Free Range Fruitcake

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The biggest problem I have with traditional fruitcake is the flavor, not so much the candied fruit (except for citron, yuck. I was very excited to try this recipe, thinking it would taste different than regular, but It still had that taste that I dislike. That combination of spices is just not for me. No one in my family liked it, not even my husband who will eat anything. I guess fruitcake will never be on our Christmas table. We still love YOU though, Alton!!!

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This is a wonderful fruitcake. I don't bake very often, so there were a lot of ingredients I didn't have, including a 10" loaf pan. After purchasing all ingredients, the cost was $73.00. The cost out weighs the wonderfulness of the cake.

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I have used this recipe for the last two years. I do not like fruitcake, but I like this dried fruit cake.

Everyone who has tried it has loved it. My friend from England says it is more like what she was accustomed to as a child.

The only change I made was to use orange juice instead of apple juice - only because I did not have any apple juice.

Truly a keeper.

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I always hated fruit cake because of those yucky jellied cherries. When I watched Alton make this fruit cake I thought "I could eat this!" It was wonderful. I used spiced rum and already ground spices that I had. I'm sure it would be a lot better with fresh spices, but I was trying to watch the cost. I made it in a square 8x8 pan and it was incredible! Alton you are a genius!! Thank you, thank you, thank you. I'm make more tonight for my family!

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I get tons of recipes online and this is the first one that I've felt compelled to review. I followed the recipe except for the following modifications: Ground allspice instead of berries, clear rum instead of gold, and while the fruit macerated I added a vanilla bean pod that I'd saved after scraping out the seeds for another recipe. I wrapped it in foil and let it age on top of my refrigerator for three weeks, brushing with brandy every 4-5 days. Served it with marscarpone cheese and bloody marys on NY's day during the Outback Bowl (Go Hawkeyes!. I have a family full of food snobs and they were practically rolling on the floor, writhing with delight. Awesome, awesome recipe.

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The best fruitcake my husband and I have ever tasted! After watching this episode I had to make this cake. I allowed the dried fruit to macerate overnight in dark rum rather than golden rum, used fresh spices, except that I added 3/4 tsp ground allspice rather than the directed allspice berries, and eliminated all nuts. After baking, I brushed the cake with brandy a few times in the first week and kept it well covered and refrigerated. Then we had our first bite and were thrilled with the taste of this delicious, moist, not-too-sweet holiday dessert. I could, but I won't, eat the whole cake in one day.

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My husband and father-in law love fruitcake, and this is their favorite by far. We saw it featured in a "Good Eats" episode three years ago, and I tried the recipe immediately. It was a huge hit, and is now considered the favorite Christmas gift, especially by my father-in law. It is hard to shop for him, so I'm very pleased to have found something that never fails to brighten his holiday.

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I baked this two days ago and it is beautiful to look at. I baked it in my bundt pan and this cake would feed an army. I made two changes that I hope will not ruin it. I used apple cider and I used spiced rum. I will add a comment after Christmas Day when all will be revealed.

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My husband and I couldn't wait to try and taste this cake once it was out of the oven, since the smell was fabulous. We definitely weren't disappointed! I think it even tasted better than the expensive fruitcakes my Mom has been buying from a specialty vendor.

I would recommend taking the time to at least purchase fresh spices and let the fruit sit overnight. I bought a small amount of fresh spices in bulk and crushed the cloves and allspice with whatever I could find in my kitchen that looked like it might work. Even bought fresh nuts, toasted them and used the 1 cup maximum which made a big difference, I think. Went very easy on the brandy as I'm pregnant, but the alcohol tasted negligible. (The rum probably all baked off.

Very simple cake as long as you follow directions and are willing to wait a few days for it to all be done. Watching the episode helped a lot, too. As AB often says, "Your patience will be rewarded!"

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My husband and parents love fruitcake, but not the candied fruit varities. I decided to try out Alton's recipe last week. My husband and I sampled a mini loaf after cooling. It was very flavorful and moist. I doubled the nuts and since I did not have golden rum, I used light rum and added 1tsp of vanilla to the rum and two tsp. of fresh orange juice. It gave it a wonderful mellow flavor. I can't wait until Christmas to sample the finished product. In fact I am making my second batch today. I doubled the recipe and have two large loaves and two medium loaves in the oven as I write this review.. Thanks Alton for the fantastic recipe. I can always count on your recipes to turn yield perfection.