Brandied Fruit Cake
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This brandied fruit cake is a family tradition. Packed with real dried fruits, and loads of brandy, this will make you and your family a believer in real fruit cake!
I’m making it a personal mission to change the world’s mind about fruit cake.
No, this isn’t your great aunt Nina’s technicolor fruit cake with those horrendous candied things that call themselves fruits – this is the real deal here friends.
Brandied fruit cake makes for a great gift!
As a family, we don’t usually give gifts – instead opting for cards and a few homemade treats along the way. This brandied fruit cake is the most coveted of baked goods during the holiday season, and if you’re lucky enough to receive it you are indeed a very special person.
As hoaky as it sounds, creating things and baking for others is how I show my love – it is my love language.
This fruit cake speaks to me on a very emotional level… and with that I have gone off the deep end.
But there are a few secrets you will need to master this ever-so-perfect fruit cake. And it includes a full fifth of brandy. Intrigued? Thought so!
How long does this brandied fruit cake recipe take?
This recipe will take time, but rest assured if you start it now, you won’t be sorry when you’re sitting by a fire this Christmas surrounded by those dearest to you and a slice of this with brandied cider in one paw and a slice of this fruit cake in another.
The process does take time, two weeks from start to finish to get the perfect age on the bread. Yes, it is aged!
The origins of this recipe come from my step-dad’s neighbor, long before our families merged, and since then (nearly 25 years) it’s remained a tradition in our merged home, and now it is a tradition in mine and Ben’s.
What is the dish count for this brandied fruit cake?
- 2 Loaf Pans
- 1-2 Quart Jars
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- Cheesecloth
- Foil
How to make brandied fruit cake:
Start now, and you’ll be ready by Christmas. Combine all the dried fruits together in an airtight container, and cover the fruits with brandy to soak. Lots of brandy folks.
Twirl and shake the jar to mix the fruits and ensure all the fruits are equally soaked overnight. If you are a real rebel, you can soak it for a week or more!
When you are ready to bake the bread, drain the fruit and brandy and make sure to save the brandy syrup to pour right into your wintery hot ciders and toddies. It’s otherworldly. You can pour the brandy syrup into a glass mason jar and store it in your fridge. It will keep for a long time.
Enjoy this recipe, from my family to yours! I hope it takes its place among your family traditions, too.
Love this brandied fruit cake recipe?
Try these other great edible gift ideas:
Chocolate Fudge and Caramel Melting Coffee Spoons
White Chocolate Egg Nog Hot Cocoa Mix
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Brandied Fruit Cake
- Prep Time: 48 Hours
- Cook Time: 60 Minutes
- Total Time: 49 hours
- Yield: 2 Loaves 1x
- Category: Holiday
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This brandied fruit cake is a family tradition. Packed with real dried fruits, and loads of brandy, this will make you and your family a believer in real fruit cake!
Ingredients
Brandied Fruit
- 1 cup Golden Raisins
- 1 cup Zante Dried Currants
- 1 cup chopped California Prunes
- 1 1/2 cups Various Dried Fruit, such as Apples and Apricots
- 1 1/2 cup Brandy + More for aging process
Cake
- 3 Eggs
- 1 cup Vegetable Oil (can substitute up to 1/2 cup Applesauce for 1/2 cup of Vegetable Oil, results may vary slightly.)
- 2 cups Brown Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Vanilla
- 3 cups Flour
- 1 Tbsp Cinnamon
- 2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 2 tsp Ground Allspice
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Nutmeg
- 1 tsp Ground Cloves
- 2 cups shredded Zucchini
- 3/4 cup Chopped Pecans
- 3/4 cup Chopped Walnuts
Instructions
DAY BEFORE BAKING:
In a large airtight container, soak all dried fruits in 1 1/2 cup Brandy. Marinate overnight, turning fruit frequently to ensure it is all evenly marinated.
DAY OF BAKING:
Preheat oven to 325.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, brown sugar, and vanilla. In another large bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, allspice, salt, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
Combine flour mixture into the egg mixture and stir to combine.
