Hi, Your recipe looks delicious, but here are some hints for better cake... 1) Soak your raisins, dates, and dried pineapple in very warm water or apple juice about 1 hour before adding to batter. Make sure you drain the liquid off completely and the paper towel dry the outside of your fruit to remove excess liquid. This soaked fruit will keep keep the cake moist, dried fruit will draw moisture from your batter causing a dryer cake. Fruit cakes should be moist and dense. 2) In a separate bowl pre mix all your fruit and nuts together so that they are well mixed instead of dumping them on top of each other. That mix will give you a more even mix in your batter. 3) Take your time stirring in your nut/fruit mix and be sure to have your batter evenly mixed between all your fruit and nuts. You want each slice to look the same with volume and spacing of fruits, nuts, and cake. 4) Wipe and excess batter off the pan tube and above the batter line. This will burn on your pan and/or cause your cake to rise into the crusted part and possibly stick. 5) Let your cake cool at least 30 minutes before releasing from pan to a rack so it can cool completely. This is extremely important. 6) Wrap entire cake in several layers of plastic wrap and then totally in heavy duty foil. If you have a fruitcake tin place in that also. You can find them usually at flea markets or bargain church shops or good will. You would need to bake in tube pan to fit in can. 6) Last and most important, you have wonderful moisture in this cake and it will evenly distribute if place in a dark cool place for at least a week. Do not open or peek!! We always made ours the week after Thanksgiving, wrapped in cheesecloth that was soaked in bourbon and wrung out, then wrapped quarters of apples in wax paper and pushed in middle opening of cake before wrapping. Our cake sat till Christmas Eve before slicing. It was so dense and so very good!! I made these cakes with my Dad and now with my family for a total of 60-65 years. Enjoy....Try a couple of my tips! Cookee
Candice, can you tell me if your fruit cake was light in color? My boss of many years made one with dried fruits and then soaked it in bourbon just you said you do. Lost her recipe and she has bee gone for many years. Thank You Elizabeth.
@cookiecrumb I was thinking the same thing with the pre-mixing of dried fruit and nuts. Thanks for all the tips. This recipe seems pretty moist already. Also the baking in a steamy oven is a great idea. I'll try it his way first and then try your methods too. Both seem great. Should all the fruits be candied. I thought fresh dates would be tasty. What's your advice?
I'm not one for leaving comments but I had to come back here and RAVE about this recipe. I happen to love fruitcake and must state this is the absolute best cake I have ever had. I can't overstate this compliment. Thank you so much for sharing. 100 stars!
I made this fruitcake for my Ambulance station (I’m a Paramedic), and it was amazing. The entire cake was eaten and it was the happiest group of Medics in the country. Amazing recipe! Thank you for sharing.
Our friends, the Duncans, who shared this recipe with us are the sweetest people you will ever meet. We love spending time with them! Thank you for watching our channel. We really appreciate it.
I am one of the few people that really really love fruitcake. I can eat it all year long. I will save this recipe and hopefully make it for this holiday season. As a former Canadian, we celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving in October and that gives us more time to enjoy that holiday before we enter into Christmas. Also, when I was growing up in Canada, we always tried to eat 12 different fruit cakes from family and friends, to ensure 12 months of good health. I'm not sure how well that worked, but I sure enjoyed the eating of the fruit cake part. Thanks to your friends for sharing the recipe, and thanks to y'all for demonstrating the making of it. Y'all have a Blessed day.
Have you ever had White Fruit cake? After baking in small tin loaf pans, they are wrapped in muslin cloth, paint rum or whiskey mixed with a bit of sugar. Keep in ziplock badg in fridge. You marinate the loaves once a day for two weeks. Amazing change!
I too love fruit cake and can eat it all year long. This recipe I have made for years. It was published in the Tampa Tribune in the 1980’s and was called Mrs. Harvey’s Fruitcake .
Very interesting. We have no idea where it originally came from since it was handed down to us through a friend and her stepmother. We just know that we love it! Thanks so much for watching our channel. We love to have you at our table.
I’m in Australia, make my own Christmas cake every year, a couple of years ago I bought one which cost $65 thinking it must be special, it was full of nuts,nice but not great. I decided to make yours three days ago, it’s the best I’ve EVER tasted. Couldn’t find orange extract, so used orange zest, oh my! It’s wonderful, thank you for sharing & please thank your friend who gave it to you.God Bless & have a great Christmas.
My 92 year old father loves fruitcake. He is living with me now. I am making this cake today for him, raisins are soaking! Thank you all for sharing further instructions for soaking and storing fruitcake. Reading all these comments have been so helpful!
Who’s waiting: I’m going to try this recipe this week ! I prefer fruit cake thinly sliced and served as toast with freshly brewed coffee! Thank you for sharing!
My Mom made fruit cakes every year for Christmas. Most were loaf style she gave as gifts to relatives who liked fruit cake, but she always made one big bundt style for just the 2 of us. We were the only ones in our family of 6 that liked it. She'd make it just after Thanksgiving, and the day after Christmas we'd start eating it for a late afternoon treat a couple of times a week. We usually finished it off just before my birthday at the end of January. She's gone now, so it's been quite some time since I've enjoyed fruitcake. I'll have to try this one. I imagine I could get a few smaller ones from this recipe.
I love any fruitcake, give me a cup of coffee and a slice of fruitcake, and you’ve made my day. Looking forward to trying this one. I hope they don’t mind you sharing this with us. Thank you Vicky!
You are making me SO hungry ‼️‼️‼️My Mother and I use to make fruit cakes every year for Christmas ‼️‼️‼️we would cut up and laugh and have the best time ‼️‼️I sure miss her‼️ she’s in Heaven now but I know she would be pleased to know I still carry on the tradition with our daughter. God bless you both and have a wonderful Christmas Holiday ‼️‼️‼️‼️
One way to keep fruit from sticking together is to put some flour on them from the flour in the recipe and mix it together and they won’t sink while cooking or clump together.
I'll do that for some things, but not candied fruit. It can make a nasty gloppy layer that makes the fruit flavor tasteless. Sugar will work though since that is why their sticky in the first place (that's also what Sunsweet coats their diced dates with & what coats candied ginger).
I happened upon your video watched it. I am 74 yrs old and it brought back found memories. I remember helping my Aunt Emma make fruit cakes. We would spend a weekend in late October early November and make fruit cakes. There was a five and dime store that sold all the candied fruits by the pound. My uncle would take us to the store and we would get what we needed I couldn't wait to get started...She stored her cakes in metal cookie cans and each week she would pour a mixture of brandy and rum over each cake to give them flavor and keep them moist. On that weekend she made about 5 or 6 and would give them as Xmas gifts. This was a tradition that she carried on for years and years. Everybody wanted Emmas' fruit cake.. One year early in my adult life, I surprised my Aunt with a fruit cake... She was so surprised and delighted that I would try ...and said it was just like hers. Your video brought tears just remembering those fond memories, I am so glad I watched it. You are right there is no fruit cake in any store in the commercial world that is as good as that home made one.
I also love dark fruitcake! My Mom got a good recipe out of the Washington Post in the early 1970s, and we made so many cakes by that recipe! We would gift them to family whom we knew also was fond of fruitcake - the batches were so big she had to mix it in the canning kettle! In those days we lined the pans with brown paper from grocery bags, greased with Crisco. I like leaving the cherries whole, because they make a pretty red window in a thin slice. This looks like a great recipe!
my grandma from Nova Scotia, made the most gorgeous fruitcake and sent it to her son, my dad, each Christmas. We all eagerly awaited it each year. I have the recipe still!
Would you ever consider sharing that wonderful recipe with me on here? I know it's a big ask, but I absolutely love fruitcake myself. Also I want to make as gifts this year for Christmas.
When you share a recipe it doesn’t get lost! I gladly share mine with family and friends. It’s an honor to be asked. I’d like to try this. Thank you and your friends for sharing. God bless y’all ❤
I agree! When one has a recipe so tasty that people ask for it I gladly share. My ex's grandma had been a cook in an aristocratic home in England (WW2 era) and was a fabulous cook. Sadly, she took all her recipes to the grave with her. What a shame. She could have been immortal through her treasured recipes passed down to future generations.
