Bourbon Fruitcake

Growing up I was never a fan of fruitcake. I remember my Great Aunt Alma would make my dad a fruitcake and send it to him every year for Christmas. He would keep it in a tin container with a lid in the top of his closet. When he wanted a slice he would take it off the top shelf, open the lid, unwrap the cheesecloth wrapping and cut off a slice. That cake would sit up in his closet for weeks. I thought it very odd and it smelled even stranger. I have never been a fan of those weird tasting green cherries, so to me the fruit in fruitcake was just too strange.

Years later, when I married a teacher, one of his students made him a fruitcake for Christmas. My past memories of fruitcake came flooding back and I wasn't sure I wanted to revisit the holiday treat. But, since I considered this such a thoughtful gesture, I tried the fruitcake. I was pleasantly surprised. It did not contain some of the usual ingredients including those dreaded green cherries.

Becoming a "new" fan of fruitcake, over the years, I have tried a few different recipes. This year I ventured into altering a recipe I found. I really love fruit and wanted to find one with lots of fruit. Traditionally these holiday favorites contain more fruit than cake.

Below you will find my latest version of a Bourbon Fruitcake. We are Native Kentuckians and in Kentucky, bourbon is a highly sought after commodity. We are not drinkers, but we love to use it in cooking.

The original recipe called for Almonds, of which I am allergic, green cherries, citron which is not easy to find, raisins, cocoa and walnuts. I substituted dried apricots for the citron, switched walnuts to pecans and increased the amount, eliminated the cocoa, eliminated the green cherries, instead of currants we used craisins and substituted regular raisins for golden raisins.

We were pleased with the final product. My husband is my taste tester and it met his standards!

Bourbon Fruitcake

1 cup chopped candied orange peel

1 cup dried apricots

1 cup chopped candied pineapple

1 cup halved red cherries

1 cup dried craisins

1 cup chopped dates

1 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup orange juice

3/4 cup bourbon whiskey

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 cups butter, at room temperature

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

6 egg yolks

3/4 applesauce

1/2 cup bourbon whiskey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup molasses

6 egg whites

Directions

Day 1

On the first day combine the candied orange peel, dried apricots, candied pineapple, red cherries, craisins, raisins, and pecans. Combine the orange juice and the 2/3 cup bourbon; pour over the fruit and nuts. Stir and then cover tightly. Let the fruit marinate in a cool place for 1 full day, or at least 20 hours.

Day 2

On the second day, line two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans with parchment paper on the bottom of the pans and grease the inside with cooking spray. ( Used a round pan and loaf pan for this recipe).

Combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, ginger, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and stir with a whisk to blend.

In a separate large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until light and fluffy using an electric mixer. Stir in the egg yolks until blended and then mix in the applesauce, the 1/2 cup bourbon, and vanilla until fluffy. Continue stirring, and add the flour mixture gradually until well blended. Add the molasses and stir to combine. When the batter is thoroughly mixed, gently mix in the fruit and nut mixture with all of its juices.

In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites with an electric mixer until they can hold a stiff peak. Fold egg whites into the batter. Divide evenly between the prepared pans. Cover loosely with a towel and let the batter stand overnight in a cool, dry place.

Day 3

On the third Day, preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Place a large baking pan on the bottom shelf and pour boiling water into it until almost full. Place baking sheet on the center shelf and place the fruit cakes on the baking sheet.

Bake for 2-1/2 hours in a preheated oven. Check the water level and refill if needed. Cover the cakes with a sheet of parchment paper, taking care not to let it touch the shelf. Continue to bake until a knife or tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour more. Cool fruitcakes in the pans, set over a wire rack. Once cool, remove the cakes from the pans, and leave the parchment paper on. Sprinkle with more bourbon if desired and wrap in cheesecloth soaked in bourbon. Place in a sealed container, in a cool place.

This will keep several weeks. Serve when ready. We typically make some to eat throughout the holidays and some to serve our guests at Christmas!