Stir in the remaining shredded zucchini, walnuts, pecans and drained brandy soaked fruits. NOTE Save the remaining brandy from the fruits – makes EXCELLENT hot brandy cider!
Prepare 2 loaf pans, spraying with non-stick spray and lining with parchment paper. Divide the dough between the two pans. Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
As loaves cool (in the pan), sprinkle each loaf with 1 Tbsp of additional Brandy.
TO AGE FRUIT CAKE: (2 WEEKS IS IDEAL)
Cut cheesecloth to wrap each loaf. Pour some brandy into a cup and soak cheesecloth. Wring our cheesecloth of excess brandy. Wrap around each loaf with soaked cheesecloth. Place wrapped loaves in a double layer of aluminum foil. Store in a cool, dry place.
Check cheesecloth every week, to ensure the cheesecloth has not dried out. Unwrap each loaf weekly and sprinkle about 1-2 tsp of additional brandy on the loaves to keep moist. Or keep some brandy in a clean small spray bottle for more even distribution and ease.
Unwrap and devour.
Notes
NOTE Save the remaining brandy from the fruits – makes EXCELLENT hot brandy cider!
NOTE If you can’t find Zante dried currants, cranberries can be substituted.
Keywords: Fruit Cake, Cake, Bread, Baking, Holiday, Brandy, Christmas
I’ve never wanted to try fruit cake until now. This is gorgeous!
I understand and speak your “love language” so well! And I love how y’all do Christmas – it’s never about the fancy gifts – but about gifts of love after all! This fruit cake sounds decadent – it reminds me of how we do fruit cake in Sri Lanka.
For those people who say they don’t like fruitcake, I’ll be it’s because they haven’t tried this version. I’m getting a little tipsy just looking at it. lol
Don’t all great holiday recipes require a little booze? 😉 I LOVE this tasty fruit cake!
You and my MIL would be best buddies because she loves fruit cake and makes like 18 loaves every christmas!
I think food tastes better when there is a story attached to it. Thanks for sharing such a beautiful recipe. Now, pass me a slice!
I actually really love real fruitcake. Especially when said fruitcake is packed full of brandy 🙂
Love the story behind this so much. Now that is one seriously good looking fruit cake!
I love brandied anything!
Can you believe I’ve never tasted fruit cake? One of these days I’m going to have to give it a try!
My husband’s family always serves a store-bought fruit cake as one of the desserts for the Christmas lunch. My FIL would pour brandy over the cake and then light it on fire. Always a nice touch to the holiday table. I’ve always wanted to step in and try baking one for them, but I’m afraid to mess up their holiday tradition! You fruit cake look so tasty though – definitely need to try it!
Oooooh, you know, I’ve never had fruitcake before. Weird right?? But a BRANDY fruit cake, now that, I will definitely try 😀
Sounds exactly like Christmas,.. warming and cosy (not only because of the booze in it ;d). Guess I’ve found what to whip up after I finish with the clean up 🙂
So, I am totally not a fruit cake person… at all. But your recipe here just might make a believer out of me. 😉 It looks amazing, and how can you go wrong with brandy soaked dried fruit??
I love all kinds of Fruit Cake as long as it is soaked in Rum, Brandy or Whiskey. My mom always make a Whiskey cake that has raisins and pecans and a fifth of whiskey and then a wrap of more whiskey. We always said we better not drive after a piece of cake.
This is so gorgeous!
Oh how I love fruit cakes. In India we soak the nuts in rum for weeks before making our version! and then before serving we pour lots on the cake again! Yours looks so divine and would love to try this version. <3
Ok, so I made this last night and it’s all wrapped up; however, I am wondering if the cakes will mold? I just have a phobia about those cakes sitting on my kitchen counter for 2 weeks! Is it better to put them in the refrigerator?
Hi Lisa! You can put them in a fridge! I prefer to actually keep mine in our chilly storage locker on our patio! haha They will not mold due to the high sugar and booze in the cakes, but do what you think is right. Chilling them will definitely protect them, too.
The cloves for the brandy soaked fruit cake do I use crushed the only time I have used them is whole. I don’t bake much but my husband loves brandy fruit cake after 33 years of marriage I’m ready to try making it myself.