I just got done making this fruitcake. It’s delicious. I had to make a couple modifications. My store didn’t have candied cherries or pineapple. I used dried cranberries and dried apricots. It’s very moist and tastes great.
In South Africa my grandma used to make something similar, but like 2 months in advance to Christmas, because it was showered with brandy every two weeks before it was served as desert at Christmas dinner. Wonderful childhood memories of my Irish heritage.
As I recall, this is very similar to our family recipe but my mom also used the green cherries too. For whatever reason, I found the flavor of green cherries, although pretty, different and never included them. I'm a big advocate on soaking the fruit, as you never know how long those packages have been on the shelf and moisture is a key element . Yes , alcohol is my preference. Thanks for the memories, I think I will introduce my great grandchildren to this. There is no better gift than the one you spend your time and effort on than one that is homemade, whether it be food or craft!
I am 63 and have never had fruitcake let alone a homemade fruitcake. I can’t tell you how excited I am to try this recipe! It’s these recipes of old that warm my heart and soothe my soul. Thank you!
Hello Tom and Melissa, I wanted to let you know I made this fruitcake yesterday. I cut a piece this morning to have with my coffee, and it is delicious!!! I measured and prepared my pecans and walnuts the day before and it went very smoothly. I didn't have raisins but used dried cranberries. It will be my fruitcake recipe from now on. Costco sells good ones, but this is much better.
This is close to a recipe I found years ago in a Better Homes & Gardens cookbook from the late eighties...lol ~ It was called White Fruitcake. I used golden raisins instead of the dark, Cointreau for the orange flavoring, some orange zest in the cake & glaze and sour cream instead of apple sauce. No citron of any kind, which is bitter anyway. It was a hit at the office holiday potluck!!
I made the fruitcake today for my husband. I have never liked fruitcake, but I must tell you that you are absolutely correct. It was delicious. I had to try it right away after it cooled.
This sounds like the cake my late Mom used to make. She always made 2 before Thanksgiving. Put one in the closet and we had one for Christmas. It never molded or anything. It was even more moist than the one at Thanksgiving. I miss her so much and her traditions.
We made a similar fruitcake. But we soaked the raisins in hot water for 10 minutes and drained them. We also add dry apricots to it. Can't beat home made. Love your recipes and your smile. God's blessing to you both😊
If you want to cool a bundt cake quickly, fill your sink halfway with ice and water and allow the cake to set in the water for about 15 mins. It will force the cake to pull from the sides and lock in the moisture. I think an orange glaze would also be a delicious touch. I make a similar carrot cake and find that cooling it completely with a cream cheese icing overnight in the frig definitely makes a difference in the way all of the flavors meld together. Thank you for this new recipe! I can't wait to try it out. =)
My mother was German , she added dark rum to fruit fillings, If you want to get rid of the alcohol in the rum ( Not I ) you heat the rum first ,she also soaks the filling for the chrismas stollen in booze. When the postman had to climb 5 flights of stairs to deliver something important, he would get a nice glass of schnaps , they never refused ! Everybody loved my mother !
My Mother and I used to love fruitcake. It was a special treat and because it was so rich we only ate it at Christmas or if we es decided we really needed a real treat. She kept one in her dresser, just in case, you know. Such fond memories treasured especially since she's been gone for a while. I found a Christmas cook book that had some of the older & old recipes from Europe. The fruitcake recipe in it looked more like your recipe except the cake part was white, somewhat dense but not like today's nor as sweet taste. It was really good. This year, for the first time since Mom's been gone I'm going to make a fruitcake & consider some of cookeecrumb's ideas. Thank you so much for reminding me of those memories. I'll be thanking you again when I take the first bite!
Looks amazing. Your channel and this episode popped up in my feed. First time watching. One tip- throw away the imitation vanilla. Pure vanilla is a game changer. I make my own with vanilla beans. The flavor difference is unimaginable. PS You can also soak your fruit for a couple hours or overnight in liquor for extra richness- rum-whiskey etc.
32:27 I think a lot of people don't eat fruit cake because of it containing alcohol. They do not understand that the alcohol cooks out but leaves the wonderful taste in the cake. I've never tried baking one because I thought you HAD to cure them with the alcohol. But I guess you don't after all. The apricot brandy does sound good though.
Oh my I also. LOVE FRUITCAKE. I can smell it from here Definitely going to try to make this one. Thank you for sharing. I can hardly wait. Love to you both❤️💛💜🩷🩶🖤💚💙🧡🩶💜
I have always loved those little square Claxton fruitcakes every Christmas. They are wonderful with coffee. I may be the only person who absolutely loves those little fruitcakes made in Claxton, Gleorgia. But I buy them every year. A part of my life.
My grandmothers fruit cake use candied chopped fruit from the grocery store, citron, candied green and red cherries, golden raisins, brown raisins and molasses. Spices are about the same. After baked and cooled the cake was wrapped airtight and put away for 2-3 months for the spices to develop. Usually no nuts. Mom used apricot brandy if the cake dried out. I loved the fruit cake! Her recipe was called Treasure Island Fruit cake but Mom always added whatever fruit she wanted. Hint for the future the candied fruit goes on sale after Christmas for 75% off! It freezes well!
That is if any are left. I found this recipe an wanted to make it for Christmas or new years after Thanksgiving I couldn't find any fruitcak candied fruit. I'm making this today my h7sband and I are the only ones who love fruitcake
My husband’s grandmother made a fruitcake from a family recipe that was excellent! First time I had it was in the mid 70s. She gave me the recipe and I shared it with my mother. We made it for years until my mother died. It was so moist and very tasty. I remember it had rum in it and some other alcohol.
Great Job! I Would have Added, some Wine, in The Mixing Process, and and Top IT with Rum, after Baking It! In South America, we Soak, our Fruits, in Wine, and we Bake Many Cakes To Share with Families, and Friends, at Christmas Time! I can Still Smell The Scent of our South American Christmas, in our Home! Waaow! Thanks for Sharing! ❤😊🎉🎉🎉
This is do close to my Mom's. She also added some light raisins, some green candied sweet cherries, some sweet candied pineapple, of course all were cut like your red cherries. She also got a fresh coconut, "milked" (knocked out the 3 holes and removed the juice from the coconut) and used some of the juice in the cake and peeled the coconut to grate up the fresh coconut meat and added some to the cake. Just looked a little more festive with the different colors. This cake looks absolutely beautiful and delicious. So glad she gave you permission to share. This is going in my recipe book as a keeper!
If you take1/2 to 1 cup of the flour called for in the original recipe and use it to coat your nuts and fruit, the nuts and fruit will stay more evenly distributed throughout the batter. Stir them altogether in a bowl, or shake them up in a paper or plastic bag. Make sure the fruits and nuts are in separate pieces, not clumped together. Add what flour is not "stuck" to the fruit to the batter. Place your floured nuts and fruits into batter as directed. NOTE: groceries and big box stores usually have candied fruits (pineapple, cherries, and citron) in the area where baking supplies are kept beginning a few weeks before Thanksgiving for holiday baking. Be watchful, because they go fast!
My Mom loved fruit cake and would also do the flour on the fruit. She would make the fc in small pans then wrap them in cheesecloth that was soaked in rum, then wrap with waxed paper and put in fridge. After a few days she would wrap the cakes in new soaked cheesecloth, rewrap with wax paper and back in fridge. Tharen she would gift them or freeze them.
I believe I will try this recipe out this year. Just a comment, I love that you take the extra time to really scrape off all the batter or dough from your utensils, bowls etc. So many “chefs” waste because they don’t scrape everything out. Thank you for being very frugal!❤❤😊😊
I can't wait to make this for our family holiday get-together. One change I would make, if possible, is to use the light raisins rather than the dark ones. I can't wait to taste it. Thank y'all for all these delicious recipes. By the way, I am a Kentucky girl, too, born and bred in the heart of Kentucky and a UK alum. Go Big Blue!
Gosh that fruit cake made me really, really hungry. I laughed at the way you secured every dollop of batter so that NONE should be wasted. It's the same way that I function in the Kitchen. 🥰
Thanks for sharing this recipe. When I was a young child in the late 50s, my mother baked and sold cakes...actually Daddy sold most of them on his construction job in Washington DC and they used the money for Christmas. I can still remember the delicious smell in Mama's tiny kitchen and it seemed she used every pot and bowl in the kitchen!! She had borrowed Grandma's tube pan so she could cook two at a time. My job was to grease the pans and cut strip of brown paper sacks to line the pans. Mama has been gone since 2021 and though she left her recipe basics, I can tell some of her notes were when she made her largest fruitcakes. Your video helps me understand her notes better. Thank you.
