Ed Garren’s 21st Century Fruitcake

Ed Garren’s 21st Century Fruitcake

Fruitcake gets a very bad rap, mostly because of poorly made commercial fruitcakes (Claxton’s is the WORST !!) that have permeated the market.  If you’ve never had home made fruit cake, you don’t know what you’re missing.  Give this recipe a try for a very enjoyable holiday treat !!

Our mother Edna Garren made rather well loved fruitcakes every season.  She had gotten her recipe from our neighbor Dempsey (Lee) Webb.  When my mother moved from California to North Carolina, her recipe got lost, much to everyone’s disappointment.   After years of not having fruitcake, I found Lucille Harvey’s fruitcake recipe from the Tampa Tribune.  I looked it over, and decided it was close enough.  When I went to the store, they didn’t have the traditional red and green candied cherries & pineapple that my mother and Mrs. Harvey used, so I decided to try something different.  Hence my “21st Century” Fruitcake, using dried fruits, “candied” at home with Captain Morgan Spiced Run and sugar.  I think you will like this variation.  It does not have the bright colors typically associated with fruitcake, but the flavor is exquisite.

Makes 5 pounds of fruitcake which equals 3 loaf pans.

4 Cups of shelled Pecans (chopped or sliced into small pieces)

4 Cups (or one bag) of dried Cherries

4 Cups (or one bag) of dried “Tropical Fruits” blend, Pineapple, Mango, Guava, mix

Half a box of “Golden Raisins” (approximately one cup)

1 Cup of Rum, Bourbon, Cognac or other liquor NOT Vodka or Gin)

2/3 Cup Sugar

1 3/4 Cups All Purpose flour

1/2 pound butter

1 Cup sugar

5 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder 

1/8 teaspoon (pinch) of salt

2 Tablespoons each, Vanilla Extract and Lemon Extract (Orange Extract may be substituted)

Chop dried “tropical fruits” into small pieces.  Put all of the dried fruits into a medium sized mixing bowl.  Pour in 1 Cup of Rum or other distilled alcohol.  I use “Captain Morgan Spiced Rum” but this is your preference.  Stir to coat fruits, then add 2/3 Cup Sugar and mix.  Cover the mixture, leave out for about 3 days (if possible) in room temperature, stirring every 4 to 6 hours to evenly distribute the liquor into the fruit.  When most of the liquor has absorbed, add 1/2 Cup of flour and stir to coat the fruit.

On baking day, preheat oven to 250 F.

In a separate bowl cream the 1 Cup Sugar and 1/2 pound of Butter.  Then add eggs and beat until throughly blended.  

In a very small bowl, or large measuring cup, use the remaining flour (1 1/4 cup) and add the Baking Powder and Salt and mix thoroughly.

Pour the dry ingredients into the butter/sugar/egg mixture and mix thoroughly.  Fold this into the fruit that has been coated with flour and mix completely.

Take 8 1/2” X 4 1/2” Loaf pans and line with baking parchment paper.  Spoon the mixture into the pans so they are about half full.  

Place in 250 F oven for approximately 2 hours.  Additional instructions are below for different sized pans.

Once cooled, some folks wrap the cakes in cloth, soaking the cloth in their liquor of choice (my mother used Cognac, others bourbon, others rum).   Place the cloth wrapped cakes in tins, or other airtight containers and set aside in a cool place (do NOT refrigerate) for a week or longer, up to a month.  Open the tins and re-wet the cloths about once a week.

If you make these during early December (Advent to many) they should be perfect for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and the festive 12 Days after.  If your holidays are earlier, then plan accordingly, start in November, right after Halloween.

Or just slice and enjoy the fruit cake after it has throughly cooled.

Regards,  Edward George Garren

Bake 2 1/2 to 3 hours in tube pan or 2 hours in 8 1/2- by-4 1/2-inch loaf pans at 250 degrees. 

Check cakes 1 hour before done and again in 30 minutes. When done, remove from oven; cool in pans on cake rack. 

Note: In 4 1/2-by-2 1/2-by-11/2-inch (baby) loaf pans, bake cake about 1 hour. 

For 1-pound cakes in 2-pound coffee cans, bake about 2 hours. In 5-ounce custard cups, bake about 1 hour. 

And in ungreased foil bonbon cups, bake about 30 minutes.