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Christmas fruit cake is a time-honored holiday tradition in many families. This old-fashioned cake is packed with dried fruits, nuts, spices, and rum that meld together into a rich, fragrant treat.
While some enjoy fruit cake year-round, it’s especially beloved during the holidays. If you’ve never attempted making fruit cake before, this easy recipe will help you bake this iconic Christmas dessert.
What Is Fruit Cake?
Fruit cake is a dense, cake-like bread loaded with candied or dried fruits and nuts. Common fruits used include raisins, currants, cherries, citron, and mango. Fruit cakes also contain warm baking spices like cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
Before baking, the fruits soak in liquor like rum or brandy for weeks up to months. This helps them become moist and saturated with flavor. The saturated fruits then get folded into the cake batter along with nuts before baking. This gives fruit cake its signature taste and texture.
Once baked, the Christmas fruit cake soaks in yet more liquor. Bakers often preserve them by wrapping tightly and letting the cakes mature for weeks or longer before enjoying. The high fruit, spice, liquor, and sugar content act as natural preservatives allowing fruit cakes to last for months without spoiling.
How to Make Christmas Fruit Cake
Making old-fashioned Christmas fruit cake at home lets you control the ingredients. You can adjust fruits, nuts, and spices to your taste. Although labor intensive, the active time spent prepping and baking is less than an hour. Here are some tips:
- Soak dried fruits in rum for at least 24 hours first to plump them up.
- Fold the soaked, candied fruits and nuts gently into the finished cake batter.
- Bake until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
- Brush rum over the baked cake while still warm from the oven.
- Seal the cake tightly with cheesecloth and parchment before storing to age.
How to Store Fruit Cake
Like a fine wine, fruit cake improves with age. For best flavor and texture, fruit cakes need proper storage conditions during the maturation process. Here are some tips:
- Wrap the baked cake tightly with layers of cheesecloth and parchment paper before aging. This protects the exterior and locks in moisture.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 1 year. A sealed tin or plastic container prevents drying.
- Keep in a cool, dark place like a cupboard or wine cellar around 60-75°F if possible. Consistent moderate temperature helps the flavors develop.
What Do You Eat with Christmas Fruit Cake?
Christmas fruit cake is very rich and dense, so it’s best enjoyed alongside items that provide contrasting textures and flavors. Classic accompaniments include whipped cream, coffee or tea, vanilla ice cream, creamy cheeses, nuts, chutney, and Christmas cookies for a sweet and salty pairing.
The longer fruit cake ages, the better it becomes. For a rich, decadent Christmas dessert, bake the cake weeks or months in advance. Add a splash more liquor as needed if cake appears dry before serving.
Fruit cake makes a thoughtful edible Christmas gift, too. Wrap a baked cake in waxed paper inside a holiday tin for gifting to friends and family. Attach a tag with reheating instructions so the recipient knows when your fruit cake handiwork reaches peak deliciousness.