All the prepackaged fruit cakes with cherries on top and a glaze were sickly sweet, but a homemade one is much different. Looks so good. If you guys don't like nuts in a dessert and still like this recipe, it makes it worthwhile.
Hi Tom and Melissa, I used some leftover dried cranberries along with the rest of the ingredients. The whole house smells wonderful, and it turned out great. Can't wait to dig into it later on tonight.
I don’t use candied fruit, but instead use dried fruit - raisins, pineapple, cherries, cranberries, apples, whatever dried fruit I can find. Everyone loves it. I make it right after Thanksgiving and baste with rum, brandy or whiskey every couple of days until time to distribute at Christmas. I also wrap them in plastic wrap and aluminum foil so they don’t dry out. One tip on incorporating the fruit and nuts. I put all of those in a ziplock bag with a couple tablespoons of the measured flour. Shake the bag so that the flour covers all the fruit and nuts. Nothing sticks together and makes them much easier to fold into the batter. The flour gets absorbed back into the batter so there is no raw flour taste. I also bake mine in different sizes of disposable loaf pans and give as gifts to family and friends. I’m going to try this recipe as I’m always looking for a new batter recipe for my fruit cake.
@nancyhowell7735 I think that's a great idea! I noted that our local Aldi's carries dried fruit and also nuts, all fairly reasonably in cost. Glad this channel with thus fruit cake popped up. Going to start collecting needed ingredients this month. Hate being in stores after U.S. Thanksgiving day.
@nancyhowell7735 I 100% agree on the dried fruit! Much chewier. I love dried apricot’s also. And basting with liqueur sounds wonderful. I bet you are well know for these cakes!
@@gaillouviere8471 Any fruitcake recipe will work. I researched various recipes and all were similar. I used one from King Arthur flour and substituted dried fruit for the candied. This year, I plan on trying the recipe shown in this video, but use a variety of dried fruits. I mixed walnuts and pecans, but you can use whatever nuts you like. Same for the alcohol, rum, whiskey, cognac. I ran out of plain rum and switched to spiced rum one year. I use all 3 liquors, but only one at each basting, rotating the days. I start in early December so that I have enough time to baste the cakes every other day with alcohol. I bake them in various sized disposable pans based on who I’m giving them to. I leave them in the pans, baste the tops making sure to baste extra along the sides and ends. Wrap in plastic wrap and foil. I have also removed from pans to baste and then wrap in plastic wrap and foil. I prefer removing from pans, but this method makes stacking and storage more problematic. Depends on your situation, (kitchen size, storage area, pets, kids, or husbands who like to raid the Christmas goodies,) as to what you choose to do. Good luck. I hope you enjoy the dried fruit fruitcakes as much as we do. My family gobbled them up!
I made this cake Nov. 17, 2023. This was my very first fruitcake ever. It turned out GREAT! I love it and now I will never purchase a fruitcake again. I have already begun to stockup on the candied fruit and chopped dates. I'm making this again, and again. I also just recently discovered this channel. Thank you!
Nice, simple recipe. I make my fruitcakes about 6 weeks before Christmas. I soak my fruitcake fruit mixture, raisins and dates in 1/2 cup of good brandy for one week before making my fruitcakes. It adds great flavor to the fruitcake fruit mixture, raisins and dates, separating all the fruit too when folding into the batter. I like using the chopped fruitcakes mixture because it has all the different colored candied fruit mixed in the mixture. I let my fruitcake cool, wrap in cheese cloth/flour towel and store in a metal tin. I apply brandy with a pastry brush all over the cake for added flavor once a week before Christmas. I keep the fruitcake wrapped in the cheese cloth/flour towel and store in the metal tin. Very moist and delicious.
I love fruitcake. When I make it, I also add in green colored cherries to be festive. When I have filled a Bundt pan (or any cake pan), I lift up the pan two or three inches above the counter and drop it a few times to assure myself that the batter gets packed down properly. Thank you for sharing this with us!
My husband (Elem science)and I ( Elem & Home Ec.)are 86 yr. old retired teachers over 30 yrs. each and 67 years marriage. I love your cooking show. I love to cook and appreciate your getting all ingredients so there is no waste. I enjoy the stories. I have tried some of your recipes as well as other recipes on utube. I like variety in my meals. I plan to make the fruitcake soon. My husband buys fruitcake at Christmas so we have some all year but didn't this yr. We had the breaded tomatoes for lunch. I've never made comments before.
New subscriber here. I love how the ingredients are shown in the start of the recipe. The instructions are easily understood. The delivery is friendly and well paced. I fully intend to use this recipe this Christmas season. 🙂👍👍
@comesitatmytable9044 Pat, an excellent tutorial. Make your own cake release, 1/2 cup all purpose flour, 1/2 cup of Crisco oil, and a 1/2 cup of Crisco shortening, mix well.
I finally got to make this! I am so glad I did. We have wanted to add a fruitcake to our baking repertoire and now we can say we have. Next up: the pumpkin roll! The fruitcake was a hit at the church Thanksgiving potluck. Everyone who had some loved it.
My mother used to bake fruitcakes. She would make round and oblong cakes and bake all night long. I can remember getting up as a little girl and smelling the goodness. (I am 79 yo) Mother gave the cakes away as gifts and everyone was so grateful. I am going to make yours for this Christmas. Thank you for this trip down memory lane. ❤
There is nothing more beautiful or better tasting than a fruit cake to us. Every year at Christmas I make fruit cake cookies to share with family and friends. Thanks for sharing I will be trying the recipe this Christmas,
This cake looks wonderful. My mother made one in which she used home dried fruits instead of the candied ones. It would stay in the freezer for about a month after cooking so she could douse with orange juice. It made an 8 lb cake. I still make it some years, but i buy the dried fruit and reconstute since i don't have the energy to dry fruits. My kids have always loved it. Thank you for the recipe
I always cover my fruit cakes heavily when they come out of the oven to retain the moisture as it cools. Makes for a lovely moist cake. And they're not cut the till they're completely cooled 😅. And yes, they freeze really well🎉
I have my own fantastic original fruitcake recipe, but this came up and I had to support the homemade fruitcake with a "like". Looks great! Fruitcake rocks and is the breakfast bar of the season to me!
I love a good moist fruitcake. This one looks great but for me it's missing the dark brown sugar/ molasses component. I do love the pineapple they added. I also would probably macerate the raisins. Thank you Vicky for sharing this! And thank you Tom & Melissa for filming & sharing it. My first thought when I saw the batter was that it looked like a fantastic spice cake which I also love.
This looks Sooooo good!!I have a favorite fruit cake recipe that I have made every Thanksgiving or Christmas since I found it in the recipe section off our local newspaper, called "cooking Up A Storm " someone mentioned it and the gentleman wrote in and gave the paper permission to print it his name was arronowits and every year if the paper didn"t rerun it, people would demand they run it again!! Now, they run it every year automatically !! It s So good And doesn't require very many ingredients!I can't wait to try Vicki's recipe and thank her for permisson to print it !!😀😍😙❤💕👍
I have a recipe that l have used for years and it also has molasses in it. It is a very dark flavorful cake with the raisins soaked in molasses and water. Love lots of nuts in mine (like the above recipe). May have to try it.
I really feel sorry for poor ole fruitcake, so many people do not like it, but I love it. My mother used to make a homemade fruitcake. My job growing up, cutting up the candied cherries, pineapple, nuts, dates, and the mixed fruit, what a sticky mess, now I know why she wanted me to cut it up. I did enjoy it though. I can not remember what she poured over it after it was done, either wine or some kind of whisky or brandy, then wrapped it in foil and let it set for a couple of weeks. It was so good, not like what you buy. My mother also made a orange slice fruit cake, and it was amazing. It used the orange slice candy and dates, again, who got to cut up the sticky fruit??? I learned to cook from helping my mother in the kitchen. It had a fresh orange glaze with confectioners sugar on it and it was amazing. I am going to have to try your recipe. I do really like it alot. Thank you for sharing, I really enjoy watching your videos.
