Dark Fruitcake

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 07/27/21
dark fruitcake
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Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 3 hrs
Total: 3 hrs 20 mins
Servings: 24 servings
Yield: 2 10-inch fruitcakes

This fruitcake is a dark fruitcake with candied fruits, dates, nuts, and molasses. This is an excellent holiday fruitcake. Wrap the fruitcake in cheesecloth and then plastic wrap and store it for a few weeks to mellow; brush with brandy once a week. ​

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Ingredients

  • 2 pounds red and green candied cherries, halved

  • 2 pounds candied pineapple

  • 1 pound candied citron, or candied orange and lemon peels, diced

  • 1 pound pitted dates, chopped

  • 1 pound raisins

  • 1 (16-ounce) can pitted sour cherries, drained

  • 1 pound pecans, chopped

  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons brandy, plus more for brushing

  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

  • 1/2 cup molasses

  • 5 cups (22 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

  • 1 teaspoon allspice

  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg

  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves

  • 1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

  • 2 cups light brown sugar, packed

  • 7 large eggs, at room temperature

  • 1 (12-ounce) jar apple jelly

  • Cooking spray, or butter, for greasing pan

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Prepare fruit mixture a day in advance. Combine fruits and nuts in a large bowl with brandy, vanilla, and molasses. Cover tightly and let stand overnight or up to 48 hours.

  3. Sift together the dry ingredients and set aside.

  4. In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

  5. Add eggs, 2 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in apple jelly; blend well.

  6. Add the fruit and nut mixture alternately with the sifted dry ingredients, using a heavy wooden spoon and/or hands for stirring. Stir until well blended.

  7. Generously grease 2 tube cake pans (10-inch), then line with waxed paper or parchment and grease again.

  8. Fill pans about 3/4 full. Bake at 250 F for 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

  9. After 3 hours, begin testing cakes with toothpick or cake tester. The pick should come out clean when inserted in center of cake.

  10. Cool in pans on racks then turn out of pans and carefully peel off paper.

  11. Wrap cakes in cheesecloth and sprinkle generously with more of the brandy.

  12. Seal cakes in food storage bags or plastic wrap.

  13. Brush cakes once a week with more brandy and reseal. These fruitcakes should be mellowed for at least 4 weeks and they can be frozen after that amount of time.

Tip

  • Fruitcake may be frozen for longer storage. Or wrap a well-soaked fruitcake in foil and bury it in a container of powdered sugar. Keep it in a cool place.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
935 Calories
23g Fat
178g Carbs
8g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 24
Amount per serving
Calories 935
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 23g 30%
Saturated Fat 7g 33%
Cholesterol 75mg 25%
Sodium 110mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 178g 65%
Dietary Fiber 6g 20%
Total Sugars 116g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 4mg 20%
Calcium 95mg 7%
Iron 3mg 19%
Potassium 568mg 12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)