Old English Fruitcake. NEW VIDEO! Dark and moist with plenty of spices and packed with plenty of sweet glacé fruit. It’s been a Christmas tradition in my family for decades.
Old English Fruitcake
Originally published on November 7, 2007. Updated to provide new featured photos and a new video!
It’s still weeks away, I know, but I’ve got a head start on a dark old English fruitcake for Spouse. It’s a real old English style, dense, dark fruitcake.
Old English Fruitcake. The recipe will make 2 loaf sized cakes if you like.
Old English Fruitcake, 2017 photo.
I think this one weighs in at between 7 and 8 pounds. It’s her absolute favourite. Tomorrow she goes to the rum spa for a soak and a wrap. The cake, that is, not Spouse!
Ground almonds, pecans or walnuts are easily substituted.
I like to toast the nuts and keep them in chunks to add to the batter.
Inspired by my Newfoundland upbringing, this dark English fruitcake with roots in the UK is one of my favourite things to look forward to at Christmas. This is a large cake meant to be served in small pieces.
Fruit mixture after it has been boiled
Finished batter for the Old English Fruitcake in a large stainless steel bowl
All ready for the oven.
Make it as 2 loaf cakes and decorate the top to your own liking.
A very festive looking Christmas centrepiece.
There are easily 40 portions or more which means there’s plenty to share with friends and family whenever they pop by during the Holidays.
Need more Christmas dessert ideas?
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Old English Fruitcake
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Old English Dark Fruit Cake
Old English Fruitcake - A dark, rich, well spiced old fashioned English style fruitcake that can be made weeks in advance of Christmas.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups chopped dried prunes (6 oz), chopped
- 1 1/4 cups chopped dates (6 oz), chopped
- 1 1/2 cups dark raisins (8 oz)
- 1 1/4 cups golden raisins (6 oz)
- 1 1/4 cups currants (6 oz)
- ¾ cup butter
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- ¾ cup molasses
- ½ cup coffee liqueur, or ½ cup strong black coffee
- Zest and juice of 2 oranges
- 1 cup chopped glace cherries
- 1 cup candied citrus peel
- 1 1/2 cups toasted pecans (7 oz), roughly chopped
- 2 tsp allspice
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp powdered ginger
- 1 tsp cloves
- 2 tsp nutmeg
- 3 tbsp cocoa
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup ground hazelnuts or almonds
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
Instructions
- In a large saucepan melt the butter over medium heat and add the raisins, dates, prunes, currents, brown sugar, molasses, spices, coffee liqueur (or coffee) and the orange zest and juice.
- Bring to a gentle boil and very slowly simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool for 30-45 minutes.
- When cool stir in the beaten eggs.
- Sift together, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda.
- Add the ground nuts and fold through the boiled mixture. Fold in cherries, citrus peel and pecans. Pour into prepared baking pan. You can decorate the top with additional pecan halves, cherries etc., if you like.
- Bake at 300 degrees F for 1 ½ to 2 hours depending upon the size of your pan. Mine took the full two hours in a 10 inch spring form pan.The cake should feel firm to the touch at the center and a wooden toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. The cake should be cooled completely in the pan on a wire rack before removing.
- At this point you can poke small holes in the top and bottom of the cake with a fork and pour on 4 ounces of dark rum or your favorite whiskey, half on the top, wait ten minutes, then flip it over and pour the remaining half on the bottom.
- Soak several layers of cheesecloth in additional rum if you like and wrap completely around the cake, then cover with several layers of plastic wrap and store in a COOL place.
- When serving, you can add a layer of marzipan or if you have decorated the top with fruit and nuts, brush with a simple glaze of equal parts water and sugar boiled together for about 10-15 minutes.
Notes
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.
Nutrition Information
Yield
40Serving Size
gAmount Per Serving Calories 231Saturated Fat 2gCholesterol 21mgSodium 62mgCarbohydrates 40gFiber 2gSugar 24gProtein 2g
Jenny
Sunday 15th of January 2023
Per a few old comments about prunes & currents. in case anyone is confused:
Currents in UK refer to the dried current berries. Can be substituted with small dark raisins if not available
Prunes refers to dried plums. So it is just another dried fruit. Someone thought they added moisture. No they are dried
Sometimes prunes are sold canned as “stewed prunes” which would NOT work (rehydrated) or in plastic packs that have been partially rehydrated for easy eating
A fruitcake recipe will be referring to dried fruit only, using what would have been available wintertime In the UK.
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Mano
Saturday 31st of December 2022
Hello, I would love to make this cake but I am gluten intolerant. Can I substitute the flour with a gluten free flour blend or with ground almonds or something else. Please let me know. Thanks!
Beverley Wentzell
Wednesday 21st of December 2022
Merry Christmas. MY mother made this BUT never put cherries, or prunes or cherries lots of fruit instead of the coffee. RUM. black Just the 27th this month I will be 6 months without my husband of 59yrs and been some baking b u t. will make this later as I have all the ingredients. love reading your things and I have signed up to receive.