MRS. MACKINNON'S CHRISTMAS FRUITCAKE

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Mrs. Mackinnon's Christmas Fruitcake image

The cake takes its name from the wife of Jack Turner's former headmaster, but the recipe is reportedly an ancient Scottish one. Aluminum foil stands in for the traditional newspaper.

Categories     Cake     Rum     Egg     Dessert     Bake     Christmas     Currant     Raisin     Bon Appétit     Vegetarian     Pescatarian     Peanut Free     Tree Nut Free     Soy Free     Kosher

Yield Makes 12 servings

Number Of Ingredients 16

2 1/2 cups golden raisins (about 12 ounces)
2 cups dark raisins (about 9 ounces)
1 3/4 cups dried currants (about 8 ounces)
1 3/4 cups chopped glacéed fruits (such as red cherries, pineapple, and apricots)
3/4 cup chopped candied orange peel
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup plus 6 tablespoons dark rum
2 teaspoons each grated orange and lemon peels
1 teaspoon Lyle's Golden Syrup or light molasses
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup self-rising flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups (packed) dark brown sugar
5 large eggs

Steps:

  • Mix first 6 ingredients in large saucepan. Add 1/2 cup rum; bring to simmer over medium heat, stirring often. Remove from heat. Mix in grated orange and lemon peels, syrup, and baking soda. Let stand until fruit mixture absorbs liquid, stirring often, about 1 hour.
  • Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 10-inch-diameter springform pan, then line bottom and sides of pan with parchment; butter parchment. Sift both flours and salt into medium bowl. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until well blended. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Add flour mixture; beat until just blended. Stir in fruit mixture. Transfer batter to pan. Cover pan with foil.
  • Bake cake 2 hours. Reduce oven temperature to 275°F; continue to bake covered until tester inserted into center comes out clean but slightly moist, about 30 minutes longer. Transfer to rack; remove foil. Pierce top of cake all over with skewer. Drizzle 6 tablespoons rum very gradually over cake. Cool completely in pan. Cut around pan sides to loosen; remove pan sides. (Can be made 3 weeks ahead. Wrap in foil; chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.)

Model Fk
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I've never made fruitcake before, but this recipe was easy to follow. I'm really happy with how it turned out!


Yasmin Fatai
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This fruitcake is a great way to use up leftover fruit. I added some dried cranberries and raisins, and it turned out delicious.


Singura Grace
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I'm not a big fan of fruitcake, but I tried this recipe and was pleasantly surprised. It's not too sweet and the candied fruits are not overpowering.


Rachel Cramer
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This fruitcake is very time-consuming to make, but it's worth the effort. It's a delicious and festive cake that's perfect for Christmas.


Ram Meetoo
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I followed the recipe exactly, but my cake turned out dry and crumbly. I'm not sure what went wrong.


Robert Blunt false arrest
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This fruitcake is a bit boozy for my taste, but it's still very good.


Samrat Kshetri
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I made this fruitcake for my friends and they all raved about it. They said it was the best fruitcake they'd ever had.


Usamamubarak Official
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This is the best fruitcake recipe I've ever tried. The cake is moist and flavorful, and the candied fruits are perfectly balanced.


olivier Szymanski
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I've been making this fruitcake every Christmas for the past 10 years. It's my family's favorite!


Terry Brown
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This fruitcake was a hit at our Christmas party! Everyone loved the moist, flavorful cake and the colorful candied fruits. It was a lot of work to make, but it was definitely worth it.