fruitless version: a dense boozy spice cake, with nuts and maybe some chocolate chunks, or maybe no chocolate.
Janice
Simply the best fruit cake I have ever eaten. It's one of the few recipes I have followed as written, with the exception of using more dried cranberries instead of dried cherries, as I couldn't find them. Making homemade almond paste was surprisingly easy and satisfying. It turned out exactly as shown in the picture.
Carol
How many eggs? I do ot see eggs in the ingredient list.
Lex
4 large eggs, at room temperature.It is listed near the bottom of the ingredient list for the batter.
Macha
Does anyone know if this could be made with a gluten free flour? Seems like you could almost just swap out the flour as levening isn't important here.....
CR
This recipe makes the best fruitcake we've ever had. Last year, we used two glass loaf pans; this year we used an antique cast iron bundt pan. We found it helpful to use a serrated bread knife, washed before each slice, and lightly 'skated' through the cake, to slice it. The cake made in the bundt pan was harder to slice without crumbling - we think due to less cake surrounding the fruit on the "thin end" of the slice. Got dried fruit from Nuts.com.
DSBingham
Gluten free: Just sub equal weight of Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 GF flour blend (light blue label) and proceed exactly as written. Make sure to bake through, which always takes a bit longer w GF flour. Absolutely delicious.
Ann Terry
I was thrilled with the fruitcake recipe results last year. Yes, it freezes beautifully. I make loaves and cut them, and keep them in a zip lock freezer bag. I am not fond of the strong alcohol flavor, so I use orange juice and rum for both soaking the fruit and the loaves. One of my recipients soaks his loaf in rum when he receives it and is delighted with the flavor.
CW
Made this cake last Christmas, following the recipe except used Bourbon (Kentucky native) instead of rum and cut the currants. It was lovely! Perfect texture and flavors. Been craving it again and can't wait to make it this weekend.
RR
This was great with lots of flavour and my kids loved it. I just realised last week that US cup and spoon measures are different to the rest of the world (?!) so I made this using my new US cups and spoons. I used homemade marmalade jam instead of the Apricot and it worked well add a nice note also only used half the brandy after baking as it was for kids.
RR
This was delicious lots of flavour and recipe worked well. I made this using my new US cups and spoons as only realised last week that the US has different sizes cups and spoons sizes than the rest of the world (?!?!!). Beware American bakers of overseas recipes. I subbed homemade marmalade jam for apricot which worked well and only used half the brandy post baking as it was for the kids to eat after school.
kiwi
This cake lasted much longer than the recommended five days. And what a fabulous fruit cake! I soaked the fruit in orange juice and brandy for a couple of weeks because I didn’t have time to make it right away.
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