We are so glad you've joined us at the table! We hope you can enjoy a lot of our recipes (and maybe some that won't leave you so sticky! 😁). You've reminded me of a delicious orange cake we make that a friend gave us a recipe for. Now I'm wanting a slice of that! Thanks so much for watching our channel. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!
For the longest time, I didn't understand the hatred towards fruitcake - a lady my grandpa worked with made a cake very similar to what you've made here, and I *loved* it! It was the only fruitcake our family ever ate as she would graciously gift them to us year 'round. I thought *that* was what a fruitcake was *meant* to taste like! I'd had no basis for comparison. Long after she'd passed, I purchased one of those little bricks from a grocery store and to say it was a shock was putting it mildly!!
The hatred towards fruitcake is because of the Citron used in traditional fruitcake - most people don't care for Citron. Myself included. I noticed a trend today that people aren't using Citron & fruitcake is becoming more popular again.
I also LOVE fruit cake, I have some that was spiced too much. I am going to try this one, I am also a Christian but I do like a fruit cake that has been soaked with bourbon. I love the mix of the amount of spices in this recipe.. Thank for the sharing the recipe.
Wow. I love Fruit Cake!!! my mom made them all the time when we were kids only into our adult years until she passed away. Most people that I meet including some of my family don’t like fruitcake, but I do not any kind but a good fruit cake. Thank you all for sharing your friends recipe, I will be trying this cake around the holidays.😊🙏🏻 Ms Ruby
I really like fruit cake. When I was a kid, I did not appreciate it, but now I really do. This particular recipe does not call for the citron found in so many recipes. I had to laugh when you were scraping the very last of the batter into the bundt pan and exclaimed, "It's too valuable"..😅😂..I agree, every morsel of it counts. You are a gorgeous couple. I enjoy your warmth and comradery.❤❤ Thank you so much
Muchas gracias por esta receta. En Navidad hago la que hacía mi mamá hace 50 años , de ella la aprendí. Ya me suscribí. Saludos desde San José, Costa Rica.
You are very welcome! We are thrilled to have you watching from Costa Rica. What a beautiful country! Our daughter did a study abroad in Costa Rica at one time and Tom and I visited and did some ziplining that was so much fun. Hope you are having a wonderful day!
Every year I order a Fruitcake from Collins Street Bakery in Texas. But this year I will make this recipe. In fact, I’m gonna make it tomorrow and cure it down with rum until Christmas. Thank you Tom and Melissa. I enjoy your videos tremendously. Karen from Chattanooga ❤
My mother would also add in some chocolate cocoa into her cake batter and she used both the green and red candied cherries my mom’s cake was always so good and she would pour some grape juice over the cake after it was baked and had cooled off she would punch holes in the cake with a knife so the juice would soak down into the cake and it was amazing
My momma always made home made fruit cake when I was a child she would give it away as presents at Christmas she would soak cheese cloth in wine then wrap the fruitcake in the cheese cloth and put it in a tin to give as a gift she put raisins and used candied green and red cherries nut dares and candied pineapple loved you fruit cake reminded me of my momma you brought such wonderful memories thank you God bless and have a wonderful day
I’ve always loved fruitcake but there’s always one thing in the store bought ones that’s got a weird taste. Because everyone is always like “YUK, fruitcake!”, I’ve actually felt like the odd man out admitting to liking them! Back in the early ‘90’s, a friend of mine’s wife made fruitcake cookies and they were ahhh-mazing. I am so excited to make & eat this recipe! Thank you so much, and please thank your friend for sharing with all of us!❤😍❤😍 Love from Rogersville Tennessee.
I am one of the other people out I have always loved fruitcake yeah most the time my dad would buy that store because me and my dad weather in Elizabeth need it and then when you’re my mom made so I don’t know where she got the recipe what happened to it but it was so much better than the store bought Khan I’m going to try this because I really really love fruit cake
When I was growing up my mother bought Ann Page fruitcakes at our local A&P. Mother would soak it with Sherry wine and it was wonderful. In recent years, we have bought nothing but Claxton fruit cakes. They are ok but not as good as the Ann Page fruitcakes that I ate as a boy.
I had to watch this video first, and, relive the horrid joke of the"Christmas fruit cake" being SO rock hard-that it was used as a door stop to keep the door open!🤭 I will be writing this recipe down tomorrow for my family cook-book! Please tell Jim & Phyllis Duncan: "thank-you" for sharing this recipe so the bad jokes of rock hard fruit cake can be "put to rest"! Doug, single dad of 6 boys😁🤓🐻
I have made this cake twice since I watched them make this lovely cake. What a treat this cake is. Everyone has loved it and enjoyed every bit of it. I myself love Fruitcake and this one is a winner hands down. This Cake is a must try if you like Fruitcake.
@@alissagonzales735 I cannot answer for this cake.... but anytime I bake, I used salted butter, I always use the salt amount they say. I have never had any issue with any dessert being to salty. I have been baking 50+years. I am pretty good at it, no complaints from anyone. I have tried unsalted butter and found no difference in baking in any thing I have baked. I just prefer not having to buy 2 separate kinds of butter. Especially when unsalted butter taste nasty.
@@deebee533 thank you. I just wonder because I haven't made a fruit cake in about 50 years. I will be making it and have my fruit cake tasters have a go at it and see what they say.
If you lightly coat your fruit and nuts with some of the flour before you combine, the nuts and fruit will not fall to the bottom of the cake. Looks like a great recipe. I will be trying it. Love your channel!
I love fruit cake. I try a new recipe each year searching for the best recipes or trying to replicate my mom's cake. I will definitely give this a try based on your glowing review! Thank you!
I remember my mom used to freeze fruit cake and serve it at the church anniversary in July and and boy did it disappear! So it freezes very well.
I am the rare person who loves fruitcake. I have been looking for a great recipe for a long time. Thank You 😊
This one beats any I've ever had. We sure hope you enjoy it like we do. And thank you so much for watching our channel.
Me too. ❤
i love fruitcake.
I love fruitcake even bought in the groc. Store! My mom made great fruitcake!
Hi,
Your recipe looks delicious, but here are some hints for better cake...
1) Soak your raisins, dates, and dried pineapple in very warm water or apple juice about 1 hour before adding to batter. Make sure you drain the liquid off completely and the paper towel dry the outside of your fruit to remove excess liquid. This soaked fruit will keep keep the cake moist, dried fruit will draw moisture from your batter causing a dryer cake. Fruit cakes should be moist and dense.
2) In a separate bowl pre mix all your fruit and nuts together so that they are well mixed instead of dumping them on top of each other. That mix will give you a more even mix in your batter.
3) Take your time stirring in your nut/fruit mix and be sure to have your batter evenly mixed between all your fruit and nuts. You want each slice to look the same with volume and spacing of fruits, nuts, and cake.
4) Wipe and excess batter off the pan tube and above the batter line. This will burn on your pan and/or cause your cake to rise into the crusted part and possibly stick.
5) Let your cake cool at least 30 minutes before releasing from pan to a rack so it can cool completely. This is extremely important.
6) Wrap entire cake in several layers of plastic wrap and then totally in heavy duty foil. If you have a fruitcake tin place in that also. You can find them usually at flea markets or bargain church shops or good will. You would need to bake in tube pan to fit in can.
6) Last and most important, you have wonderful moisture in this cake and it will evenly distribute if place in a dark cool place for at least a week. Do not open or peek!!
We always made ours the week after Thanksgiving, wrapped in cheesecloth that was soaked in bourbon and wrung out, then wrapped quarters of apples in wax paper and pushed in middle opening of cake before wrapping. Our cake sat till Christmas Eve before slicing. It was so dense and so very good!! I made these cakes with my Dad and now with my family for a total of 60-65 years. Enjoy....Try a couple of my tips!
Cookee
Hello! I have read pointers like this before, but your tips are more comprehensive. Thank you!
@cookeecrumb...Thank you, for the great fruitcake tips.
Great tips!
Candice, can you tell me if your fruit cake was light in color? My boss of many years made one with dried fruits and then soaked it in bourbon just you said you do. Lost her recipe and she has bee gone for many years. Thank You Elizabeth.
@cookiecrumb I was thinking the same thing with the pre-mixing of dried fruit and nuts. Thanks for all the tips. This recipe seems pretty moist already. Also the baking in a steamy oven is a great idea. I'll try it his way first and then try your methods too. Both seem great. Should all the fruits be candied. I thought fresh dates would be tasty. What's your advice?
