How to Make a Charming Fruit Cake
When it comes to holiday foods, it’s safe to say that the fruit cake falls short from having the best reputation. But whether people care to admit it or not, this colorful and classic winter’s treat has long been one of the most popular during the holidays. Call us nutty, but it has always been one of our favorites! If you’ve steered clear of the ‘notorious’ fruit cake until now, it’s time to give it another chance. It just takes the right recipe and ingredients to create a fruit cake that is respected instead of ridiculed.
The Glazed Fruit
No good fruit cake is complete without a delightful assortment of glazed fruit: those sugary candied fruit pieces that add sweetness and a colored jewel look to your holiday creation. Here are the most common choices for your fruit cake:
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For your recipe, use whole glazed red cherries or chop them up for a cake speckled with gems of red. We have glazed green cherries, too! The combination of red and green makes a gorgeous Christmas treat. Dress your fruit cake by evenly spacing whole glazed cherries along the top.
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This glazed mixed peel is a combination of all our favorite glazed diced fruits: orange peel, citron peel, lemon peel, cherries, and pineapple. For an aromatic, citrus appeal add more glazed diced citron or glazed diced lemon peel.
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Craving a sweet tropical flavor? Glazed pineapple wedges will do the trick, while glazed pineapple rings atop your fruit cake make a superb decoration.
The Dried Fruit
Dried fruit such as currants are commonly used in fruit cakes to add a chewy texture and light fruity taste. Once the cake is sliced, the currants along with other ingredients will create that mosaic look that is characteristic of fruit cakes. Raisins are another great alternative because they add a deep, sweet taste and are slightly larger and plumper than currants. Pitted dates also work well in fruit cakes because they have a rich, sugary flavor and are able to sufficiently retain moisture. Use one or more dried fruits for different tastes and texture.
The Nuts
You bet we didn’t forget the nuts! There’s no shortage of nutty options to mix into the batter of your fruit cake. The crunch from delicious nuts complements the soft and moist fruit component of the cake. Commonly-used varieties include pecans, walnut pieces, and slivered almonds. There aren’t right or wrong nuts; it all depends on your tastes. For more choices, check out our entire selection of holiday nuts. Keep in mind that milder-tasting nuts can be overwhelmed by flavorful and aromatic spices. Speaking of spices, they’re up next!
The Spices
Warm and alluring spices work their magic to give fruit cake that special holiday taste. You’re probably already well-acquainted with two of the most popular fruit cake spices: cinnamon and nutmeg. The blend of these charming holiday spices will naturally enhance the taste of your fruit cake.
The Fruit Cake Recipe
The best fruit cake has the perfect mixture and variety of glazed fruit, dried fruit, and nuts, with a hint of warm spices (and a touch of liquor, if that tickles your fancy). It’s barely recognizable from the dry and crumbly store-bought fruit cakes you’ll encounter at the supermarket. Here are a few of our favorite recipes!
1) This standard fruit cake recipe has a well-balanced blend of nutty crunch and fruity goodness. Depending on your tastes, you may want to swap out or add additional ingredients to the recipe.
2) One of our customers claims that her fruit cake is the best you will ever eat. You be the judge! Along with fruits and nuts, it incorporates cherry jam, applesauce, and fruit juice for a perfectly moist and unique treat.
3) Want to be a little bold? This Brazil nut fruit cake uses whole Brazil nuts, cherries, and dates, so that the slices will resemble a gorgeous mosaic of goodies.
Do you fancy fruit cake? If you don’t, would you give a good fruit cake another chance? Either way, let us know!
One Response to “How to Make a Charming Fruit Cake”
Wow. It looks delicious. I love pineapple cakes. So, I will try to make it. Your recipe will help me. Thanks for sharing.