Most fruitcakes are heavy with lots of strangely colored dried fruits. This fruitcake has only fruit that we really like. It can be adapted to include (or exclude) whatever fruits you like. Makes two 1 ½ lb fruitcakes.
Ingredients
| 1 ¼ cups | chopped dried Calimyrna figs | (about 6 oz) |
| 4 ½ cups | chopped dried fruits, best quality, organic / local wherever possible. Here’s what we like: | ½ cup dates
1 cup candied pineapple 1 cup dried apricots ½ cup dried cherries ½ cup dark raisins 1 cup golden raisins |
| ½ cup | light rum | |
| 1 ½ cups | unsalted butter, room temperature | (3 sticks) |
| 1 ½ cups | white sugar | |
| 1 cup | packed brown sugar | |
| 8 | large eggs | |
| 1 tbsp | pure vanilla extract | |
| 1 tsp | baking soda | |
| ½ tsp | salt | |
| 3 cups | all purpose flour | |
| 1 ½ cups | pecans, toasted |
Instructions
The day before
- Chop the dried fruits in good-sized pieces.
- Combine dried figs, mixed fruits, golden raisins, and rum in large bowl.
- Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight, stirring occasionally.
Make the cake
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Butter baking pans or forms.
- Beat 1 1/2 cups butter, sugar and brown sugar in large bowl until light.
- Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then vanilla, baking soda and salt.
- Stir in flour in 4 additions.
- Stir in pecans, dried fruit mixture and any soaking liquid from bowl.
Bake the cake
- Divide batter among prepared pans. Place pans on baking sheet and place on center rack of oven.
- Bake until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 1 hour 20 minutes.
Finishing
- Cool cakes completely in pans on racks.
- Wrap in plastic or aluminum foil.
- Let stand at least 1 day and up to 3 days at room temperature.
- Wrap in cheesecloth, and if you wish, baste with liqueur of your choice.
Storage & Serving
- Store several weeks at room temperature or months in a refrigerator
- Serve at room temperature
- If the cake becomes dry, use a pastry brush to brush the outside of the cake with brandy
If this all sounds too-complicated given all the other things you have to do during the holidays, let us do the work. The Beekman 1802 Generous Fruitcake is available every year from Nov 1 – Jan 1. Click here for more details.
To see Josh put this recipe all together, click here
*copyright Black Cat Cafe
once again making this delicious fruitcake , just put four in the oven
Hi, Paige
Be on the look out for our special seed project in conjunction with Williams-Sonoma
josh and brent- had the black cheese ,onion jam and generous fruitcake at our table for the holidays. it was enjoyed by all!!!!! the new store portion of the website looks great. i’ll be ordering seeds for a present for my husband when spring gets closer. if i lived close by i would love to be a “beekman blonde”. have the zumba lessons started? lol paiger
Thanks so much! I’m baking your fruit cakes again tomorrow and will try this. Not only is your show a favorite around here…your fruit cake has been a huge hit…too bad they don’t have a People’s Choice Award for fruit cakes. And I’m still upset that you weren’t nominated after all the write ins this year….but that’s ok…you know that you’re all winners to us!
Hi, Carolyn
Anytime you are making a cake or bread with fruit, try sprinkling baking powder on the bottom of the pan before pouring in your batter. This is an old trick that always seems to work for us
Love the show, the book was as fabulous as you all are! And am addicted to the fruit cake. However, I had the same problem that another “baker” had, the fruit settled to the bottom. Would dusting the fruit with flour keep it from “sinking” or would that be a mess since its been soaking in rum? Thanks so much for many hours of enjoyment with the show…you have all become “family” at my home!
Your fruitcakes are very similar to the ones I used to make every year back when I was living in Vermont: I baked mine up no later than October 1st so that they’d have time to mature sufficiently by Christmas, wrapped in rum-soaked cheesecloth. I always macerated the fruit in more rum than the recipe called for, since what beats dried fruit-flavored rum on a snowy Vermont evening? Just thinking about it makes me itch to head to the kitchen and get a batch started right now!
Well, I remade the cakes (after burning the first two). This time I placed on the lowest rack and covered with foil to keep from overbrowning (my heating element is on the top only so things do tend to get overcooked if not careful). They turned out great this time – a little crusty on the ends, but that was easily cut off. Poured grand mariner on one and amaretto on the other. Fantastic! Thanks for the recipe guys and Happy New Year to everyone!
Now that I’m home from visiting family for Christmas, I’m going to settle in with a cup of hot tea and a slice of Generous Fruit Cake. I managed to keep a slice for myself!
I adore you guys and look forward every chance I get to visit Sharon Springs. I’m sure you would remember me if you saw me….I’m the American Hotel “1/2 portion” woman. And Garth knows me as the “weak margarita” woman. hehe
Cathy
MATT- i used a light rum & dark brown sugar – maybe thats why but still tastes very good / i have electic oven harder to adjust the temp !/ thank you & merry christmas
My cakes baked up browner (and sweeter) than the ones I purchased from Beekman. I think both of these attributes (as well as the relatively tender crumb) are a function of the high sugar content. Well the cake was good it wasn’t what I was looking for. I may tweak a little by reducing the sugar and decreasing the cooking temp while increasing the cooking time. I’ll also make three loaves from the recipe.
hmm i bet the cake recipe made into loaves on its own would be great made in to french toast for christmas morning breakfast
mine wasnt very light in color also Margaret , i think it was because i used a very dark brown sugar…maybe it was all the dark rum i used also lol but im sticking with the brown sugar excuse
most of the fruit in my cakes settled in the bottom of the cake & it wasnt as light colored / any one can help me as to why ?
Having little experience with baking, I was initially worried about attempting this endeavor. However, the most difficult part was purchasing the items. I followed the recipe nearly exactly; except, I took the advice of several commentators and added crystallize ginger and blueberries. I used spiced rum as the liquor of choice (big fan of the captain). I was able to get three nice size fruitcakes out of the batter. In addition, I did need the entire 1 hour and 20 minute bake time. Although, I was testing it after an hour to be certain it would not overcooked. By the way, the batter is divine! I only hope the cakes are half as good (LOL). I am now waiting for Christmas morning to try the cakes with my partner. We are both huge fans of the show. Thanks everyone for the comments and advice. Notwithstanding, next year, I will be purchasing my cakes from the boys. After acquiring all the organic fruit, baking ingredients, real vanilla extract, and the rum, I probably spent nearly enough to purchase three cakes from the website.
it looks YUMMY Meredith