Free Range Fruitcake

Flag

Flag This Review?

You must provide a reason for flagging this review.

Please provide the reason why you think this review is inappropriate.

• Submit

or Cancel

I hate Fruitcake. I'll never forget my first taste, at my Aunt's house one Christmas a long time ago. It was the most disgusting thing I've ever tasted. Not any more! I made this for the first time this Christmas, and its now a staple. I made 20 mini loaves (5 per batch to give away as gifts, and boy am I popular now! I subbed a few of the fruits that I couldn't find, but just made sure I had the full aggregate amount. Forgot to stir in the nuts in one batch and, while it wasn't fatal, it sure was better with them in there. Used AB's recipe for candied ginger, too, and saved a bunch of money. This is not inexpensive to make, but heck, its the holidays -- so go for it. As a matter of fact, this is now the end of February, and I loved it so much, I'm going to make one more batch just for me. I gave away too many. One tip: The results are WAY better if you macerate the fruit for 24 hours rather than microwaving. As AB says: Your patience will be rewarded.

Flag

Flag This Review?

You must provide a reason for flagging this review.

Please provide the reason why you think this review is inappropriate.

• Submit

or Cancel

My daughter and I have made this recipe three years in a row now and the family loves it. My mother used to make fruit cake for the holidays and we now use this fruit cake as one of the ways we honor her memory each year. Thanks for the great recipe and we think its great that you have the video with it as well.

Flag

Flag This Review?

You must provide a reason for flagging this review.

Please provide the reason why you think this review is inappropriate.

• Submit

or Cancel

Just made it, my kitchen smelled heavenly while it was baking. Will have to wait a few weeks to taste it., so far I can't make a full rating, so I will add to this review later this month. I had a piece on Christmas Eve, and I couldn't believe how good it was. This is a definately a keeper, 5+ stars. Made it again in 2012, still great. Thank you Alton for a great recipe. Nancy M.

Flag

Flag This Review?

You must provide a reason for flagging this review.

Please provide the reason why you think this review is inappropriate.

• Submit

or Cancel

So when asked what she wanted for Christmas, my mother-in-law says a fruitcake. I'm thinking one of those disgusting things with day-glo fruit and foodie/cook in me said "NO WAY!" That is when I started looking for recipes and found this one! It was delicious! My mother-in-law LOVED it! She was thrilled to get it! We all had some on Christmas day and it was excellent! I will definitely make this again for her next year and I made it just like AB said and it turned out perfectly! Thanks again for another winner, AB!

Flag

Flag This Review?

You must provide a reason for flagging this review.

Please provide the reason why you think this review is inappropriate.

• Submit

or Cancel

After searching and reading almost every fruitcake recipe on the internet, I decided to try this one and I am so happy I did! Everyone loved it!! I had a 9 inch (not 10 loaf pan, so it made one large loaf and one mini-loaf and they are both awesome. I did use ground spices, instead of the whole because I had already had the ground, I couldn't find whole, and I had already spent enough money on all of the dried fruit. But I am glad I did the unfiltered apple juice, it produced a bit deeper taste than plain would have. This is a fantastic recipe...awesome!

Flag

Flag This Review?

You must provide a reason for flagging this review.

Please provide the reason why you think this review is inappropriate.

• Submit

or Cancel

This recipe is simply the best fruitcake you will ever eat. After macerating the fruit in spiced rum, the cooking process unleashes an aroma that will absolutely knock your socks off. I'm a stickler for following Alton's recipes, and the results are ALWAYS phenomenal. Make the effort to use fresh spices. My mortar and pestle is very handy for Alton's recipes. I can a lot of jams and jellies, and I'm considering doing a run of the fruit and rum to can for next year, just to see what happens. There's enough alcohol in the mix that I'm sure if it's hot packed and water bathed for 10 minutes, it should keep just fine until time to bake another round of cakes. I doubled the recipe, and came up with enough to make 2 loaves and 12 cupcakes. I upped the quantity of nuts to 2 cups of toasted pecans, and it was the perfect amount. The toothpick came out clean on the cupcakes at 40 minutes, and the loaves in 1.5 hours. I will be making this recipe for many years to come.

Flag

Flag This Review?

You must provide a reason for flagging this review.

Please provide the reason why you think this review is inappropriate.

• Submit

or Cancel

We HATE fruitcake! However, we LOVE this cake! I doubled the batch and used spiced rum both in the recipe and as a spritzer. With that minor adjustment, I followed the recipe exactly. I knew we would not be able to wait the several days suggested, so I made a pan of mini muffins. I over cooked it slightly, but the flavor is still there. I'm sending some to my father-in-law for Christmas and my hope is that by the time he eats it the flavors will be developed. I plan to continue spritzing it until my husband takes it on the plane with him. This recipe is easy and delicious. Thanks AB!

Flag

Flag This Review?

You must provide a reason for flagging this review.

Please provide the reason why you think this review is inappropriate.

• Submit

or Cancel

Well! I am over the moon! I am an experienced cook, and was still afraid to attempt a fruit cake. What if it was a stinker? What if I messed it up?? Glad to say that I nailed it!! This recipe rocks! Even with me substituting some of the fruit that certain whiners in the family didn't like, such as blueberries, and me adding in dried pineapple and chopped figs it turned out fantastic. Thanks Alton for the recipe! I will NOT kill myself looking for an Ann Page fruitcake again!!

Flag

Flag This Review?

You must provide a reason for flagging this review.

Please provide the reason why you think this review is inappropriate.

• Submit

or Cancel

I used a normal sized bundt cake pan and it cooked in one hour and 10 minutes. Adding more nuts, helps to absorb some of the moisture in the cake and will abate any of the problems that some people are complaining that it is gloppy in the middle, mine was not, used one cup of nuts! I left out the candied ginger, it is hard to find and doesnt impart that much flavor, I added some fresh grated ginger and an extra tsp of sugar and a little extra ground ginger. There are a lot of flavors competing here so I didnt miss the candied ginger as much as I would have had it been in another recipe that called for fewer spices. I used all dried ground spices, no whole spices here, again hard to come by. With the above changes, this cake was FABULOUS!! It leaves room for many changes in regards to spices, fruits etc...as long as the amts are close to what they should be. A must try cake, AB you did it again!!!

Flag

Flag This Review?

You must provide a reason for flagging this review.

Please provide the reason why you think this review is inappropriate.

• Submit

or Cancel

The absolute best fruitcake I have ever eaten. No that's not fair because I would never eat more than a piece of fruitcake until I tried this. Thanks Alton, a real winner destined to be a holiday favorite.