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Fruitcake

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Fruitcake is a humble yet enduring tradition, and this version pays homage to its rich past while embracing a modern sensibility. The dried fruit, steeped in orange juice and brandy, creates a soft, aromatic base, and the buttery batter—spiced with ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves—brings warmth without overpowering its delicate sweetness. The toasted pecans add a satisfying crunch, grounding the cake with texture and depth. As the cake rests, it deepens in character, becoming even more flavorful, making it ideal for holiday gatherings or as a homemade gift that only improves with time.
Makes 1 (15- to 18-cup) cake or 2 (8½x4½-inch)cakes (see Notes)

Ingredients
  

Fruit:

  • 2 pounds (908 grams) dried fruit (about 5½ cups) (see Notes)
  • 1 cup (240 grams) fresh orange juice
  • 1/2 cup (120 grams) brandy

Cake:

  • 1¼ cups (288 grams) unsalted butter,
  • 1½ cups (330 grams) firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon (6 grams) orange zest
  • 3 large eggs (150 grams), room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons (8 grams) vanilla extract
  • 2¾ cups (344 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons (6 grams) kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon (2 grams) ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 grams) baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon (1 gram) ground allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon (1 gram) ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1½ cups (170 grams) toasted finely chopped pecans
  • 1/2 cup (120 grams) brandy
  • 1/2 cup (60 grams) confectioners’ sugar

Instructions

  • For fruit: In a medium bowl, fold together dried fruit, orange juice, and brandy until well combined. Tightly cover bowl, and let stand at room temperature until fruit is soft and has absorbed all (or nearly all) liquid, 12 to 24 hours, stirring once or twice.
  • Preheat oven to 325°F (170°C). Spray a 15- to 18-cup tube pan with baking spray with flour.
  • For cake: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, brown sugar, and orange zest at medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. With mixer on low speed, add eggs, one at a time, beating until just combined after each addition and stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Beat in vanilla.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves. Add flour mixture to butter mixture, and beat at low speed until just combined. Add fruit mixture and any unabsorbed liquid and pecans; fold with a rubber spatula until evenly distributed. (It will seem like a lot of fruit at first but will come together.) Spoon batter into prepared pan, and smooth surface with an offset spatula. Firmly tap pan on a kitchen towel-lined counter a few times to settle batter.
  • Bake until deep golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted near center registers at least 205°F (96°C), about 1 hour and 35 minutes. (See Notes.) Let cool in pan for 10 minutes.
  • Using a skewer or wooden pick, poke holes all over surface of cake. Using a pastry brush, generously soak cake with about half of brandy. Let cake absorb alcohol for about 5 minutes; invert cake onto a wire rack. Poke more holes all over cake, and brush remaining brandy across surface. Let cool completely, top side down, on wire rack.
  • Just before serving, dust confectioners’ sugar on top of cooled cake. (Alternatively, wrap the cake in plastic wrap and foil, and feed it; see Notes. Depending on how long you are feeding the cake, it can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 weeks to 2 months.)

Notes

Notes: To bake in loaf pans: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Spray 2 (8½x4½-inch) loaf pans with baking spray with flour. Line pans with parchment paper, letting excess extend over all sides of pans. Divide prepared batter between prepared pans (about 1,250 grams each). Bake for 20 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 325°F (170°C), and bake until an instant- read thermometer inserted in center registers 205°F (96°C) and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about
1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Poke surface of cakes with a wooden skewer, and use half of brandy to soak both cakes. Invert cakes onto a wire rack, and repeat with remaining brandy. Let cool completely on wire rack. Share one loaf with a friend!
While this cake can be eaten the same day with only one feeding, it is best after wrapping it and feeding it over the course of four to eight weeks. Wrap the cake in plastic wrap and foil, and store it in a cool, dry place for two weeks. Unwrap the cake, and soak it with 2 tablespoons (30 grams) brandy or other preferred alcohol.
Rewrap the cake, and return it to the cool, dry place. Repeat the feeding process every two weeks until you reach your desired maturity. For a lighter cake, one to two feedings is perfect. For something richer and deeper, feed the cake three to four times. It is absolutely possible to overfeed the cake. If, after a feeding, it seems like the cake is struggling to hold onto liquid or has lost its integrity and is mushy, it’s probably time to stop. Wrap the cake and let it rest for one to two days, allowing it to absorb as much liquid as it can before serving.
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