Julia Child's Fruitcake

I was thinking about what to make for the members of my French class and wasn't having much luck. I knew that a Buche de Noel was beyond my skill and my cookbooks were of no help. Then I remembered having read Julia Child's take on fruitcake in her book, From Julia Child's Kitchen. What could be better than a recipe from Saint Julia. It is an interesting take on fruitcake and if you like mincemeat you will love this cake

MRS. CHILD’S FAMOUS STICKY FRUITCAKE

(A Christmas Cake)

 The fruit and nut mixture: to be macerated 12 hours 

1. 4 pounds diced mixed glaceed fruits: part of this may be diced dried dates, pitted tenderized dried prunes or apricots, or raisins, or currants
2. 1 pound (2 cups) prepared store-bought mincemeat
3. 1 pound mixed unsalted whole or chopped nut meats (such as walnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews, filberts)
4. 2/3 cup dark Jamaican rum
5. 1/3 cup Cognac or Bourbon
6. 1Tablespoon instant coffee
7. 1/4 cup dark molasses
8. 1 teaspoons cardamom
9. 1/2 teaspoon each: cinnamon, cloves, allspice, mace
10. 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

 

The dry ingredients

1. 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2. 1 tablespoon double-action baking powder

The remaining ingredients

1.  1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
2. 2 cups white sugar
3. 1/3 cup light-brown sugar
4. 2 Tablespoons vanilla
5. 6 large eggs

 

Macerating the fruit and nuts. Turn the candied fruits into a very large mixing bowl, pour on boiling water to cover, stir about for 20 to 30 seconds, then drain thoroughly: this is to wash off any preservatives. Return fruit to bowl, add the mincemeat, nuts, liquors, instant coffee molasses, spices and salt; stir about. Cover airtight and let macerate for 12 hours (or longer).

 

Completing the cake mixture. Stir half the flour into the fruits and nuts, sprinkle over the baking powder and the rest of the flour, and stir to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars together in a separate bowl until light and fluffy, then beat in the vanilla, and the eggs, one at a time, beating 30 seconds after the addition of each egg. Blend the egg-sugar mixture into the fruits.

 

Baking. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Butter your cake pans, line bottom with wax paper, butter that, roll flour around in the pan to coat interior, and knock out excess flour.

Turn the batter into the pan, filling I to within 1/4 inch of rim (and mold any extra cake mixture in a muffin tin). Bake in middle level of oven for 2 to 2 3/4 hours or longer, depending on size and shape of pan. Cake will rise about 1/4 inch, top will crack in several places and it is done when it shows the faintest line of shrinkage around edge of pan in several places; a skewer, plunged down into cake through a crack, should come out clean. Remove cake from oven and place pan on a rack to cool for 20 to 25 minutes; cake should shrink a little more from sides, showing it is ready to unmold. Turn cake upside down on rack and give a little shake to unmold it. Peel paper off bottom, and turn cake carefully right side up.

(From Julia Child’s Kitchen)

 

This cake is a cross between traditional fruitcake and gingerbread. Even if you think you don’t like fruitcake, give this one a try. You might be converted. Store cake in the refrigerator; it slices much more easily when cold.

Comments

[janet]

Yum, Anne; especially the gingerbread taste part.

[janet]

Here is a nice fruitcake write up, with nice links, in SLATE magazine http://www.slate.com/id/2238779/

[Nancy G]

I have been making this cake for years, have the receipe from magazine. Julia did not suggest to put in fridge, wrap in foil well, will store for months, mine never last that long though. I half receipe because still not that many people like fruitcake.