I'm not one for leaving comments but I had to come back here and RAVE about this recipe. I happen to love fruitcake and must state this is the absolute best cake I have ever had. I can't overstate this compliment. Thank you so much for sharing. 100 stars!
I made this fruitcake for my Ambulance station (I’m a Paramedic), and it was amazing. The entire cake was eaten and it was the happiest group of Medics in the country. Amazing recipe! Thank you for sharing.
Recipe sounds great. Your kind words about the folks in Florida you have become friends with - is just sweet.
Our friends, the Duncans, who shared this recipe with us are the sweetest people you will ever meet. We love spending time with them!
Thank you for watching our channel. We really appreciate it.
I am one of the few people that really really love fruitcake. I can eat it all year long. I will save this recipe and hopefully make it for this holiday season. As a former Canadian, we celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving in October and that gives us more time to enjoy that holiday before we enter into Christmas. Also, when I was growing up in Canada, we always tried to eat 12 different fruit cakes from family and friends, to ensure 12 months of good health. I'm not sure how well that worked, but I sure enjoyed the eating of the fruit cake part. Thanks to your friends for sharing the recipe, and thanks to y'all for demonstrating the making of it. Y'all have a Blessed day.
I love fruit cake too, but made without the citric fruit.
Me too 🙋🏻♀️
Have you ever had White Fruit cake? After baking in small tin loaf pans, they are wrapped in muslin cloth, paint rum or whiskey mixed with a bit of sugar. Keep in ziplock badg in fridge. You marinate the loaves once a day for two weeks. Amazing change!
@@alexrodgers9247 I have had white fruit cake. My grandma used make both light and dark fruitcakes for the holidays. I like both.
@@margaretbedwell3211 Sure makes me miss a lot of the old style cooking. So many don’t even know HOW to cook any more.
I too love fruit cake and can eat it all year long. This recipe I have made for years. It was published in the Tampa Tribune in the 1980’s and was called Mrs. Harvey’s Fruitcake .
Very interesting. We have no idea where it originally came from since it was handed down to us through a friend and her stepmother. We just know that we love it! Thanks so much for watching our channel. We love to have you at our table.
❤
I’m in Australia, make my own Christmas cake every year, a couple of years ago I bought one which cost $65 thinking it must be special, it was full of nuts,nice but not great. I decided to make yours three days ago, it’s the best I’ve EVER tasted. Couldn’t find orange extract, so used orange zest, oh my! It’s wonderful, thank you for sharing & please thank your friend who gave it to you.God Bless & have a great Christmas.
My 92 year old father loves fruitcake. He is living with me now. I am making this cake today for him, raisins are soaking!
Thank you all for sharing further instructions for soaking and storing fruitcake. Reading all these comments have been so helpful!
How did ur cake turn out ?
Who’s waiting: I’m going to try this recipe this week ! I prefer fruit cake thinly sliced and served as toast with freshly brewed coffee! Thank you for sharing!
My Mom made fruit cakes every year for Christmas. Most were loaf style she gave as gifts to relatives who liked fruit cake, but she always made one big bundt style for just the 2 of us. We were the only ones in our family of 6 that liked it. She'd make it just after Thanksgiving, and the day after Christmas we'd start eating it for a late afternoon treat a couple of times a week. We usually finished it off just before my birthday at the end of January. She's gone now, so it's been quite some time since I've enjoyed fruitcake. I'll have to try this one. I imagine I could get a few smaller ones from this recipe.
I love any fruitcake, give me a cup of coffee and a slice of fruitcake, and you’ve made my day. Looking forward to trying this one. I hope they don’t mind you sharing this with us. Thank you Vicky!
You are making me SO hungry ‼️‼️‼️My Mother and I use to make fruit cakes every year for Christmas ‼️‼️‼️we would cut up and laugh and have the best time ‼️‼️I sure miss her‼️ she’s in Heaven now but I know she would be pleased to know I still carry on the tradition with our daughter. God bless you both and have a wonderful Christmas Holiday ‼️‼️‼️‼️
One way to keep fruit from sticking together is to put some flour on them from the flour in the recipe and mix it together and they won’t sink while cooking or clump together.
I'll do that for some things, but not candied fruit. It can make a nasty gloppy layer that makes the fruit flavor tasteless. Sugar will work though since that is why their sticky in the first place (that's also what Sunsweet coats their diced dates with & what coats candied ginger).
Trrrrr
@@Hollandsemum2
That's a great tip. Thanks.
My mom always floured the fruit and nuts so they didn’t sink to the bottom
I happened upon your video watched it. I am 74 yrs old and it brought back found memories. I remember helping my Aunt Emma make fruit cakes. We would spend a weekend in late October early November and make fruit cakes. There was a five and dime store that sold all the candied fruits by the pound. My uncle would take us to the store and we would get what we needed I couldn't wait to get started...She stored her cakes in metal cookie cans and each week she would pour a mixture of brandy and rum over each cake to give them flavor and keep them moist. On that weekend she made about 5 or 6 and would give them as Xmas gifts. This was a tradition that she carried on for years and years. Everybody wanted Emmas' fruit cake..
One year early in my adult life, I surprised my Aunt with a fruit cake... She was so surprised and delighted that I would try ...and said it was just like hers.
Your video brought tears just remembering those fond memories, I am so glad I watched it. You are right there is no fruit cake in any store in the commercial world that is as good as that home made one.
Beautiful story!
That’s such a beautiful story ! 💞💞
I also love dark fruitcake! My Mom got a good recipe out of the Washington Post in the early 1970s, and we made so many cakes by that recipe! We would gift them to family whom we knew also was fond of fruitcake - the batches were so big she had to mix it in the canning kettle! In those days we lined the pans with brown paper from grocery bags, greased with Crisco. I like leaving the cherries whole, because they make a pretty red window in a thin slice. This looks like a great recipe!
Oh my goodness! That spoon drop was hilarious! Never saw that happen before. Thanks for the good chuckle.
my grandma from Nova Scotia, made the most gorgeous fruitcake and sent it to her son, my dad, each Christmas. We all eagerly awaited it each year. I have the recipe still!
Would you ever consider sharing that wonderful recipe with me on here? I know it's a big ask, but I absolutely love fruitcake myself. Also I want to make as gifts this year for Christmas.
Please share your recipe 🥰
Pls share your recipie.
I LOVE FRUITCAKE TOO! Please share your recipe. I would appreciate it so much!
@@getme2morenow565would love to have the recipe.
WOW ❤ ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL FRUIT 🍓 🍒 🍊 CAKE 😋. EXCELLENT JOB
When you share a recipe it doesn’t get lost! I gladly share mine with family and friends. It’s an honor to be asked. I’d like to try this. Thank you and your friends for sharing. God bless y’all ❤
I agree! When one has a recipe so tasty that people ask for it I gladly share. My ex's grandma had been a cook in an aristocratic home in England (WW2 era) and was a fabulous cook. Sadly, she took all her recipes to the grave with her. What a shame. She could have been immortal through her treasured recipes passed down to future generations.
Very nice thanks for sharing i'm going to try it soon
I just got done making this fruitcake. It’s delicious. I had to make a couple modifications. My store didn’t have candied cherries or pineapple. I used dried cranberries and dried apricots. It’s very moist and tastes great.
Great pinch hitting on the fruit. Will remember this b/c I don't think I will find the dried pineapple. Thx. 😊
😅🎉
Can u just use the candid combo fruit ?
Sure could. @@fauxgirl2197
In South Africa my grandma used to make something similar, but like 2 months in advance to Christmas, because it was showered with brandy every two weeks before it was served as desert at Christmas dinner. Wonderful childhood memories of my Irish heritage.
As I recall, this is very similar to our family recipe but my mom also used the green cherries too. For whatever reason, I found the flavor of green cherries, although pretty, different and never included them. I'm a big advocate on soaking the fruit, as you never know how long those packages have been on the shelf and moisture is a key element . Yes , alcohol is my preference. Thanks for the memories, I think I will introduce my great grandchildren to this. There is no better gift than the one you spend your time and effort on than one that is homemade, whether it be food or craft!