I am planning to try your receipt – if I like it I will probably make more
Can I reuse the brandy I used to soak the fruit
To soak the next batch of fruit?
In the picture there is fruit and nuts on the top
Can I just save some of the fruit /nuts and sprinkle On the top before baking?
I haven’t had a brandy soaked fruit cake in
Years – can’t wait to try this – after two weeks – should I wrap in clear wrap – and how long will the cakes stay good? (Or should I keep wrapped in cheese cloth until ready to use?
Thank you so much and Merry Christmas!
Yes, you can. But there is not much leftover from the brandy so I really suggest using new brandy each time. The syrup that is leftover is SO Good in hot toddy’s!! Continue to leave the bread in the cheesecloth and the aluminum foil to stay moist.
Can you save it somehow after the 2 week period? I’m starting a bit before Christmas. Thanks!
YES! It most definitely saves wonderfully!! Continue to lightly drizzle the aging fruit cake with brandy, about every week that you intend to let it age. It can honestly last for MONTHS just fine so long as it is sprayed or lightly drizzled with brandy.
I was so excited to find this recipe! I’m pretty sure it’s very similar to the one my Scottish grandma made when I was little.
I have my fruit marinating, but im not seeing much liquid to drain off. Is that normal? Should I add more brandy? This is my first time making my own and I want to get it right! Tomorrow is baking day!
Hi Mandi!! So sorry that I didn’t see your comment until now!! (I’ve been busy with a new baby!) You can always add more brandy! I use any leftover brandy in my hot toddy teas! YUM!!
Can I skip the zucchini or is there a substitute I could use. ???
Can I skip the zucchini or is there a substitute I could use—like acorn squash?
I have not tried it with squash but it could be an interesting substitute! If you do try it, please let me know how it works!
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Just discovered your recipe. Looks fantastic andam going to give it a try. Can I sub out the Brandy for Rum instead?
I think that would be a great switch! I haven’t tried it that way before, but it is definitely worth a try! Please let me know how it turns out! I’m making my first batch of the season this week!
Holy smokes. I made this and then had to force myself to wait the two weeks for it to age. Worth. Every. Second. This is the recipe I have been looking for. It tastes just like my grandma’s. I know i should give some away, but i dont know if I can.
Thanks for posting this!
Mandi, My day is made!! I’m so pleased that my family traditions are now your family traditions!! If you HAVE to you can sneak a bite after a week. 😉 I have! But I always find that two weeks is optimal.
I made one very similar to this. I used a Bundt pan that was marked with where you cut it. I decorated the top y starting to make a design with pecans , maraschino cherries and I think some candied fruit. I did this 3 months before the holidays I tried to make it eye appealing. I didn’t used the mesh soaked in brandy which I think is a great idea. I don’t remember how long I baked it. I’m going back to when I was 66 years ago. After the cake cooled I it i covered it and once a week I poured brandy over it and covered it again till the next time I put brandy on it and repeated this till the holidays came. This recipe is almost what I had years ago. Never was a fruitcake lover but this was different. I’ve been looking for a recipe like this for years ! I hope I have the stamina to make it again. Hope it turns out perfect for you ❤️💕
Ms. Barbara! Thank you so very much for your lovely comments. I hope that you will try this fruit cake and see if it matches what you remembered! It’s a family favorite for sure, and it’s becoming quite a tradition for readers as well. I hope you had a lovely holiday and best to you in the new year!
Really a huge variety of brandied fruitcake . Thanks for sharing such an awesome post just before new years. It really useful to me.
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I made this about 2 weeks before Christmas and everyone loves it as compared to another recipe that i used to bake the same time . I skipped the zucchini totally and used rum instead. Yours is the winner and keeper for many many Christmas.
I’m so pleased you enjoyed it!! Happy New Year!
Hi Megan,
I baked the fruit loaves 2 weeks ago and followed the recipes to the T.
This week I am baking again but with some modifications. I am soaking the dried fruits with orange juice and replacing the zucchini with greek yoghurt as I understand that some may have alcohol or zucchini related allergy.
