Food Network
Home> Recipes> Holidays and Parties>
Free Range Fruitcake Recipe

Free Range Fruitcake

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate This RecipeRead users' reviews (211)

Browse Reviews by Keywordnew!

Loading review filters...

COMMENT ON THIS PROJECT

    

Sign in

All fields are required.

E-mail Address:

Password:

Remember me on this computer

Signing in

Please enter your email address and we will send your password

E-mail Address

Your password has been sent and should arrive in your mailbox very soon.

Not a member?

Sign up for My Food Network to share photos, show off your style, and connect to an enthusiastic and helpful community.

It's free and easy.

Review This Recipe

You must be logged in to review this recipe.

or Sign Up to Review

Average Rating:

Total Reviews: 211

Showing 101-110 of 211

Sort by:

Newest

  • on December 28, 2009

    Flag

    After two years of fruitcake anxiety I decided to try Alton's recipe. This is a stellar fruitcake and I'll serve it to anyone who tells me a fruitcake joke from now on. I wasn't sure from the recipe how to store it while applying the brandy spritzings. I kept it in a tupperware container, shoebox sized, lined with a parchment strip the width of the container and overlapping the top of the cake, so I could easily lift the cake out of the box by the parchment flaps. This worked well. Once I determined I'd spritzed enough (actually, basted with a pastry brush, I kept the cake in the tupperware until I started serving it, then wrapped it in foil. Three weeks storage would have been better than two. This cake just gets better with time..

    people found this review Helpful.
    Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No

  • on December 25, 2009

    Flag

    This was a fantastic recipe that I just couldn't resist. I only had half a cup of Rum, so I used half a cup of Rum and half a cup of water. It was great! And I also left out the nuts, which turned out DELICIOUS!!! Try it. You will fall head over heals.

    people found this review Helpful.
    Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No

  • on December 25, 2009

    Flag

    It is Christmas morning & after aging this cake since Thanksgiving weekend it was time for the 1st tasting. I was not disappointed. This recipe produces the best fruitcake I have ever had & considering my years, that has been alot of fruitcake! Following the recipe from the Good Eats episode; I cut it at about 1/2 inch and toasted (electric toaster. I let it cool off for 1 minute then spread on some marscopone cheese and it is the best holiday breakfast ever! One note from the recipe; using an oven thermometer I put the cooking heat about 10 degrees higher so that the cake sets properly without overcooking. Spritzing every 3 days with brandy makes this cake delectable upon completion. Try it and you will love it!!!!
    Happy Holidays!

    people found this review Helpful.
    Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No

  • on December 24, 2009

    Flag

    This recipe sounds SUPER delicious (you have no idea how much I'd love to get away from those glow-in-the-dark fake fruits! but I am allergic to nuts. I find it interesting that Alton addresses sulfide allergies in his episode but not nut allergies.... Does anyone have any nut-free substitutions/suggestions for this recipe? I want to try cooking this recipe, but I'd really like to be able to eat it too....

    Any help?

    people found this review Helpful.
    Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No

  • on December 22, 2009

    Flag

    This recipe was by far the easiest fruit cake recipe I have ever used. The cake was moist and tasty. I will certainly use this recipe again!! Thank You Alton!

    people found this review Helpful.
    Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No

  • on December 22, 2009

    Flag

    I've been making this almost every year since it was aired. Everyone seems to like it (even those who claim they don't like fruitcake.

    I don't like the texture of the currants so I replace them with dark raisins. Occasionally I can't find dried blueberries, but if you have to leave out a fruit here or there, it's still good.

    It also makes great muffins. I think the muffins cook faster so I start checking them around 30 minutes.

    people found this review Helpful.
    Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No

  • on December 22, 2009

    Flag

    You might try lowering your Oven Temp 5-10 Deg. and using a thermometer to check for doneness. Although I'm so bold as to suggest this, I don't know what temp to look for. With most yeast bread it's done at about 190. I would shoot for maybe 180-185 with a "batter bread".
    Can't wait to try this. Sounds wonderful

    people found this review Helpful.
    Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No

  • on December 22, 2009

    Flag

    I made fifteen of these cakes this year to give as gifts to family and friends. This is an extrememly easy cake to make and comes out moist and delicious with a complexity of flavor that would be impossible to find in a store bought fruitcake. Even people woh "Don't like fruitcake" become converts after tasting this cake. It is somewhat expensive to make; I spent around $200.00 on dried fruit, nuts and spices, but the results are well worth the expense.
    I also found that the recipe as written makes two loaves when using a standard loaf pan. I doubled the recipe and made four at a time, or one butdt pan and one loaf pan at a time.
    I substituted spiced rum for the regular dark rum and used Apricot Brandy for basting the cakes. YUM!
    Bake these over Thanksgiving weekend and baste every few days until Christmas week and they will be just perfect!

    people found this review Helpful.
    Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No

  • on December 22, 2009

    Flag

    The so-called "fruitcake" of my childhood, with bitter gelatinous lumps masquerading as fruit, had nearly scared me away from fruitcake for good - but my naive palette was rescued from an needlessly fruitcake-free holiday when I saw the episode of good eats that showed free range fruitcake.
    Real fruit?
    Rum?!
    I was sold.
    I've made it every year. I love it. I play with the fruit, too. Some times it's figs and dates and currants, sometimes it's cranberries, raisins and cherries. You can also use walnuts, hazelnuts, etc. Whatever you do, it's better than that candied citron abomination. Gag.
    I am a bit more extravagant with the liquor. I use brandy and rum (dark rum to mascerate the fruit - and I poke wee holes in the finished loaf and sneak more liquor into the depth of it's fruity goodness. I like my loaf to bite back!
    A note to the alcohol-avoiders - baking the cake gets rid of nearly all alcohol. If you don't go back and add alcohol after it's baked, I would say you're pretty safe. You still get the loverly flavors (yes, loverly but none of the bite.

    people found this review Helpful.
    Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No

  • on December 21, 2009

    Flag

    This will be my fourth or fifth time making this fruitcake. My family and friends love it. I have an individual bundt cake pan and they seem to like that better than slicing off of a loaf. Not sure why, but I oblige.
    To Mr. David in Utah, maybe try making the fruitcake in muffin tins or smaller individual loaf pans. Just a suggestion.

    people found this review Helpful.
    Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No
« Previous 1... 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 ... 22 Next »
Advertisement
[an error occurred while processing this directive]

See More Recipes Like This From Food.com

Food Network Store

Browse More Products

Free Recipe of the Day Newsletter

Let Food Network chefs plan what's for dinner, with quick and easy recipes delivered to your inbox daily.

Food Network Food Network
© 2013 Television Food Network G.P. All rights reserved.