I am 63 and have never had fruitcake let alone a homemade fruitcake. I can’t tell you how excited I am to try this recipe! It’s these recipes of old that warm my heart and soothe my soul. Thank you!
Hello Tom and Melissa, I wanted to let you know I made this fruitcake yesterday. I cut a piece this morning to have with my coffee, and it is delicious!!! I measured and prepared my pecans and walnuts the day before and it went very smoothly. I didn't have raisins but used dried cranberries. It will be my fruitcake recipe from now on. Costco sells good ones, but this is much better.
This is close to a recipe I found years ago in a Better Homes & Gardens cookbook from the late eighties...lol ~ It was called White Fruitcake. I used golden raisins instead of the dark, Cointreau for the orange flavoring, some orange zest in the cake & glaze and sour cream instead of apple sauce. No citron of any kind, which is bitter anyway. It was a hit at the office holiday potluck!!
Wow I have Cointreau vs orange extract so you saying I can just use that in place?
@@fauxgirl2197
yes, very similar
Thank you for bringing so much joy into our lives. You are such a lovely man
I made the fruitcake today for my husband. I have never liked fruitcake, but I must tell you that you are absolutely correct. It was delicious. I had to try it right away after it cooled.
This sounds like the cake my late Mom used to make. She always made 2 before Thanksgiving. Put one in the closet and we had one for Christmas. It never molded or anything. It was even more moist than the one at Thanksgiving.
I miss her so much and her traditions.
What did she store it in? thanks:)
BOP
😊
Can’t wait to try this!
That is a beautiful cake, really enjoyed watching the video, God Bless
We made a similar fruitcake. But we soaked the raisins in hot water for 10 minutes and drained them. We also add dry apricots to it. Can't beat home made. Love your recipes and your smile. God's blessing to you both😊
Ialways soak raisins in rum, vermouth or grand marnier
After holding that camera for the entire taping, I’ll bet your wife would have liked a taste also-a taste for her and a taste for you. It looks yummy!
I have never liked fruit cake. You have convinced me. I'm going to try it. I absolutely love watching you 2.
If you want to cool a bundt cake quickly, fill your sink halfway with ice and water and allow the cake to set in the water for about 15 mins. It will force the cake to pull from the sides and lock in the moisture. I think an orange glaze would also be a delicious touch. I make a similar carrot cake and find that cooling it completely with a cream cheese icing overnight in the frig definitely makes a difference in the way all of the flavors meld together. Thank you for this new recipe! I can't wait to try it out. =)
Great tips. We think you'll really enjoy this fruitcake. It's absolutely delicious.
My mother was German , she added dark rum to fruit fillings, If you want to get rid of the alcohol in the rum ( Not I ) you heat the rum first ,she also soaks the filling for the chrismas stollen in booze. When the postman had to climb 5 flights of stairs to deliver something important, he would get a nice glass of schnaps , they never refused ! Everybody loved my mother !
My Mother and I used to love fruitcake. It was a special treat and because it was so rich we only ate it at Christmas or if we es decided we really needed a real treat. She kept one in her dresser, just in case, you know. Such fond memories treasured especially since she's been gone for a while.
I found a Christmas cook book that had some of the older & old recipes from Europe. The fruitcake recipe in it looked more like your recipe except the cake part was white, somewhat dense but not like today's nor as sweet taste. It was really good.
This year, for the first time since Mom's been gone I'm going to make a fruitcake & consider some of cookeecrumb's ideas.
Thank you so much for reminding me of those memories. I'll be thanking you again when I take the first bite!
Looks amazing. Your channel and this episode popped up in my feed. First time watching.
One tip- throw away the imitation vanilla. Pure vanilla is a game changer. I make my own with vanilla beans. The flavor difference is unimaginable.
PS You can also soak your fruit for a couple hours or overnight in liquor for extra richness- rum-whiskey etc.
I agree, pure vanilla makes a big difference!
32:27 I think a lot of people don't eat fruit cake because of it containing alcohol. They do not understand that the alcohol cooks out but leaves the wonderful taste in the cake. I've never tried baking one because I thought you HAD to cure them with the alcohol. But I guess you don't after all. The apricot brandy does sound good though.
Oh my I also. LOVE FRUITCAKE. I can smell it from here Definitely going to try to make this one. Thank you for sharing. I can hardly wait. Love to you both❤️💛💜🩷🩶🖤💚💙🧡🩶💜
I have always loved those little square Claxton fruitcakes every Christmas. They are wonderful with coffee. I may be the only person who absolutely loves those little fruitcakes made in Claxton, Gleorgia. But I buy them every year. A part of my life.
My grandmothers fruit cake use candied chopped fruit from the grocery store, citron, candied green and red cherries, golden raisins, brown raisins and molasses. Spices are about the same. After baked and cooled the cake was wrapped airtight and put away for 2-3 months for the spices to develop. Usually no nuts. Mom used apricot brandy if the cake dried out. I loved the fruit cake! Her recipe was called Treasure Island Fruit cake but Mom always added whatever fruit she wanted. Hint for the future the candied fruit goes on sale after Christmas for 75% off! It freezes well!
That is if any are left. I found this recipe an wanted to make it for Christmas or new years after Thanksgiving I couldn't find any fruitcak candied fruit. I'm making this today my h7sband and I are the only ones who love fruitcake
The longer it sets and ferments the better. I can understand why it is wrapped tightly and is stored for a lengthy amount of time.
My husband’s grandmother made a fruitcake from a family recipe that was excellent! First time I had it was in the mid 70s. She gave me the recipe and I shared it with my mother. We made it for years until my mother died. It was so moist and very tasty. I remember it had rum in it and some other alcohol.
Great Job! I Would have Added, some Wine, in The Mixing Process, and and Top IT with Rum, after Baking It!
In South America, we Soak, our Fruits, in Wine, and we Bake Many Cakes To Share with Families, and Friends, at Christmas Time!
I can Still Smell The Scent of our South American Christmas, in our Home!
Waaow! Thanks for Sharing! ❤😊🎉🎉🎉
This is do close to my Mom's. She also added some light raisins, some green candied sweet cherries, some sweet candied pineapple, of course all were cut like your red cherries. She also got a fresh coconut, "milked" (knocked out the 3 holes and removed the juice from the coconut) and used some of the juice in the cake and peeled the coconut to grate up the fresh coconut meat and added some to the cake. Just looked a little more festive with the different colors. This cake looks absolutely beautiful and delicious. So glad she gave you permission to share. This is going in my recipe book as a keeper!
If you take1/2 to 1 cup of the flour called for in the original recipe and use it to coat your nuts and fruit, the nuts and fruit will stay more evenly distributed throughout the batter. Stir them altogether in a bowl, or shake them up in a paper or plastic bag. Make sure the fruits and nuts are in separate pieces, not clumped together. Add what flour is not "stuck" to the fruit to the batter. Place your floured nuts and fruits into batter as directed.
NOTE: groceries and big box stores usually have candied fruits (pineapple, cherries, and citron) in the area where baking supplies are kept beginning a few weeks before Thanksgiving for holiday baking. Be watchful, because they go fast!
My Mom loved fruit cake and would also do the flour on the fruit. She would make the fc in small pans then wrap them in cheesecloth that was soaked in rum, then wrap with waxed paper and put in fridge. After a few days she would wrap the cakes in new soaked cheesecloth, rewrap with wax paper and back in fridge. Tharen she would gift them or freeze them.
Thanks Vicky 🤗 for this. Letting them share this is so kind 🙏🏼
I believe I will try this recipe out this year.
Just a comment, I love that you take the extra time to really scrape off all the batter or dough from your utensils, bowls etc. So many “chefs” waste because they don’t scrape everything out. Thank you for being very frugal!❤❤😊😊
Fruitcake is like meatloaf.....everyone has their own recipe and memories of how grandma used to make it.
Ooooo...yummy!! Thank you to you guys for sharing and God's blessings over you all.
Hell, I love fruit cake! I put a piece in the toaster oven and spread cream cheese on it for breakfast. It's so good!
Thank You for All you delicious recipes. From one Kentuckian to another, I Love your shows. I can't wait to try your fruit cake.
I can't wait to make this for our family holiday get-together. One change I would make, if possible, is to use the light raisins rather than the dark ones. I can't wait to taste it. Thank y'all for all these delicious recipes. By the way, I am a Kentucky girl, too, born and bred in the heart of Kentucky and a UK alum. Go Big Blue!