Getting ready to conduct a hands-on workshop via ZOOM and therefore have to try out various combination like following exactly to the recipe, replacing ingredients like the above so in case the people attending the online class might have questions.
Thanks for sharing your recipe. I am passing on this through the online workshop. Will credit your recipe when I share it with the participants.
Derric
Hi Derric, I’m so so pleased you liked the recipe and I hope that those taking your workshop enjoy it as well! Thanks for letting me know! Best, Megan
OH my goodness what a great Fruitcake!!!!! Do you happen to have the nutritional information on this! It is so amazing!
I made it today. Smells wonderful baking. It’s going to be a long two weeks waiting but it will be worth it. Might have to make it again before Christmas. I made it today because I still have zucchini in my garden. Thank you for the recipe.
Jan! I am so pleased you made it! This is definitely a must make for hte holidays and it makes a GREAT gift!!
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Does the zucchini serve a specific purpose and is there a non squash alternative to this ingredient? I have family members with zucchini specific squash allergies. Thank you.
Hi Cheri, I have not tested this recipe with any other squashes or non-squashes so I don’t have an exact answer for you! I’m so sorry! I’m sure the internet has an alternatives to try. I hope you find something so you can make this for those you love!
Cheri, Derric in a comment from December 30, 2017, said he skipped zucchini totally and used rum instead of brandy.
hello
my fruit is soaking
your reciepe calls for oil
would I be able to use whipped butter instead
if so would it be the same measurement
1 cup
thank you
Hi Robert, I would recommend sticking with the use of the oil in lieu of whipped butter. I have not tested this recipe with butter so I can’t confirm if the results will be the same.
For how long does it take to fully mature?
Thanks
Martha, two weeks is ideal to let the cake mature. I hope you love it!!
I made this cake last Christmas and it was gorgeous! I’m planning to make it again this year (fairly soon). One issue I had though was that I kept checking for done-ness as I always do, and ended up cooking it for more than 70 minutes. The bottom and some of the sides were a little bit burnt. Any suggestions ?
I just baked another 2 loaves tonight. The temperature i set 170 C and bake for 50 minutes. Turn out beautiful. The last batch baked 2 weeks ago i set at the same temperature but bake for full 60 minutes and the top got burnt slightly. Keep trying and testing with your oven. All the best.
Derric, thank you so much for your feedback on the recipe! I’m so pleased that you are making it for your holidays!! I agree, the times can vary with each batch, as some fruit soaks up more booze through aging, and some zucchini are more wet than others, so it all can affect the dough. If you notice it getting slightly overdone on the top, you can place a piece of foil on the top of the pan to help slow that browning down, while it finishes baking. But, I also know that when you do the aging in the cheesecloth and wrapping it up for the two weeks, it will help reduce the overdone top, and it will soften as it ages. I hope that helps!! And please be sure to tag me in the photos that you post on social media, I would Love to see it!!
Louise, I’m sorry you had some issues! I hope you will try again, and if the edges are overdone, the aging process, and adding the brandy to it while it soaks will help take away some of that crispiness. The amount of liquid in the zucchini or the fruit can mess with how done the bread gets in the oven, and vary slightly. So don’t worry too much, all hope is not lost. But make sure you have an oven thermometer in your oven to double check the temperature!!
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I used your recipe 5mo. Later it is still ageing wrapped In cloth still moist and smells great cant wait till christmas, yummm!
I have kept mine that long too! It’s amazing when it is aged!!
I am excited to try this recipe. I love fruit cake and have been trying different recipes and still couldn’t find the right one. How long will the bread be good for? Worried due to the zuccini. Thank you.
It’s just fine with it being baked, and the alcohol from the brandy acts as a preservative. So long as it is kept moist it is good.
I just finished my first batch! Had to try it… wow!!!!! The best fruitcake I’ve ever tried. For those wondering on the zucchini, it adds the perfect moisture -doesn’t change the flavor. I highly suggest you go with brandy, not rum. Thank you so much for sharing!!!
WOOO HOOO!!!! So so pleased it was a hit!
I don’t use alcohol at all. Is it possible to soak it with orange juice instead?
