Dark Fruit Cake Recipe & Video

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This Dark Fruit Cake is loaded with candied and dried fruits as well as chopped nuts. It is flavored with ground spices and a little molasses which colors the batter a beautiful golden brown. Once baked it is repeatedly brushed with alcohol, over a few weeks, which imparts a lovely flavor and makes the cake wonderfully moist. The added bonus is that the alcohol acts as a preservative so the cake can be stored for ages and ages.

For this Fruit Cake I used a combination of candied mixed peel and candied cherries (can use either red and/or green). Candied fruit is preserved fruit that has been dipped several times in a concentrated sugar syrup. This process preserves the fruit's original color and shape, while giving it a smooth and shiny coating, a very sweet taste, with a firm and slightly chewy texture. There is also dried fruit in the cake and while I use either dark or golden raisins, you could use dried cranberries or cherries, dates, figs, etc. And for the chopped nuts you can use walnuts, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, or brazil nuts.

A few things about this recipe are worth mentioning. You could adjust the amounts of candied fruit and dried fruit. By that I mean, if you would prefer more dried fruit, reduce the amount of candied fruit. Once the cake is baked and cool, brush it with a few tablespoons of alcohol (brandy, sherry, rum, whiskey, etc.). Or if you want it alcohol free, you could brush it will fruit juice, although the cake will not keep as long because alcohol acts as a preservative.