Description

Just like Grandma used to make only better. We add Sultana raisins which have been left to plump up overnight in spiced rum (get a bottle of Captain Morgan’s original spiced rum). This is not a cake where you want to use essence of spiced rum. Nothing replaces the real thing!

Scale

Ingredients

3 cups chopped pecans
2 cups chopped Candied Pineapple Wedges
3/4 cup chopped Candied Red Cherries
1/3 cup chopped Candied Orange Peel
1 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons, all-purpose flour
Butter, 1 cup at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
5 eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract or equivalent amount of vanilla paste
Lemon extract, 1 tablespoon
1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
Powdered sugar

Instructions

Position rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
Grease and flour 12 cup Bundt pan or tube cake pan.
In large bowl, mix pecans and fruits with 3 tablespoons of flour.
In another large bowl, cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs 1 at a time.
Stir in vanilla and lemon extracts.
Sift 1 3/4 cups flour with baking powder and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to batter and stir until blended.
Fold candied fruit mixture into batter.
Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake until golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 2 1/2 hours.
Cool in the pan, on a rack for about 15 minutes.
Turn out onto rack and cool. (Can be prepare 2 weeks ahead; wrap in foil and store at room temperature.) Dust with powdered sugar.

Notes

Use a 12 cup Bundt or tube cake pan.

There is no hard and fast rule to dried fruit in fruitcakes. I love this cherry berry combination (blueberries, cranberries and cherries). They plump up in warm rum or bourbon to give a light fruitcake a colorful Holiday look. Golden raisins are also scrumptious plumped up in rum!

Keywords: fruitcake, baked goods, candied fruit, nuts