Penn Herb Wellness Guide

Drunken Fruit Cake

Related recipes: Desserts, Holiday and Festive
Drunken Fruit Cake: Main Image

Quick Facts

Servings: 12
Prep Time: 60 min.
Cook Time: 1 hr. 20 min.
Total: 2 hr. 20 min.
Angie McGowan
For a fruit cake that won't disappoint, continually baste with cherry brandy and store for two weeks before eating!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup golden raisins
  • 1 cup currants
  • 1 6 oz bag, dried cranberries
  • 1 4 oz bag, dried blueberries
  • 1 5 oz bag, dried cherries
  • 1/6 cup dried apricots, chopped
  • 1/6 cup dried pineapple, chopped
  • 1/6 cup dried mangos, chopped
  • 1 lemon, zested and zest chopped
  • 1 orange, zested and zest chopped
  • 1/4 cup candied ginger, chopped
  • 1 cup spiced rum
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter
  • 1 cup unfiltered apple cider
  • 4 whole cloves, ground
  • 6 allspice berries, ground
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped
  • Cherry brandy for basting and/or spritzing

Directions

  • Combine all the dried fruits, the zests, and the candied ginger in a large bowl. Add the rum and let them macerate overnight.
  • Add the fruit and rum the next day to a non-reactive saucepan. Add sugar, butter, apple cider, and spices. Bring mixture to a boil while stirring constantly. Boil for 10 minutes over medium heat. Let this mixture cool completely.
  • Preheat oven to 400F. Chop the pecans and roast until fragrant, about 510 minutes. Turn heat down to 325F.
  • Add fruit mixture into a large mixing bowl. Sift the dry ingredients into the fruit mixture. Stir until just combined. Stir in the eggs one at a time until incorporated. Fold in pecans.
  • Pour batter into a 10-inch, nonstick loaf pan or a well-greased loaf pan and bake for 1 hour at 325F. Cake is done when it passes the toothpick test.
  • Let the cake cool completely in the pan before removing. Place cake in an airtight container and baste with brandy.
  • Continue to baste every 23 days. The cake will be wonderful in about 2 weeks.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 622
  Calories from Fat 136 (22%)
(25%)Total Fat 16g
(34%)Saturated Fat 7g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 6g
(20%)Cholesterol 61mg
(28%)Sodium 677mg
(10%)Potassium 357mg
Total Carbohydrate 116g
(25%)Dietary Fiber 6g
Sugars 49g
Sugar Alcohols 0g
(10%)Protein 5g
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Nutrition facts are calculated by a food expert using nutritional values provided by the USDA for common products used as recipe ingredients. Actual nutritional values may differ depending on the amounts or products used and can be affected by cooking methods.

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The information presented here is for informational purposes only and was created by a team of USregistered dietitians and food experts. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires December 2025.