A traditional English fruitcake from Aunt Joan, flavored with Amontillado sherry. This rich, spiced cake is packed with raisins, candied fruit, and walnuts that are steeped in sherry overnight for incredible flavor.
Author
Aunt Joan
Recipe
| Measurements | Ingredients |
|---|---|
| 1½ Cups | Raisins |
| 1 Cup | Candied Fruit |
| ¼ lb (1 cup) | Blanched Walnuts, chopped |
| 4 Tbsp | Amontillado Sherry, divided |
| 2 Sticks (1 cup) | Butter or Margarine, softened |
| ⅔ Cup | Brown Sugar, packed |
| ½ Cup | White Sugar |
| 4 | Eggs |
| 2 2/3 Cups | Flour |
| ½ tsp | Nutmeg |
| ½ tsp | Cinnamon |
| ½ tsp | Salt |
| ½ tsp | Baking Powder |
Instructions
Day 1: Soak the Fruit
- In a bowl, combine the raisins, candied fruit, and chopped walnuts.
- Pour 2 tablespoons of the sherry over the mixture, toss to coat, cover, and let it steep overnight at room temperature.
Day 2: Bake the Cake
- Preparation: Preheat your oven to 325°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake tin, then line it with two layers of greased waxed paper, allowing the paper to extend 1 inch above the rim of the tin.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, cream the softened butter with the brown and white sugars until light and fluffy. Add the unbeaten eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.
- Stir in half of the sherry-soaked fruit mixture and the remaining 2 tablespoons of sherry.
- Combine: In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder.
- Gradually add half of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir.
- Add the remainder of the fruit, and then gradually add the remainder of the flour. Mix until everything is just combined. The batter will be very thick.
- Bake: Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and place it on the middle shelf of the oven. Bake for about 2 hours. Test with a wooden skewer after 1 ½ hours; the cake is done when the skewer comes out clean.
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