I would recommend apple juice. Know that these will not last more than a week, because the alcohol is a preservative, so you will need to keep the bread refrigerated and eat is within a week of baking.
If you don’t want to read about my tragedy below, just know this:
THIS CAKE IS AMAZING AND YOU MUST TRY IT!!
So, I actually hate fruit cake. It’s the weirdest invention in the world.
My brother on the other hand, looooves it. So I decided to make him one for Christmas.
I eventually found this recipe. A two week old brandy soaked something sounded like something he would love!
Went to the shops, three different ones to find all the ingredients, then 9 other shops to find cheese cloth.
Cut up all the fruit and marinated it for two days.
Finally the day came to actually bake it! Suuuper excited, I started to pack everything on the counter, got out all my tools, chopped the nuts, shredded the zuccini, dumped everything in my mixer and mixed!
The dough tasted quite good, I was surprised to actually like it…
So on to the oven! I put all my tins (3 of them, it was a lot of dough) in the oven and sat down to watch them bake. The smell was absolutely amazing!
20 minutes in, true to the South African holiday season, a few power cables were stolen somewhere at a sub station and the power went out…..
There I stood, with these beautiful not-even-half baked cakes in the oven and no electricity.
I called my aunt, a fruit cake boffin, and all she said was “keep the oven closed and pray”
I almost cried. My first attempt at a fruit cake, my brother’s Christmas present, and I failed…
The next morning, with a broken heart, I put the oven on again, hoping for some miracle.
I kept them in the oven while it was heating up and left them there for about 45mins.
And because my Lord loves me and because this recipe is so amazing, they survived the night in a dead oven and came out peeeeerfectly.
My brother will be the final judge.
Thank you for sharing this piece of heaven with the world.
Suvone!! I am so so pleased you were able to make these!! And I know your brother will love that you put so much hard work into making these for him!! This has made my day and I am so glad you let me know that they turned out! Have the happiest Christmas! XOXO
Did anyone else have trouble fitting the recipe into 2 loaf pans? The recipe overflowed the pans.
Dera, use two standard 5×9 loaf pans and they should fit. I have never had an overflow issue.
I don’t have time neither the patience to look at it everyday and not eat them, can I just eat them once done? 🙁
Aditi, you can eat them the day they bake, but the flavors won’t be quite the same as if it ages. Try it and see how you like it!!
I’m 80, grew up in Eng and have
Lived in calif for close to fifty years. My American husband loves fruitcake. I make the English boiled fruitcake which we both enjoy. My mom always made her Christmas cake using grated carrots and I seem to remember apples too. I would think either would be good substitutes for zucchini. I’ve put brandy and rum into my cakes but never soaked them after cooking. After a few days they are a bit dry, but a few seconds in the microwave softens them (slice at a time) then we butter the slice. Next time I make a fruitcake I’ll try this recipe. Never to old to learn new tricks.
Bobbie I hope that this cake is a good compromise for you and your husband! I think it will be the perfect blend of England and American cakes!
Hi ttempted to make fruit cake can I leave out the sugar zucchini how many cups as zucchini different sizes.
E
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Can I use a mix of whiskey, spiced rum, and brandy ? Can I age it and continue adding liquor for longer than two weeks ? I’m looking forward to finally making my own homemade fruitcake. At 67 yrs old it’s never to late. I’d like to mention i’m a male, so it’s also a grandpa recipe !
Hi Rodney!! I haven’t tried it with a mix of booze – but I imagine it would be spectacular!! You can definitely continue adding it for longer than two weeks – we have aged ours for a month. Two weeks is the minimum aging time, because it takes that long for the alcohol to really evaporate and mellow. A month would just make it better! ha! Please let me know how it turns out!
Easy to make if you follow the exact recipe. Smells wonderful while baking but you will get rave reviews once the cake is shared. This is a keeper. Thanks for sharing!! I’m making the loaves again this year.💛💛💛💛💛
YAY!!! I’m so pleased that these are a hit!! It makes me blissfully happy that people are embracing these fruit cakes as a family tradition!
Can I leave out the zucchini? Also can this fruitcake be stored in freezer?
