Best Christmas Fruitcake
4.8
Ingredients
- Prep
- 35 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 1525 min
Instructions
- 1 Gather all ingredients.
- 2 Soak the fruit: Place cranberries, currants, cherries, mango, and citron into a medium bowl and stir to combine. Pour in rum and mix again. Cover tightly, and store at room temperature for at least 24 hours.
- 3 When ready to make the fruitcake, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Cut a 6-inch circle of parchment paper. Spray a 6x3-inch round pan with cooking spray. Place the parchment circle in the bottom of the pan, and spray it with cooking spray.
- 4 Beat butter and brown sugar in a large bowl until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg until incorporated.
- 5 Whisk flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda together in a large bowl; set aside. Stir molasses and milk together in a separate bowl until well combined. Add flour mixture to butter mixture in 3 batches, alternating with molasses and milk mixture, beating batter briefly after each addition.
- 6 Stir in soaked fruit and pecans. Scrape batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top.
- 7 Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.
- 8 While the fruitcake is baking, cut one piece parchment paper and one piece cheesecloth, each large enough to wrap around the cake.
- 9 Remove fruitcake from the oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then drizzle 2 tablespoons rum over top.
- 10 Moisten the cheesecloth with 1 tablespoon rum. Place it on top of the parchment paper, and unmold fruitcake onto it. Brush the top and sides of fruitcake with remaining 3 tablespoons rum.
- 11 Wrap the cheesecloth closely to the surface of the cake, then wrap with the parchment paper.
- 12 Transfer the wrapped fruitcake to airtight container or tin. Seal the container and let age at room temperature for at least 10 weeks (if possible) before serving.
- 13 Enjoy!
By Karen Uffelman