We recently asked, “What’s the key to a great fruitcake?” Here are some of your responses:
Lots of dried fruit and a generous soak for months in cognac. —Lynn W.
Quality of ingredients. Do not use that packaged fruitcake dried fruit gunk that you see in the grocery during the holidays. Order the dried orange and lemon peels, etc., from King Arthur Flour. Douse with high-end alcohol. Only the very best. —Mayhill F.
If you relish a good fruitcake, you know the secret: Good—really good—bourbon. Bourbon for the cake, and bourbon for the baker. —Henriette H.
Orange juice in the batter and golden raisins added to the fruit mix. Makes an irresistible cake. —Margaret K.
The key is to buy a Claxton one. I toured their facility in the 1970s when I was in college. I buy one every year for old times’ sake and also because they are so good. —Karen H.
Dark rum, lots of rum, and then some more rum. —Dan O.
Bourbon. Also, I sometimes make fruitcake cookies instead of cake. It’s a great substitute that is sometimes more welcomed and is a little different. —Salina L.
My grandmother always soaked an old (clean!) dish towel in bourbon, wrapped the fruitcake in the towel, and let it sit in a cake tin from just before Thanksgiving until “the cake cutting” at Christmastime. Even a not-so-good cake was improved by this technique. —Rachel C.
The right proportion of nuts to fruit. Toasted southern pecans will balance the fruity sweetness and add a delicious texture too. —Dawn D.
The gift bag it came in so I can re-gift it. —Jim B.