Love Fruit cake thank you fr sharing
You are welcome. We are happy to have you watching our channel.
Looks so good. Gonna try this recipe..Thank you from TEXAS..
Thank you for sharing. I love Fruit Cake.
Gosh that fruit cake made me really, really hungry. I laughed at the way you secured every dollop of batter so that NONE should be wasted. It's the same way that I function in the Kitchen. 🥰
Thanks for sharing this recipe. When I was a young child in the late 50s, my mother baked and sold cakes...actually Daddy sold most of them on his construction job in Washington DC and they used the money for Christmas. I can still remember the delicious smell in Mama's tiny kitchen and it seemed she used every pot and bowl in the kitchen!! She had borrowed Grandma's tube pan so she could cook two at a time. My job was to grease the pans and cut strip of brown paper sacks to line the pans.
Mama has been gone since 2021 and though she left her recipe basics, I can tell some of her notes were when she made her largest fruitcakes. Your video helps me understand her notes better. Thank you.
All the prepackaged fruit cakes with cherries on top and a glaze were sickly sweet, but a homemade one is much different. Looks so good. If you guys don't like nuts in a dessert and still like this recipe, it makes it worthwhile.
I even like the store bought fruit cakes so I know I'd love this! Tell your snowbird friends thank you for allowing you to share the recipe.
Hi Tom and Melissa, I used some leftover dried cranberries along with the rest of the ingredients. The whole house smells wonderful, and it turned out great. Can't wait to dig into it later on tonight.
I was praying that the spoon would get caught up in the mixer. Made my day.
I don’t use candied fruit, but instead use dried fruit - raisins, pineapple, cherries, cranberries, apples, whatever dried fruit I can find. Everyone loves it. I make it right after Thanksgiving and baste with rum, brandy or whiskey every couple of days until time to distribute at Christmas. I also wrap them in plastic wrap and aluminum foil so they don’t dry out. One tip on incorporating the fruit and nuts. I put all of those in a ziplock bag with a couple tablespoons of the measured flour. Shake the bag so that the flour covers all the fruit and nuts. Nothing sticks together and makes them much easier to fold into the batter. The flour gets absorbed back into the batter so there is no raw flour taste.
I also bake mine in different sizes of disposable loaf pans and give as gifts to family and friends.
I’m going to try this recipe as I’m always looking for a new batter recipe for my fruit cake.
We think this one is a great recipe. Hope you enjoy it, too. Merry Christmas in July!
@nancyhowell7735 I think that's a great idea! I noted that our local Aldi's carries dried fruit and also nuts, all fairly reasonably in cost.
Glad this channel with thus fruit cake popped up. Going to start collecting needed ingredients this month. Hate being in stores after U.S. Thanksgiving day.
I know Id like your recipe.
@nancyhowell7735 I 100% agree on the dried fruit! Much chewier. I love dried apricot’s also. And basting with liqueur sounds wonderful. I bet you are well know for these cakes!
@@gaillouviere8471
Any fruitcake recipe will work. I researched various recipes and all were similar. I used one from King Arthur flour and substituted dried fruit for the candied. This year, I plan on trying the recipe shown in this video, but use a variety of dried fruits. I mixed walnuts and pecans, but you can use whatever nuts you like. Same for the alcohol, rum, whiskey, cognac. I ran out of plain rum and switched to spiced rum one year. I use all 3 liquors, but only one at each basting, rotating the days.
I start in early December so that I have enough time to baste the cakes every other day with alcohol. I bake them in various sized disposable pans based on who I’m giving them to. I leave them in the pans, baste the tops making sure to baste extra along the sides and ends. Wrap in plastic wrap and foil. I have also removed from pans to baste and then wrap in plastic wrap and foil. I prefer removing from pans, but this method makes stacking and storage more problematic. Depends on your situation, (kitchen size, storage area, pets, kids, or husbands who like to raid the Christmas goodies,) as to what you choose to do.
Good luck. I hope you enjoy the dried fruit fruitcakes as much as we do. My family gobbled them up!
Thanx for sharing I can’t wait to try this
Thank you for always giving such delightful tutorials. This is like a wonderful social event.
I made this cake Nov. 17, 2023. This was my very first fruitcake ever. It turned out GREAT! I love it and now I will never purchase a fruitcake again. I have already begun to stockup on the candied fruit and chopped dates. I'm making this again, and again. I also just recently discovered this channel. Thank you!
Nice, simple recipe. I make my fruitcakes about 6 weeks before Christmas. I soak my fruitcake fruit mixture, raisins and dates in 1/2 cup of good brandy for one week before making my fruitcakes. It adds great flavor to the fruitcake fruit mixture, raisins and dates, separating all the fruit too when folding into the batter. I like using the chopped fruitcakes mixture because it has all the different colored candied fruit mixed in the mixture. I let my fruitcake cool, wrap in cheese cloth/flour towel and store in a metal tin. I apply brandy with a pastry brush all over the cake for added flavor once a week before Christmas. I keep the fruitcake wrapped in the cheese cloth/flour towel and store in the metal tin. Very moist and delicious.
Thank you for sharing, good job
So far…I’ve liked every fruit cake I’ve tasted.
I love fruitcake. When I make it, I also add in green colored cherries to be festive. When I have filled a Bundt pan (or any cake pan), I lift up the pan two or three inches above the counter and drop it a few times to assure myself that the batter gets packed down properly. Thank you for sharing this with us!
I looove fruit cake. Thanks for the recipe, I will give it a try.
My husband (Elem science)and I ( Elem & Home Ec.)are 86 yr. old retired teachers over 30 yrs. each and 67 years marriage. I love your cooking show. I love to cook and appreciate your getting all ingredients so there is no waste. I enjoy the stories. I have tried some of your recipes as well as other recipes on utube. I like variety in my meals. I plan to make the fruitcake soon. My husband buys fruitcake at Christmas so we have some all year but didn't this yr. We had the breaded tomatoes for lunch. I've never made comments before.
New subscriber here. I love how the ingredients are shown in the start of the recipe. The instructions are easily understood. The delivery is friendly and well paced. I fully intend to use this recipe this Christmas season. 🙂👍👍
Thank you for the kind and encouraging words. We really appreciate it.
1111
@comesitatmytable9044 Pat, an excellent tutorial. Make your own cake release, 1/2 cup all purpose flour, 1/2 cup of Crisco oil, and a 1/2 cup of Crisco shortening, mix well.
Beautiful fruitcake!
Thank you so much for all your lovely recipes. Especially the wonderful fruit cake. God bless you xxx
I finally got to make this! I am so glad I did. We have wanted to add a fruitcake to our baking repertoire and now we can say we have. Next up: the pumpkin roll!
The fruitcake was a hit at the church Thanksgiving potluck. Everyone who had some loved it.
My mother used to bake fruitcakes. She would make round and oblong cakes and bake all night long. I can remember getting up as a little girl and smelling the goodness. (I am 79 yo) Mother gave the cakes away as gifts and everyone was so grateful. I am going to make yours for this Christmas. Thank you for this trip down memory lane. ❤
❤❤❤
There is nothing more beautiful or better tasting than a fruit cake to us. Every year at Christmas I make fruit cake cookies to share with family and friends. Thanks for sharing I will be trying the recipe this Christmas,
This cake looks wonderful. My mother made one in which she used home dried fruits instead of the candied ones. It would stay in the freezer for about a month after cooking so she could douse with orange juice. It made an 8 lb cake. I still make it some years, but i buy the dried fruit and reconstute since i don't have the energy to dry fruits. My kids have always loved it. Thank you for the recipe
I always cover my fruit cakes heavily when they come out of the oven to retain the moisture as it cools. Makes for a lovely moist cake. And they're not cut the till they're completely cooled 😅. And yes, they freeze really well🎉
I have my own fantastic original fruitcake recipe, but this came up and I had to support the homemade fruitcake with a "like". Looks great! Fruitcake rocks and is the breakfast bar of the season to me!
Your fruitcake looks so great. Not too many people claim they like fruitcake but homemade fruitcake is so good!
