December 16, 2008 - 2:20pm
Fruit cake
Having baked my holiday stollen just recently, I am beginning to take a look at fruit cake. With the exception of baking soda and the large quantities of fruit it seems like a heavy duty stollen.
They say to let it ripen for 25 yrs but to take it out periodically for rewrapping. Has anyone ever gone for a year or more in aging and how often do you take it out.
What is the longest people have aged fruit cake?
All comments welcomed.
cb
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My fruitcake probably would have lasted longer...but we just kept eating it...so the longest it has lasted is a little over a year...it does get better with age!
Sylvia
My father would say his fruitcake never gets older than trash day. He hates fruitcake, and made the mistake of telling people that, so now he gets piles of them every year.
I think fruit cake is a love-hate thing depending on the person.
Large numbers of people are like Gaaarp's dad, can't stand to have them in the house.
You may be aware that there is an annual fruitcake launching festival, too.
I am one of the few odd ball people perhaps, because I happen to like fruitcakes, especially the famous ones from down in Texas.
Bob
I agree with you Bob, thay make an excellent fruit cake.
For Those who dislike the gooey fruitcake with colored things, try the British cake which is more a poundcake cake with currants, raisins etc. I use the Delia Smith online version (google) and it is great. She also has a recipe for Dundee Cake which is more like white fruitcake.
I agree I never use those horrible 'colored things' well put...my mum used to be very clear about that colored rind...what an awful taste and how it would ruin a good fruitcake...I make a white FC and use only the best dried fruits and nuts...I do use a candied lemon and orange rind that I make from my own trees and I never use anything with corn syrup for sweetner and we have wonderful nut farms locally...I think if a fruitcake is made with the best ingredients...it's wonderful...I've never bought a fruitcake that I could eat...years ago a neighbor used to proudly give us one of his homemake ones every year...I just couldn't eat it!! I now make an English Fruitcake cookie everyear for a gift for my son in law...it's his favorite...they are fresh baked and have no alcohol so that everyone enjoys them...there is never any left...you can't eat just one!
I understand why a lot a people including me do not like certain FC's...I would have to say they have never had a really good one...they are far and few inbetween!
Sylvia
It's hard enough for me to wait 1 week while basting my fruitcake. Then eating it is like having an after dinner brandy - yum.
KP
I've made a "Hungarian style" fruitcake...it has golden and dark raisins, dried apricots, hazelnuts, and almonds, and just a bit of batter to hold it all together. No candied fruit or citrus rind. Haven't made it in a few years...my holiday baking finally ended tonight and now it's time to do the cards and the letter. Lately I've been focusing on miniature gourmet-style cookies, which i give as gifts.
Hmm. Might be time to make the fruitcake for a New Year's treat?
Windi
my favorite Christmas joke...something that actually happened to me.
Back in my college days, a friend and I attended a Christmas concert in a small church, and were invited to stay afterwards for refreshments. Of course I headed straight for the baked goods.
"Look!" I said to my friend, waving a piece of German iced raisin bread filled with marzipan in front of his nose. "This is stollen!"
"Oh," he responded disinterestedly. "Well then, you better give it back."
(ok, you can all groan now).
Happy Holidays,
Windi