It’s time for fruitcake to make a comeback. Or at least a rebrand? Maybe a glow up. Yeah. That works. And it totally deserves one. After all, despite all the jokes and bad press, fruit cake was once a treasured holiday tradition, so it’s high time this vintage favorite gets a modern remake. 

So, I found an excellent fruitcake recipe in one of my vintage spiral bound community cookbooks that I am going to use as a base for adapting a more modern version. The actual recipe doesn’t need to change, but maybe a few of the ingredients could use a swap? 

Like the candied fruit. The go-to standard is that confetti colored mystery fruit mix that looks more plastic than the jug it comes in. What even is that stuff? You can tell just by looking at it, it’s loaded with preservatives and all sorts of awful stuff like Red 40. No thank you. 

So the first step towards a redeemed fruitcake is dumping whatever that stuff is. Now, if you’re still wanting something ready-made, I’m happy to say you’ve got options now. The best I’ve found is from King Arthur. I’m a big fan of King Arthur and their fruitcake mix does not disappoint. It’s made from some great fruits aside from the raisins and pineapple, like dates, currants, and cranberries, and no preservatives outside of a bit of citric acid. It’s so good that even if you have some leftover, it makes a tasty trail mix. So, there’s that if you want to take a healthy and tasty shortcut. 

I’m a big proponent of homemade everything, though, so I’m going to make my own. It’s easy, fun, and you can have complete control over what fruit you want to include. Especially the cherries. 

I grew up on a cherry farm, so I’m a bit of a snob about them, and I think those cheap, artificial maraschino cherries are just unforgivable. I use a brand called Luxardo instead. They are quite a bit more expensive, and it’s definitely crazy to use a whole jar in a cake, but the taste and quality are incomparable, so I’m going for it. I won’t waste too much of your time here about it, or I’ll never get to baking, but I just had to rant a little about, so I made a separate post above it. If you’re interested, click here for a link to my nerdy maraschino rant. 

So if you’re like me, and want to know how to make your own candied fruit, there’s another post showing you how to do it, so follow the link in the button below to learn: 

So, now that you have a blend of candied fruit that doesn’t look like a failed Willy Wonka experiment, you’re well on your way to a tastier fruitcake. Now it’s time start your recipe. 

It’s a fairly simple process. Just combine the candied fruit with raisins and nuts. I used golden raisins, which are my favorite. I think they taste so much better than regular. If you’re interested in knowing how the two types vary, click here for a link to a little short post I did about it. 

As for the nut, I used pistachios. The recipe calls for walnuts, but I think to uniquely strong flavor of pistachios is the perfect pairing for all that rich fruit. 

So, now it’s time to toss the fruit with flour. This helps the fruit from sticking together, which means the fruit will be more evenly distributed throughout the cake. 

Now, set that aside while you get your mixer out to cream butter and sugar. Make sure it’s light and fluffy before adding one egg at a time, blending and scraping between each. 

Now, it’s time to combine your liquid ingredients. The recipe calls for corn syrup, but I used honey for a healthier and more complex sweetness. Next, add orange juice, and the final, very important liquid - liquor. 

The recipe calls for sherry, but you can use really any alcohol that’s higher than 30 proof, so use your imagination, or better yet, use what you already have on hand. Liqueurs and flavored alcohols are especially creative, adding an extra punch of flavor. I had some Fireball on hand, which I thought would be delicious, so that’s what I used. 

Mix those together well, then add them to the creamed butter mixture, staggering it with the remaining flour. All done! Time to add it to the fruit. Fold it all together until they are blended well. 

Now it’s time to add it to your preferred baking dish. This recipe makes two loaves, or two ring molds, so I’ll do one of each so you can see which you prefer. Just be sure to grease them well as this is a very sticky cake and can be tough to get out of the pan. 

They bake for over an hour, so be patient. It’s worth it - especially since you get to enjoy the smell! All that zest and baking fruit means your kitchen will smell like cake potpourri. It’s lovely! It’s done when the edges are golden brown and center is slightly firm. Let them cool a bit, or even completely, before removing them. Be patient and careful when removing them. I used an icing spreader to help them along. 

That’s it! Except, no fruitcake is complete without a kitschy garnish, so you absolutely have to do something fun with that. Now it’s ready to enjoy, or share, even seal up well to preserve for later. 

So, whether you’re making it for yourself, or giving it away to loved ones, you’re sure to enjoy this revitalized classic holiday treat. Fruitcake really does deserve a second chance, and I hope by using quality ingredients, and making it your own with your favorite modern, gourmet additions, I’ve helped convince you to give it another try. Be sure to share if you agree, and, thank you so much, Nancy, for sharing your recipe in your community’s cookbook so I could appreciate it 50 years later. I hope this convinces you to preserve more of these humble spiral bound paperback treasures, and cook more old recipes. Be sure to follow me for more and happy holidays!