I love fruitcake and anything in it
I love a good moist fruitcake. This one looks great but for me it's missing the dark brown sugar/ molasses component. I do love the pineapple they added. I also would probably macerate the raisins. Thank you Vicky for sharing this! And thank you Tom & Melissa for filming & sharing it. My first thought when I saw the batter was that it looked like a fantastic spice cake which I also love.
This looks Sooooo good!!I have a favorite fruit cake recipe that I have made every Thanksgiving or Christmas since I found it in the recipe section off our local newspaper, called "cooking Up A Storm " someone mentioned it and the gentleman wrote in and gave the paper permission to print it his name was arronowits and every year if the paper didn"t rerun it, people would demand they run it again!! Now, they run it every year automatically !! It s So good And doesn't require very many ingredients!I can't wait to try Vicki's recipe and thank her for permisson to print it !!😀😍😙❤💕👍
@@suegeer6560Would you consider sharing your recipe here?
I have a recipe that l have used for years and it also has molasses in it. It is a very dark flavorful cake with the raisins soaked in molasses and water. Love lots of nuts in mine (like the above recipe). May have to try it.
I really feel sorry for poor ole fruitcake, so many people do not like it, but I love it. My mother used to make a homemade fruitcake. My job growing up, cutting up the candied cherries, pineapple, nuts, dates, and the mixed fruit, what a sticky mess, now I know why she wanted me to cut it up. I did enjoy it though. I can not remember what she poured over it after it was done, either wine or some kind of whisky or brandy, then wrapped it in foil and let it set for a couple of weeks. It was so good, not like what you buy. My mother also made a orange slice fruit cake, and it was amazing. It used the orange slice candy and dates, again, who got to cut up the sticky fruit??? I learned to cook from helping my mother in the kitchen. It had a fresh orange glaze with confectioners sugar on it and it was amazing. I am going to have to try your recipe. I do really like it alot. Thank you for sharing, I really enjoy watching your videos.
We are so glad you've joined us at the table! We hope you can enjoy a lot of our recipes (and maybe some that won't leave you so sticky! 😁). You've reminded me of a delicious orange cake we make that a friend gave us a recipe for. Now I'm wanting a slice of that! Thanks so much for watching our channel. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!
For the longest time, I didn't understand the hatred towards fruitcake - a lady my grandpa worked with made a cake very similar to what you've made here, and I *loved* it! It was the only fruitcake our family ever ate as she would graciously gift them to us year 'round. I thought *that* was what a fruitcake was *meant* to taste like! I'd had no basis for comparison.
Long after she'd passed, I purchased one of those little bricks from a grocery store and to say it was a shock was putting it mildly!!
You are so true. Some of those "bricks" could be used as door stops.
The hatred towards fruitcake is because of the Citron used in traditional fruitcake - most people don't care for Citron. Myself included. I noticed a trend today that people aren't using Citron & fruitcake is becoming more popular again.
I also LOVE fruit cake, I have some that was spiced too much. I am going to try this one, I am also a Christian but I do like a fruit cake that has been soaked with bourbon. I love the mix of the amount of spices in this recipe.. Thank for the sharing the recipe.
Wow. I love Fruit Cake!!! my mom made them all the time when we were kids only into our adult years until she passed away. Most people that I meet including some of my family don’t like fruitcake, but I do not any kind but a good fruit cake. Thank you all for sharing your friends recipe, I will be trying this cake around the holidays.😊🙏🏻
Ms Ruby
I was never really a fan of it myself - UNTIL I tried this one. It's really good. Kind of hate to wait until the holidays to get one.!
I really like fruit cake.
When I was a kid, I did not appreciate it, but now I really do.
This particular recipe does not call for the citron found in so many recipes.
I had to laugh when you were scraping the very last of the batter into the bundt pan and exclaimed, "It's too valuable"..😅😂..I agree, every morsel of it counts.
You are a gorgeous couple.
I enjoy your warmth and comradery.❤❤
Thank you so much
Muchas gracias por esta receta. En Navidad hago la que hacía mi mamá hace 50 años , de ella la aprendí. Ya me suscribí. Saludos desde San José, Costa Rica.
You are very welcome! We are thrilled to have you watching from Costa Rica. What a beautiful country! Our daughter did a study abroad in Costa Rica at one time and Tom and I visited and did some ziplining that was so much fun. Hope you are having a wonderful day!
Every year I order a Fruitcake from Collins Street Bakery in Texas. But this year I will make this recipe. In fact, I’m gonna make it tomorrow and cure it down with rum until Christmas. Thank you Tom and Melissa. I enjoy your videos tremendously. Karen from Chattanooga ❤
My mother would also add in some chocolate cocoa into her cake batter and she used both the green and red candied cherries my mom’s cake was always so good and she would pour some grape juice over the cake after it was baked and had cooled off she would punch holes in the cake with a knife so the juice would soak down into the cake and it was amazing
My momma always made home made fruit cake when I was a child she would give it away as presents at Christmas she would soak cheese cloth in wine then wrap the fruitcake in the cheese cloth and put it in a tin to give as a gift she put raisins and used candied green and red cherries nut dares and candied pineapple loved you fruit cake reminded me of my momma you brought such wonderful memories thank you God bless and have a wonderful day
I’ve always loved fruitcake but there’s always one thing in the store bought ones that’s got a weird taste. Because everyone is always like “YUK, fruitcake!”, I’ve actually felt like the odd man out admitting to liking them!
Back in the early ‘90’s, a friend of mine’s wife made fruitcake cookies and they were ahhh-mazing. I am so excited to make & eat this recipe! Thank you so much, and please thank your friend for sharing with all of us!❤😍❤😍
Love from Rogersville Tennessee.
I am one of the other people out I have always loved fruitcake yeah most the time my dad would buy that store because me and my dad weather in Elizabeth need it and then when you’re my mom made so I don’t know where she got the recipe what happened to it but it was so much better than the store bought Khan I’m going to try this because I really really love fruit cake
You had to share if you have been at my house
We need that fruitcake cookie recipe.
When I was growing up my mother bought Ann Page fruitcakes at our local A&P. Mother would soak it with Sherry wine and it was wonderful. In recent years, we have bought nothing but Claxton fruit cakes. They are ok but not as good as the Ann Page fruitcakes that I ate as a boy.
My daughter & I made this recipe today. Omgosh, the BEST FRUITCAKE EVER!!! Thank you for sharing!🙏👏
I smile when you say, ‘every bit’. That’s the way my Mother cooked and I do, also. Thanks for the great recipes.
I had to watch this video first, and, relive the horrid joke of the"Christmas fruit cake" being SO rock hard-that it was used as a door stop to keep the door open!🤭 I will be writing this recipe down tomorrow for my family cook-book! Please tell Jim & Phyllis Duncan: "thank-you" for sharing this recipe so the bad jokes of rock hard fruit cake can be "put to rest"! Doug, single dad of 6 boys😁🤓🐻
My goodness I can almost smell that I’m definitely going to try this recipe. Thank you so much for Michigan.
I have made this cake twice since I watched them make this lovely cake. What a treat this cake is. Everyone has loved it and enjoyed every bit of it. I myself love Fruitcake and this one is a winner hands down. This Cake is a must try if you like Fruitcake.
Did you use salted or unsalted butter because he also mentioned half a teaspoon salt.
Did you presoak the fruits or did you make your cake exactly as shown here?
@@alissagonzales735 I cannot answer for this cake....
but anytime I bake, I used salted butter, I always use the salt amount they say. I have never had any issue with any dessert being to salty. I have been baking 50+years. I am pretty good at it, no complaints from anyone.
I have tried unsalted butter and found no difference in baking in any thing I have baked.
I just prefer not having to buy 2 separate kinds of butter. Especially when unsalted butter taste nasty.
@@deebee533 thank you. I just wonder because I haven't made a fruit cake in about 50 years. I will be making it and have my fruit cake tasters have a go at it and see what they say.
I think is to dry could have some liquor or juice or something.
If you lightly coat your fruit and nuts with some of the flour before you combine, the nuts and fruit will not fall to the bottom of the cake. Looks like a great recipe. I will be trying it. Love your channel!
I love fruit cake. I try a new recipe each year searching for the best recipes or trying to replicate my mom's cake. I will definitely give this a try based on your glowing review! Thank you!
We hope you love it! Thanks so much for giving our videos a try!
THANK YOU for sharing! my family used to make them for holidays then stopped, So all we had was store bought or mail order.