Back to Basics: Easy Fruitcake (with a hint of chocolate)

December 04, 2014

Fruitcake Origins
The humble fruitcake was created during the Middle Ages, a time when dried fruits and sugar were considered delicacies for special occasions, especially in such large quantities. Over the years, as trends passed, more and more elements were added, resulting in a smorgasbord of a cake (candied fruits, assorted nuts etc.) that alas, could taste quite regrettable when executed poorly. Sometimes, simple is plain better.

Perfected over 10 years of trial and error, this humble fruitcake recipe will win you over with its taste and cooking simplicity. There's no need to use a food processor- boil ingredients, insert in oven, and you have a delightful heartfelt gift for friends and family. Check out the recipe below!

Preparation/Ingredients

250g raisins
175g currants
175g soft butter
175g dark muscovado sugar
225g (175ml) honey
125ml Baileys Creme
juice and finely grated zest of 2 oranges
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 eggs, beaten
150g plain flour
75g ground almonds
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Directions
1 Preheat oven to 150°C and prepare a 20cm cake tin by lining the bottom and sides with parchment paper.

2 Add the fruits, butter, sugar, honey, Baileys Crème (Rum and brandy works too, and for those averse to alcohol, more OJ), orange juice and cocoa powder together into a deep pot and bring to a boil, gently stirring as the butter melts.

3 Simmer the mixture for 10 minutes, then leave to stand until cool.

4 When cooled, add the beaten eggs, flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda, and stir with a spatula to combine the ingredients.

5 Pour the mixture into the cake tin, and bake in oven for 1 3/4--2 hours (depending on your oven), till the top of the cake is firm.

6 Cool on a wire rack. Like any fruitcake, it has a long shelf life. To keep, wrap it in baking or greaseproof paper.

7 Decorate! For ours, we sieved some icing sugar for a snowy look and added some ornaments and a thick ribbon wrap around the cake.

TIPS
The fruitcake should be made at least a few weeks in advance, as fruit contains tannins that, similiar to wine, release over time and further enhance the cake's flavor.Additionally, pouring whiskey, brandy or rum over the fruitcake adds another layer of taste to it.

Suggestions

Fruitcakes normally use the conventional round baking pan, spatulas for stirring, and a deep pot or saucepan for boiling fruits. For parchment paper & wraps, check out FoodWrapz, our specialised store in food storage products.

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