Thank you Much!
Hi Zeva, you really should leave the zucchini in this recipe. Like a zucchini bread, it bakes down quite significantly, but it is necessary to retain the moisture in the bread while it “ages” and soaks in the brandy. You CAN store this in the freezer. Wrap it in wax paper, and then a layer of heavy duty aluminum foil.
Looking for a new recipe as my fruitcakes in the past fall apart while cutting. Tastes delicious though and family and friends love them. Your recipe looks great. Have you ever cut and then toasted your slices in a toaster oven? My favorite way to eat fruitcake! Or was… now eating Keto, but fam and friends are awaiting their fruitcake this Christmas.
Liz! This bread holds together really very well. And it slices very nicely. I HAVE toasted it with butter, it’s amazing! I hope you make this one for the friends and fam, but if you can sneak a small bit for yourself, do it!
I am in the process of aging my brandied fruit cakes. I decided to make mini loaves as gifts for Christmas. Will making smaller loaves have an effect on the aging process
Hi Scarlet! YOu can definitely make them mini – I made 16 minis this year for gifts! The loaves will age the same as the larger standard size loaves. And the baking time for mini loaves is actually about the same time as the traditional size loaves, because the batter is so dense! I hope that helps! Please let me know how they turn out!
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Looks great!
hi, this cake looks amazing I’m going to make it for my brother and sis in law for their 25th wedding anniversary in a couple of weeks time, I have a question if you or anyone else could help? can i bake it in one round deep sided cake tin? also is it suitable for icing? thanks so much in advance.
it’s me replying to my own post!
just thought I would give an update, I made the cake, left out the zucchini replaced with finely chopped apple, marzipaned and iced it, it was superb!
thankyou.
Julie, thank you so so much for coming back and letting me know how it turned out!! And the apple substitution sounds delightful!!
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After brushing the brandy on the cheesecloth for 2 weeks. I’m going to make these next week then freeze them for Christmas gifts. Do I keep the moistened cheesecloth on it while wrapping in waxed paper and foil for freezing?
I have my fruit soaking in Brandy for 4 days now. Next week I plan on baking these loaves for Christmas gifts. After the 2 weeks of brushing the cheesecloth soaked breads with Brandy, do I need to keep the cheesecloth on each loaf while wrapping them in waxed paper and foil to freeze. Thank you for your reply.
Do I keep the cheesecloth on the bread while freezing them in the freezer, wrapped in wax paper and aluminum foil?
HI Diane! So sorry I just saw your comments! I would recommend that if they have been aged in the cheesecloth, then you can remove it and freeze it in the wax paper and foil. But you will have to eat it immediately once you thaw it, or rewrap it in more soaked cheesecloth, as the booze on the cloth is what acts as a preservative. 🙂
A few things to think about:
The shape of the container used for marinating the fruit matters because it determines the amount of brandy needed to cover the fruit.
Second. There is an oxymoron going on with directions: marinate all night and stir frequently – ha!
Now the question: does this receipe work for smaller aluminum pans?
Hi Barbara, Yes, you can stir the marinating fruit, or if it is in a jar, shake it around for a bit to ensure all of the fruit gets coated. Yes, you can also make these in smaller pans, but the baking times will likely differ. But they will still take at least 75% of the originally listed baking time, from my experience.
Just popping in as a thank you. Made this last year and it was glorious brandy soaked nostalgia….then lost the link! Doubling this year because giving away that 2nd loaf as a gift last time left me Highly Resentful! My grandma aged her fruitcakes in old popcorn tins, whisky heaven. When I was little, I thought that’s what popcorn tins were for. Bless you, now I have a piece of that time again. Hope you have a wonderful Christmas.
Thank you for this spectacular recipe! It turned this former fruitcake hater into a believer!
Just wondering how many layers of cheesecloth works best?
I’m still marinating , and stirring (but not in the night, like you suggested)🙂
Hi Barbara! For the cheesecloth, you don’t need much! I hope I can explain it properly ha! But I unroll the cheesecloth about “3 panels”, and then unfold it to make a “double layer”. So it’s really quite see-through. You just need it to wrap around the loaf and stay slightly moist. I hope that explanation helps. I’ve never actually measured it to confirm the dimension of the cheesecloth, probably should huh? Thanks so much for asking the question!
