Abby’s Fruit Cake
📜 Collection: UK2 | ✍️ Attribution: Abby | 📂 Category: Desserts A magnificent, large-batch fruit cake recipe from Abby yielding 11 pounds of rich, moist, and spicy cake. The fruits are cooked in apricot nectar and soaked overnight for incredible flavor.
| Prep Time | Cook Time | Inactive / Chill Time | Yield / Servings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45 mins | 3 hours 30 mins | Overnight | 11 pounds (1 tube pan and 2 loaf pans) |
🔪 Key Equipment
- Large kettle or stockpot
- Sieve
- Very large mixing bowl
- Separate mixing bowl
- Sturdy spoon
- 9-inch tube pan
- Two 8.5x4.5 inch loaf pans
- Shallow pan for water
- Long wooden skewer
- Brown paper or parchment paper
- Wax paper
Ingredients
Fruit Soak Ingredients
| Measurements | Ingredients | Prep / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 ½ Cups | Golden Raisins | rinsed and drained |
| 1 ½ Cups | Dark Raisins | rinsed and drained |
| 2 Cups | Dates | chopped |
| 6 Cups | Candied Fruit (Mix) | mixed |
| 1 ½ Cups | Apricot Whole Fruit Nectar | none |
Cake Batter Ingredients
| Measurements | Ingredients | Prep / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Cups (1 lb) | Butter | softened |
| 2 Cups | Sugar | none |
| 10 | Eggs | large |
| 6 Cups | Flour | all-purpose |
| 2 tsp. | Salt | none |
| ½ tsp. | Baking Soda | none |
| 2 tsp. | Cinnamon | none |
| 1 tsp. | Allspice | none |
| ½ tsp. | Cloves | none |
| 1 tsp. | Nutmeg | none |
| 2 Tbsp | Vanilla | none |
| 2 Cups | Nuts | none |
Instructions
Step 1: Soaking the Fruit
- Rinse and drain 1 ½ cups golden raisins and 1 ½ cups dark raisins. If they seem hard, steam them briefly in a sieve over boiling water to soften.
- In a large kettle or stockpot, combine the 1 ½ cups golden raisins, 1 ½ cups dark raisins, 2 cups dates, 6 cups candied fruit (mix), and 1 ½ cups apricot whole fruit nectar.
- Cook over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly until heated through.
- Cover the pot and let the fruit mixture stand at room temperature overnight.
Step 2: Mixing and Baking
- Preheat your oven to 300°F. Line one 9-inch tube pan and two 8.5x4.5 inch loaf pans with two layers of greased brown paper, followed by one layer of greased wax paper. Place a shallow pan of water on the bottom rack of the oven.
- In a very large bowl, cream the 2 cups (1 lb) butter and 2 cups sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the 10 eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the 6 cups flour, 2 tsp. salt, ½ tsp. baking soda, 2 tsp. cinnamon, 1 tsp. allspice, ½ tsp. cloves, and 1 tsp. nutmeg.
- Add the sifted dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and stir to combine. Stir in the 2 tbsp vanilla and 2 cups nuts. The batter will be very thick.
- Pour the prepared batter over the soaked fruit mixture in the kettle. Mix thoroughly with a sturdy spoon until everything is well combined and uniform.
- Turn the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 3 to 3 ½ hours, or until a long wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean and free of wet batter.
💡 Make-Ahead & Storage: Store the baked fruit cakes wrapped tightly in parchment and foil in a cool place, occasionally brushing with spirits to mature for up to several weeks.
Original Recipe Scan
