The Secret to Great Fruitcake for Those Who Hate Fruitcake
Posted: Saturday, January 17, 2009
by Nancy Daniels
Voice Dynamic
I have always disliked fruitcake and never had an interest in it because the little I had tasted in the past was dry, lifeless, boring. While I profess a love of Mincemeat and every year put up my own Pear Mincemeat, my love for fruitcake did not happen until about 5 years ago when I decided to make this heavy cake as gifts for family and friends. What I discovered was the secret to a delicious, healthy, nutritious snack, dessert or breakfast staple that is lower in calories and higher in flavor than you may think. And, while a lot of people consider fruitcake fattening, I beg to differ.
8 lbs of dried fruit,
1 lb of nuts,
1 lb of nuts,
1 lb of butter or margarine (2 cups)
4 cups of flour
2 cups of sugar
12 eggs
½ cup of orange juice
½ cup or more of brandy
½ cup of molasses
various spices and baking soda
Now you may think that the 2 cups of sugar and the pound of butter are the ‘killers', but they are not. This is for 8 cakes. In just one devil's food or yellow cake, recipes usually call for ¾ to 1 cup of butter or shortening (1/2 lb), 2 cups of flour, and a cup or more of sugar! Then we increase the sugar and butter in the icing. There is no icing on good fruitcake because you don't need it. Instead, there is brandy. Brandy that bakes into the cake; brandy that I liberally apply on each cake every week for a month. That is the secret to great fruitcake because it keeps the cake moist and adds a wonderful flavor. I store it in foil and keep it in my cold garage although a cool basement will also work.
In the movie Ironwill, the young man in the dogsled race, carries his mother's fruitcake which he nibbles on throughout the 10 grueling days. Preferring not be bothered with the time necessary to cook food as well as the added weight of the food and the cooking utensils, this 17-year-old knows that the fruitcake will provide much of the energy and nutrition he needs to complete the race.
Because I no longer eat cereal every morning, I find the fruitcake a wonderful way to start the day and it acts as well as cereal without the added preservatives, chemicals and sugars.
If fruitcake has not been part of your diet, maybe it is time for a change. There is a lot more value to fruitcake than you think!
The Voice Lady Nancy Daniels offers private, corporate and group session in voice and presentation skills as well as Voicing It!, the only video training program on voice improvement. For more information visit: http://www.voicedynamic.com
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More commentsI love fruit cake and can't wait until holiday time when they all suddenly appear. Yet this can be had all year long.Robert,I agree; however, I find I don't want fruitcake in the summer. I made a Mincemeat Pie once in July or August and couldn't get into it. It must be the cold and Thanksgiving to bring out those particular taste buds.
Nancy, this just sounds too much like fruit cake and I'm like you, I just never liked them. And my mother used to soak hers in homemade grape wine. I may get up nerve enough to try it one day, but that is a lot of cake to have to feed to the birds. Thanks for a good idea and somehow, I think you may be right.Joel,Thanks for your comment. Interesting, I have found that in getting older, some things change when it comes to food. Try some fruitcake (only if it is homemade and has alcohol!); you may be surprised!
hi nancy,sounds delicious. i may have to give this a try.thank you for sharing,best regards,sueSue,See my comment above to Joel. Try it; you may be in for a surprise.
Hi Nancy, You are funny- making fruitcake for gifts when you didn't like fruitcake. I'm glad you found a recipe you like!Val,I only made it because my husband, father, brother and brother-in-law (interesting -- all men) love it.I also make linguini with clam sauce for which I have lost the taste. It was one of my staples early in my marriage and I'm wondering if, during one of my pregnancies, my taste buds changed. I love to cook; I love to eat; and, I pretty much eat everything. I love clams and garlic, the two major ingredients in clam sauce but I have absolutely no interest in eating it. Give me spaghetti with tomato sauce, though, and I'm a happy camper.Thanks for commenting. You always make me think!
I could only find one error with the misplaced comma:In the movie Ironwill, the young man in the dogsled race carries his mother's fruitcake, which he nibbles on throughout the 10 grueling days.Great article,well written. If I were a baker (which I'm not) I'm sure I could use your recipe and enjoy the results. Great article!Sylvia,Wonderful editing; however, I was not sure which comma you were talking about (I know, about which comma...). I read your comment 3 times; and, my first thought was the comma after Ironwill. This morning, however, I have changed my mind. I think you are talking about the fruitcake comma -- shouldn't be there. I have a tendency to use more commas than less. Unfortunately, I find that today's young writers have a tendency to use less commas which makes for tough reading.I appreciate your comments. Thank you.
I wouldn't say I hate fruitcake, but it isn't my favorite cake---unless it is homemade by someone who really knows how to make good fruitcake. This sounds like a recipe I might want to try. Sounds wonderful. Thanks for sharing.SandraSandra,You are welcome. I think my joy in fruitcake is that I don't treat it like a dessert. I see it as a staple.Thanks for your comment.
Nancy,Good job with this write. I must admit that I am one of those people who felt like this about fruitcakes: "...never had an interest in it because the little I had tasted in the past was dry, lifeless, boring..."Ronyae,Thank you for your comment. Someday, should we meet, I will bring you some fruitcake -- seriously! I was holding some workshops for an insurance company near Reading, PA, and it was around the Holidays. These people were from farm folk and throughly enjoyed cooking and eating. (In fact, they are so well-known for their culinary wonders that UPS, FedEX and every other company that services them come to their parties.) I brought a fruitcake to one of the women who disliked fruitcake and she loved it!WOW, Nancy,I'd say that it's not necessarily the 'fruitcake', but the 'person' that prepared the fruitcake that makes the dish so delicious!...Perhaps it's made of Love!
This is one recipe I'll be giving out to several people who love to give the gift of fruitcake!Curt,I appreciate your comment. Great idea.
I love fruit cake and have never really considered making it myself.This recipe sounds fantastic. Thanks!Sue
Hi Nancy! I'm one of the folks that hate fruitcake. The real reason being the dried fruit. This looks like a great recipe...just hold the dried fruit. Best to you!
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