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Hi Everyone,
My mother used to make holiday fruitcakes that were made according to a recipe passed down from her great-grandmother. I have 5 siblings and only 2 of us cared for the cakes, so no one bothered to learn how to make it. My mother left only very cryptic notes on the recipe when she died, and I am trying to recreate the recipe by "translating" her notes. I am not a baker, but the recipe seems unusual in that it includes a lot of honey, and the cakes are steamed for 3 hrs. before a final low-temp baking step. Unfortunately, my cakes are not quite the same as hers, so I am hoping someone here can help me correct the recipe, as I must have got it wrong somewhere. The taste is about right, and the cakes are moist, but they are not very cohesive and crumble when sliced. My wife helped me with the cakes, and she insists on reducing the sugar in any recipe, and perhaps that is the problem. The recipe with metric weights is below and I have attached the cups/lbs version as well in case that helps. Please let me know where you think I may have made a mistake in translation.
340g nuts
Total of 1240 g dried fruit consisting of:
225g citron
225g dried pineapple
225g chopped dates
225g dried cherries
225g raisins
115g dried orange peel
225g honey
225g sugar
225g butter
5 eggs, separated (250 g total)
250g flour + 60g for dredging dried fruit (310g total)
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon allspice
6 tablespoons fruit juice or wine
Add all the dried fruit and nuts to a large bowl, dredge with flour, and set aside.
To make the dough, cream together the butter, sugar, and honey in a second bowl.
Stir in beaten egg yolks.
Add the remaining flour, baking powder, spices, and juice.
Add the contents of the second bowl to the dried fruit in the large bowl.
Beat the egg whites until stiff, then add them to the fruit/dough mixture.
Put the cake mixture into greased bread tins, filling them about ¾ full.
Put a waterproof barrier like parchment paper over the tops of the bread tins to keep water from dripping onto the cakes during steaming. Secure the barrier over the tops of the tins with string or rubber bands to keep it in place.
Steam the cakes 3 hrs to cook, then bake them 1 hr. at 120 deg C. to dry them out.
Let the cakes cool, then remove them to a clean rack or board. Use a clean skewer to punch holes 15mm apart in the entire upper surface of the cakes. This will allow the liquor to soak through.
Wrap the cakes in 2 layers of cheesecloth which has been soaked in bourbon, Grand Marnier, or similar.
Wrap the cakes in a layer of plastic wrap or aluminum foil over the cheesecloth and seal them in airtight tins or Tupperware. Store them in a cool, dark place.
Once a week, remove the cakes, unwrap the aluminum foil or plastic wrap, then dribble 1 tablespoon of liquor over the top of each cake.
Wrap and seal the cakes and put them back in storage.
Cakes should be ok to eat after 2 weeks and can be aged up to 6 months.
My mother used to make holiday fruitcakes that were made according to a recipe passed down from her great-grandmother. I have 5 siblings and only 2 of us cared for the cakes, so no one bothered to learn how to make it. My mother left only very cryptic notes on the recipe when she died, and I am trying to recreate the recipe by "translating" her notes. I am not a baker, but the recipe seems unusual in that it includes a lot of honey, and the cakes are steamed for 3 hrs. before a final low-temp baking step. Unfortunately, my cakes are not quite the same as hers, so I am hoping someone here can help me correct the recipe, as I must have got it wrong somewhere. The taste is about right, and the cakes are moist, but they are not very cohesive and crumble when sliced. My wife helped me with the cakes, and she insists on reducing the sugar in any recipe, and perhaps that is the problem. The recipe with metric weights is below and I have attached the cups/lbs version as well in case that helps. Please let me know where you think I may have made a mistake in translation.
340g nuts
Total of 1240 g dried fruit consisting of:
225g citron
225g dried pineapple
225g chopped dates
225g dried cherries
225g raisins
115g dried orange peel
225g honey
225g sugar
225g butter
5 eggs, separated (250 g total)
250g flour + 60g for dredging dried fruit (310g total)
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon allspice
6 tablespoons fruit juice or wine
Add all the dried fruit and nuts to a large bowl, dredge with flour, and set aside.
To make the dough, cream together the butter, sugar, and honey in a second bowl.
Stir in beaten egg yolks.
Add the remaining flour, baking powder, spices, and juice.
Add the contents of the second bowl to the dried fruit in the large bowl.
Beat the egg whites until stiff, then add them to the fruit/dough mixture.
Put the cake mixture into greased bread tins, filling them about ¾ full.
Put a waterproof barrier like parchment paper over the tops of the bread tins to keep water from dripping onto the cakes during steaming. Secure the barrier over the tops of the tins with string or rubber bands to keep it in place.
Steam the cakes 3 hrs to cook, then bake them 1 hr. at 120 deg C. to dry them out.
Let the cakes cool, then remove them to a clean rack or board. Use a clean skewer to punch holes 15mm apart in the entire upper surface of the cakes. This will allow the liquor to soak through.
Wrap the cakes in 2 layers of cheesecloth which has been soaked in bourbon, Grand Marnier, or similar.
Wrap the cakes in a layer of plastic wrap or aluminum foil over the cheesecloth and seal them in airtight tins or Tupperware. Store them in a cool, dark place.
Once a week, remove the cakes, unwrap the aluminum foil or plastic wrap, then dribble 1 tablespoon of liquor over the top of each cake.
Wrap and seal the cakes and put them back in storage.
Cakes should be ok to eat after 2 weeks and can be aged up to 6 months.
