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Holiday Fruitcake

This is my favorite fruitcake, one that I have baked every Christmas for many years. My friend Joyce passed this recipe on to me after I raved about how good it was after I tasted it at her house.
Every year when the Christmas season approached I remember how my Mom would ask if I was baking fruitcake again and could she have some, wish I could still be baking for her.
Slices of this fruitcake are a pretty addition to any tray of goodies, not only does it look good it is filled with fruits, nuts, and coconut. What's not to like?
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 cups raisins..I used 1 1/2 cups raisins and 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1 1/2 cups coconut
  • 1/2 cup mixed glace fruit
  • 1 cup glace cherries I used 1/2 cup green cherries and 1/2 cup glace pineapple, sometimes I use half green and the other half red, your choice of what you like
  • 1 cup sliced almonds
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts I used 3/4 cup walnuts and 1/2 cup sliced filberts, again use whatever nuts you like
  • 200 g pkg of baking gums. They look like small gumdrops and are in the baking aisle at the grocery store.
1. Mix fruits, coconut, nuts and gumdrops in a large bowl and set aside.
2. In another bowl cream butter and sugar
3. Add eggs, vanilla, and almond extract, and blend until smooth
4. Combine flour and baking powder and add to the creamed mixture alternately with milk and mix        until well blended.
5. Pour over mixture of fruits, nuts, coconut, and gumdrops and stir until well combined
6. Divide between 4 small loaf pans (approx 7" x 3 1/2" x 2") double lined with waxed paper.
7. Bake in a 300ยบ oven for 1 1/2 hours
8. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack.
9. Freeze in freezer bags, leaving waxed paper on the loaves.

Happy Thanksgiving to our fellow Americans!

19 comments:

  1. my grandma would make this every year too!

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  2. This really looks like it would be a wonderful fruitcake to have during Christmas.

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  3. Hey Betty, you forgot to mention how your sister waits every year for this treat!!...lol
    Yep, it sure is yummy...can't wait to have a piece.

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  4. I love fruit cake, but am not a fan of cocoanut. Is there anything that you could substitute without altering the goodness of it

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  5. Last year I made Judy's and we loved it ..I think I may have one loaf left of hers wrapped and double wrapped in the freezer .. if it is gone .. I'll make yours next for sure.

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  6. This sounds like a fruit cake recipe I used to make. I know it is good. Thanks.

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  7. Ohh.. this looks soo good, Betty! I love white fruitcake. I remember the first Celiac Christmas I tried to make gluten-free fruitcake! Ohhmy!! It rose like the fairytale porridge and needless to say I ,and my girlfriend who was over, had quite the burned mess in my oven to clean up !! Turned me off fruitcake for several years, but I was thinking I'd like to try again this year, now that I am so infinitely wiser! giggle

    I'm with Anonymous about the coconut.. I don't think leaving it out would harm anything.

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  8. Yum! My mom makes this every Christmas.

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  9. and you didn't tell me you were making this because???

    ...I'm on the next bus to town

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  10. Anonymous..I agree with Julie, you could just leave out the coconut.. or you could fill the gap with extra raisins, fruit or nuts.
    And Julie..would love to see a gluten free version of this fruitcake!
    Norma..I will share with you:)
    Kaila..you just come on down..though I wish you luck on finding that bus..grin

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  11. Oh it does look so pretty. It almost makes me wish I liked fruitcake.

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  12. I have wanted to make fruit cake for the last several Christmas' but this is the first recipe that really seems like my family would enjoy it. I have two questions: 1. I have never seen baking gums, if they aren't available, what would you substitute? 2. Do you have to age this fruitcake before eating or freezing?

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  13. Coleen..1)I really like the addition of the baking gums but if you can't find them I would substitute with more glace cherries.
    2)You can eat this fruitcake right away and I freeze it without aging.

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    Replies
    1. I've substituted the red, green and white gum drop kind of candies(not JuJubes) that come out for Christmas, and they work great. I just cut them up to gum drop size. I've even frozen cut up ones I didn't use.

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  14. Oh this looks uber delicious (my son says I am too old to use that word but hey...grin)! I am only now learning to like my fruitcake...it sure is a must at Christmas time and this looks beautiful!

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  15. I LOVE LOVE LOVE fruitcake, though I have never made it. I like this because it doesn't need to be aged. No waiting!!!!

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  16. could I bake this cake in a 10-12 cup Bundt pan? if so how long and what temperature? Thanks!!
    This sounds like a delicious fruitcake.

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  17. I've never heard of or seen "baking gums" Is this the same thing as gumdrops? What else and how much could I substitute for these? Thanks.

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