Traditional Fruitcake 酒香杂果蛋糕

Talk about acquired taste. Just a couple of years ago, I have to give away fruitcakes received as presents because I simply don't like it. This year, however, I have such intense cravings to eat one that I have to purposely make an effort to get the ingredients to make one amidst my busy schedule. I blame it on the booze for my utter addiction cum obsession. Yes, I like my fruitcake all boozy-filled plumped-up with alcohol.

So here I am, fanning on my obsession. I just got to do it! I know it is only November
but making Traditional fruitcake is often a tedious process, at least for me. It is because it needs time to mature, by meticulously feeding it. I am of course referring to the dark, rich and dense Traditional Fruitcake that is most mysterious and dangerous. I must have alcohol in mine. I added extra. Call me an addict. I don't care.

During the time whereby your cake is baked until the day you cut into it, you would be left wanting and wondering how it would turn out finally. Did I have enough liquor? Would it be too sweet? Too fluffy perhaps? I would suggest you also bake a mini replica as a tester.

Among the many recipes, I chose this Traditional Fruitcake recipe because it is fairly easy to make. No additional molasses or caramel and there is no need to boil the fruits. This Traditional Fruitcake recipe provides for a 6 x 6 inch cake, relatively small. Feel free to double or triple the recipe but remember to add on to the baking time. This type of cake should be baked in a relatively low temperature as the high sugar content in the mixed fruits get burnt easily. In the process of learning to bake this fruitcake, I learned that the cake is best left dense and therefore, not too much raising agent is needed. This cake is filled with nuts and fruits. A fluffy cake would only make the cake crumble easily when cut as the structure is not strong enough to hold the heavy ingredients. If you find it hard to get clear lines while cutting your cake, try using a serrated knife. Use a sawing motion but do not press too hard down. You can also keep the cake semi-frozen before cutting.

Traditional Fruitcake 酒香杂果蛋糕

Makes a 6"x6" cake

Ingredients

A

500 g dried mixed fruits

3/4 cup brandy/preferred alcohol

2 tbsp orange concentrate

B
100 g plain flour 

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

50g plain flour
100 g preferred nuts, toasted

90 g butter

80-110 g brown sugar (depending on the sweetness of the dried fruits and alcohol)

2 large eggs (I used AA grade)

cherries and nuts for decoration
extra brandy for feeding

Cooking Instruction

1. Mix all ingredients in A in a bowl and leave for a minimum of 24 hours stirring occasionally.

2. Strain A to remove extra liquid. Then coat with 50g of flour. This will prevent the fruit from sinking when baked (Note: do not throw away the liquid. Can be used for feeding).

3. Sift ingredient B. Cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy. 

4. Add in eggs, one at a time and continue to beat. Lastly, fold in sifted flour. Add fruits and nuts and continue to fold until ingredients are combined. Batter should become a very thick paste.

5. Pour batter into a double-lined baking tin. Level and drop the tin a couple of times to remove cavities. Decorate with some cherries and nuts on top. 

6. Bake in a preheated oven of 150C for about 1 hour. When skewer comes out clean, bake for another 5 mins and remove from oven. Unmold the cake while it is still warm. Make holes on the cake and brush with 2 tbsp of brandy all over. Set aside to let it cool.

7. When cake is completely cooled, wrap tightly in clingwrap and continue to feed once every week. I only feed it 4 times and kept it tightly wrapped in an airtight container. You can of course continue to feed the cake.