A Cake for All Seasons (Bourbon Fruitcake)
📜 Collection: UK2 | ✍️ Attribution: Unknown | 📂 Category: Desserts A rich, classic fruitcake featuring walnuts, cherries, and raisins soaked in bourbon, baked into a dense, buttery cake, and aged in a bourbon-soaked cheesecloth.
| Prep Time | Cook Time | Inactive / Chill Time | Yield / Servings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 mins | 1 hour 20 mins | Overnight | 1 10-inch tube cake |
🔪 Key Equipment
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium mixing bowl
- Electric mixer
- Wooden spoon
- 10-inch tube or Bundt pan
- Wire cooling rack
- Wooden skewer
- Cheesecloth
- Aluminum foil
Ingredients
| Measurements | Ingredients | Prep / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Cups | Chopped Walnuts or Pecans | chopped |
| 1 (3.5 oz) Jar | Candied Red Cherries | quartered |
| 2 Cups | Light or Dark Raisins | none |
| 1 Cup | Bourbon | divided |
| 3 1/2 Cups | Sifted All Purpose Flour | sifted |
| 1 1/2 Teaspoons | Baking Powder | none |
| 1/2 Teaspoon | Salt | none |
| 1 Teaspoon | Nutmeg | none |
| 1 1/2 Cups (3 sticks) | Butter or Margarine | softened |
| 2 Cups | Sugar | none |
| 1 Teaspoon | Vanilla | none |
| 7 | Eggs | large |
| As needed | Cheese Cloth | large piece |
Instructions
Day 1: Soak the Fruit
- In a large bowl, combine the chopped walnuts or pecans, candied red cherries, and light or dark raisins. Pour 1/2 cup of the bourbon over them, mix well, cover, and let stand at room temperature overnight.
Day 2: Bake the Cake
- Preheat your oven to 325°F. Generously grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt or tube pan.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the sifted all purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Pour this over the soaked fruit mixture and toss with your hands until all the fruit and nuts are well coated with flour.
- In a separate large mixer bowl, beat the butter or margarine, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. After the last egg is added, continue to beat at medium speed for 4 minutes.
- By hand, using a sturdy wooden spoon, fold the butter and egg batter into the floured fruit mixture. Combine well until thoroughly mixed; the final batter will be very thick.
- Turn the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Bake in the center of the oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until a long wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cake on a rack for 20 minutes before carefully removing it from the pan.
- While the cake is still warm, soak a large piece of cheese cloth in the remaining 1/2 cup of bourbon and wrap the cake tightly in it.
- Wrap the cheesecloth-covered cake in foil. Store in the refrigerator for several days to mellow before serving.
💡 Make-Ahead & Storage: Store the wrapped cake in the refrigerator for several weeks. It needs to mellow for several days before slicing and serving.
Original Recipe Scan
