Fruit Cake with a Soft Crumb

Fruit Cake with a Soft Crumb keeps the shopping list focused on all-purpose flour, baking powder, and kosher salt. It serves 16 slices.

Count on 40 minutes of prep, 2 hours of cooking, about 2 hours from the first measurement to the plate.

Ingredients Method

What goes in the bowl

For the Cake

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 ½ cups pecans chopped
• 1 ½ cups candied pineapple ¾ lb
• 2 cups candied cherries ¾ lb
• 1 ½ cups golden raisins ½ lb
• ½ cup unsalted butter softened
• 2 ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 6 eggs
• 1 ½ tablespoons brandy for the batter
• 2 tablespoons honey for brushing cake
• 1 cup brandy for soaking, optional
• ½ apple peeled & sliced, for storing, optional

For the Optional Glaze

• 2 tablespoons cream cheese softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk or more to achieve desired consistency

How the cooking goes

Make the Cake

1. Spray and line a 10-inch tube pan with baking paper. A non-removable bottomed tube pan works best. Bonus points for nonstick.
2. Heat the oven to 275°F. You preferred to bake it in the convection setting because the top got a nice deep gold and the cake baked faster.
3. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add pecans, pineapple, cherries, and golden raisins. Toss to coat.
4. In the bowl of a electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a bowl with a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
5. Whip in the eggs one at a time, waiting until the first has incorporated before adding the next.
6. Beat in the brandy.
7. Put the dry ingredient/nut mixture to the batter and fold to incorporate.
8. Pour into prepared pan and place in preheated oven.
9. Fill a large baking dish or roasting pan with hot water and place below the cake in the oven. Do not bake the cake in the water.
10. Oven-bake 2 hours or until a cake tester comes out clean. Once the top crumb has set, but the cake is not done baking (after about 90 minutes), brush the top with warmed honey. Continue baking until done.
11. Cool and unmold cake.

Optional Soaking

1. Soak a clean kitchen towel in about ½ cup brandy. Wrap the cake in the kitchen towel, place a few slices of apple in the center and wrap the whole cake in plastic wrap. Allow to sit 2 weeks before unwrapping and serving. You repeated this soaking process one additional time. the grandmother would soak the cake twice a month for 3-4 months.

Optional Cream Cheese Glaze

1. Beat together softened cream cheese, powdered sugar and milk until the texture looks smooth.
2. Add additional milk to thin it to your desired consistency. You kept mine thick and then drizzled it across the top with a spoon.

After it comes off the heat

Let the pan settle before you slice, so the crumb stays together. Cover leftovers once they are cool.

If you want another plate from Cakes, open Moist Chocolate Cake Baked Until the Center Springs Back and Mille Crepe Cake with a Soft Crumb.