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Guys, Thanks For sharing this Great Recipe. My Family Loved it. I am definitely sharing this recipe and this website with my friend. Hope they also love it. Thank you again for sharing such a great recipe.
Ashok, thank you so so much for your comment. I’m so pleased that our family recipe is making an appearance in your home as well. 🙂
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Hello Megan, For the past 3 years I have been making branded canned cherries for my family for Christmas. I have always loved fruit cake and came across your recipe and decided to try it. I have soaked my fruits in Brandy for a week and just baked the first 2 loaves today. The loaves and my house smell amazing!! I am planning to age the loaves for at least a month! Is it okay to age them longer and once I stop aging them should I store them in the fridge until Christmas? Do I still need to keep putting Brandy on them at that point? Not sure what to do and don’t want to mess anything up.
Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe. I can’t wait to taste the cake and surprise the family.
Hi Danielle! I love that you’re getting a jump start on fruit cake making! I am all for keeping those loaves aging. Keep them in a really “low humidity” part of your fridge, like in a veggie drawer or something to keep extra moisture away. I also keep a small spray bottle filled with brandy to spritze the cheesecloth on occasion to make sure that it doesn’t dry out. The alcohol will keep away and germs or mold – so just keep it slightly damp like when you first wrap them. I hope that helps! I can’t wait for fruit cake making again!
I had a bad experience with “fruitcake” as a child; therefore, I have not been inclined to eat it or make it. However, after having some amazing fruitcake soaked with rum, made by Monks in Northern Michigan, I was converted! I made your recipe last year and just made my cakes today for this season. It is so delicious! Everyone who had it wanted the recipe. Thank you for making this a part of our holiday tradition!
Kathleen, thank you so so very much for your kind words! I am just getting ready to make mine this week as well, and I can’t wait!!
Hi Megan!
It’s 2021 and I’ve been using your recipe for a few years now and my family and I refer to this as “drunk cake”! (I hope you won’t mind lol) I’ve used brandy, apple crown, and spiced rum in the fruit soaks over the years.
This year I’ve decided to actually keep an ENTIRE cake for my house! 🍹😁
★★★★★
Patti, I am so blown away that this has become such a tradition in your house!! I’m so so pleased. And Drunk Cake is totally accurate hahah. When it doubt – add more booze!
I’m making this recipe now! I have a 30th wedding anniversary to present this fruitcake at so I’m really hoping to get it right.
Yesterday I soaked the fruit, today I baked and wrapped. I have a question though. It says to unwrap the cake loaves weekly to see if they’ve dried out. Since I double wrapped them to be airtight they shouldn’t have dried out when I check them in a week. Do I add more brandy even if the cheesecloth isn’t dried out? I will be aging these until mid September so I feel like weekly spraying with brandy will make the outside soggy and too strong in brandy?
Unfortunately cutting the loaves for a taste myself isn’t an option but I did lick the bowl!
Hi Jo!! I check mine weekly just to be sure about keeping the cheesecloth damp. Some environments may evaporate the alcohol faster, so it’ just to be certain. If you find your cheesecloth is staying damp after a week, feel free to extend the time between checks. You want the cloth damp, but not wet. I use a spray bottle to evenly distribute the brandy over the cloth without it getting soggy. I hope that helps! And happy anniversary!
Best fruit cake I’ve made. I substituted Granny Smith apples for the zucchini.
★★★★★
I love this fruit cake recipe! I’ve made it for several years now. I am wondering if I could substitute butter for the cup of oil? If so, how much butter ?
Thank you.
Have not made this yet, but looks like a great cake. One question, can I leave the Zucchini out? Thank you.
★★★★★
Hi Pamela, this recipe does require zucchini or other similar type of squash. Because it sits so long to age, this helps keep the moisture in the bread. I hope the zucchini doesn’t deter you from making it. It bakes in so beautifully you will hardly know it’s there! The brandied fruit is the REAL STAR!