Christmas Fruitcake

A classic holiday treat soaked in rum and aged for weeks, full of festive flavor.

Ingredients

  • dried cranberries (0.25 cup)
  • dried currants (0.25 cup)
  • chopped dried cherries (0.125 cup)
  • chopped dried mango (0.125 cup)
  • chopped candied citron (0.125 cup)
  • dark rum (0.25 cup)
  • cooking spray (0 )
  • unsalted butter (0.5 cup)
  • packed brown sugar (0.25 cup)
  • large egg (1 large)
  • all-purpose flour (0.5 cup)
  • salt (0.25 teaspoon)
  • ground cinnamon (0.25 teaspoon)
  • baking soda (0.125 teaspoon)
  • unsulfured molasses (0.25 cup)
  • milk (2 tablespoons)
  • chopped pecans (0.25 cup)
  • dark rum (6 tablespoons)

Instructions

  1. Soak the fruit: Place cranberries, currants, cherries, mango, and citron into a medium bowl and stir to combine. Pour in rum and mix again. Cover tightly, and store at room temperature for at least 24 hours.
  2. Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Spray a 6x3-inch round pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with a parchment paper round sprayed with cooking spray.
  3. Beat butter and brown sugar in a large bowl until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg until incorporated.
  4. Whisk flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda together in another large bowl; set aside. Stir molasses and milk together in a separate bowl until well combined. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the molasses mixture, beating briefly after each addition.
  5. Stir in the soaked fruit and pecans. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
  6. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.
  7. While the fruitcake is baking, prepare parchment paper and cheesecloth for wrapping the cake after baking.
  8. Remove the fruitcake from the oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of rum over the top.
  9. Moisten the cheesecloth with 1 tablespoon of rum. Place it on top of the parchment paper, and unmold the fruitcake onto it. Brush the top and sides of the fruitcake with the remaining 3 tablespoons of rum. Wrap the cheesecloth closely to the surface of the cake, then wrap with the parchment paper.
  10. Transfer the wrapped fruitcake to an airtight container or tin. Seal the container and let it age at room temperature for at least 10 weeks before serving.

Nutrition

(*Nutrition data is approximate and may vary depending on the brand and type of ingredients used.)

  • kcal: 302
  • fat: 15 g
  • sats: 8 g
  • carbs: 33 g
  • fibre: 1 g
  • protein: 3 g
  • salt: 0.203 g