Love it or hate it, fruitcake is one of Christmastime’s most iconic foods. I make no apologies for being one who loves it, and over the years I’ve amassed quite a collection of recipes from sources near and far.While we might credit our Irish mother or grandmother with carrying on the holiday fruitcake-making tradition, both of these recipes deviate from the heavy ones we might have known (and loved/hated) and are more like mini pound cakes filled with fruit and nuts. You’ll find more traditional versions in my Festive Flavors of Ireland cookbook, along with other holiday favorites. To order signed copies, visit irishcook.com.
MINI GOLDEN FRUITCAKES
Makes 20 mini loaves
I bake these little loaves in a mini 8-well loaf pan (wells measure 2 3/8" x 3 5/8" x 1 3/8") for holiday gift-giving, but you can use larger loaf pans (adjust baking time) if you don’t have one of these specialty pans. I discovered the recipe many years ago at King Arthur Baking Company and it’s now my “go-to” holiday cake.
For the cakes
2 cups dried cranberries
2 cups mixed dried fruit (raisins, currants, dates, apricots), chopped
1/2 cup brandy
8 ounces butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
*1/4 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia, vanilla extract, or orange oil
4 large eggs
3 3/4 cups flour
1 cup orange juice
1 3/4 cup chopped candied red cherries
2 cups diced pecans
For the glaze
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons brandy
4 tablespoons sugar
1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Coat the wells of a mini loaf pan with no-stick cooking spray.
2. Combine the dried fruit and brandy in glass bowl. Microwave for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir; let cool.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter, sugar, baking powder, salt, and Fiori di Sicilia (orange oil or vanilla) until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the flour, alternately with the orange juice. Stir in the reserved fruit, cherries, and nuts.
4. Working in batches, spoon the mixture into the prepared pan, filling each well about three-quarters full.
5. Bake for 30 to 33 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of one comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes. Invert the pan onto a wire rack. Repeat with remaining batter.
6. Make the glaze. Heat juice, brandy, and sugar in a small pan until sugar melts. Brush tops of warm cakes with glaze. Cool completely and then wrap in plastic; store in airtight container for up to 4 weeks.
* Fiori di Sicilia, available from kingarthurbaking.com, is a blend of citrus and vanilla
MINI BUNDT FRUITCAKES
Makes 24 mini cakes
I bake these little fruitcakes in a 12-well loaf mini pan, but you can use a mini cupcake pan if you don’t have one of these specialty pans (adjust baking time). You can also use the glaze from the above recipe to coat the cakes if you wish.
4 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup crushed pineapple, undrained
1/4 cup each golden raisins, dates, raisins, and dried cranberries, chopped
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup fruit and peel mix
2 tablespoon dark rum
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat the wells of a 12-well mini-Bundt pan (or mini cupcake pan) with no-stick baking spray.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, salt, and vanilla until smooth.
3. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the flour until blended. Stir in the pineapple, fruits, nuts, fruit and peel mix, and rum. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan, filling each about three-quarters full.
4. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center of one comes out clean.
5. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Invert the pan onto a wire rack. Let cakes cool completely. At serving time, dust with confectioners’ sugar.
Margaret Johnson’s “Recipes” page now includes “Ireland Hopping: Adventures in Food, Drink, and Travel.” For further details on her work, including how to order her cookbooks, visit irishcook.com
