Southern Fruitcake

20 ingredients
8 steps

Ingredients

  • Cooking spray
  • 2 1/4 cups chopped pecans
  • 1 2/3 cups chopped pitted dates
  • 1 1/2 cups raisins (you can use all dark or 3/4 cup each dark and golden)
  • 2/3 cup chopped candied orange peel
  • 2/3 cup chopped candied pineapple
  • 2/3 cup candied cherries, halved
  • 9 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 cups)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 1 cup bourbon, divided
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

  1. 1
    Preheat oven to 250°.
  2. 2
    Coat 2 (8 x 4-inch) loaf pans with cooking spray; line bottom and sides of pans with parchment paper. Coat parchment paper with cooking spray.
  3. 3
    Combine pecans and next 5 ingredients (through cherries) in a large bowl. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 1 cup flour to pecan mixture, tossing to coat.
  4. 4
    Combine 1 cup flour, cinnamon, and next 4 ingredients (through ginger) in a small bowl. Place butter and sugar in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed 3 minutes or until light and fluffy, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Add eggs and egg whites, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour-spice mixture; beat at medium speed until blended. Add 1/4 cup bourbon and extracts, beating at low speed until blended. Stir pecan mixture into batter.
  5. 5
    Spoon batter into prepared pans, pressing firmly to pack. Press a piece of parchment paper onto surface of batter in each pan.
  6. 6
    Add water to a 13 x 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish to a depth of 1 inch; place on bottom rack in oven. Place loaf pans on middle rack in oven. Bake at 250° for 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
  7. 7
    Remove top piece of parchment paper. Immediately pierce cakes several times with a long wooden pick, and brush 2 tablespoons bourbon over each cake. Cool completely in pans on a wire rack. Remove from pans.
  8. 8
    Cut 2 (18-inch) pieces of cheesecloth. Soak cheesecloth in 1/2 cup bourbon. Wrap a bourbon-soaked piece of cheesecloth around each cake, and place each cake in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal and store in a cool place at least 24 hours.

Products Matching These Ingredients

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Spray candy

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Cooking Spinach

Ocean Mist

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Pitted Prunes

Pitted Prunes

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Chopped Pecans

Spartan

Medium Black Pitted Olives

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Large Black Pitted Olives

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Olive oil cooking spray

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Cooking spray, butter

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Chopped pecans

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Shelled pecans

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