A few years ago we tested out a bunch of vintage quick fruit cake recipes for the blog. This was the best of the bunch; quick, easy and good to eat right away. Andit’s even better after it isbeen wrapped in some alcohol-spiked cheesecloth. Enjoy!
This year for our Christmas baking we decided to throw all caution to the wind and to venture into the land of doorstops and vibrantly-colored, nuclear fruit.
That’s right. This year it’s fruit cake for all!
What’s funny is that during the mid-century, fruit cake was already considered a “grandma’s dessert” and the butt of many a joke. So we thought it would be interesting to test out a couple of recipes from magazine ads of the time to see what the interpretations of “hip” or “quick” fruit cakes of the day would be.
But we had to have a place to start, so we picked this classic Wesson Oil fruit cake recipe from an ad in a 1953 Better Homes & Gardens magazine.
AuthorRetroRuth
From Wesson Oil Test Kitchen
Recipe Test
1 cup oil
1 ½ cups packed brown sugar
4 Eggs
3 cups sifted flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp allspice
1 tsp cloves
1 cup pineapple, apple or orange juice
1 cup chopped candied pineapple
1 cup thinly sliced citron
1 ½ cups whole candied cherries
1 cup raisins
1 cup dried figs
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
2 cups coarsely chopped mixed nuts
1
Mix together oil, brown sugar and eggs in a bowl. Vigorously beat with a spoon or electric mixer for two minutes.
2
Sift together 2 cups of flour and rest of dry ingredients. Stir into oil mixture alternately with the juice.
3
Sift remaining cup of flour over combined fruits and nuts. Pour batter over fruit and mix.
4
Line 2 greased loaf pans with paper. Pour batter into pans. Place a pan of water on the lower rack of the oven.
5
Bake cakes for 2½ to 3 hours in a slow oven (275 degrees). *Mine took 2½ hours to bake*
6
Cool on racks without removing the paper. When cool, remove paper and seal in a covered container in a cool place to ripen.
CategoryBread and Rolls, Cake, Christmas, Desserts, Fruit, Fruit, Quick Bread, Raisins, Cooking MethodBakeTags#allspice, #applejuice, #bakingpowder, #brownsugar, #candiedcherries, #candiedpineapple, #cinnamon, #citron, #cloves, #driedfigs, #egg, #flour, #mixednuts, #oil, #orangejuice, #pineapplejuice, #raisins, #salt, #walnuts
Ingredients
1 cup oil
1 ½ cups packed brown sugar
4 Eggs
3 cups sifted flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp allspice
1 tsp cloves
1 cup pineapple, apple or orange juice
1 cup chopped candied pineapple
1 cup thinly sliced citron
1 ½ cups whole candied cherries
1 cup raisins
1 cup dried figs
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
2 cups coarsely chopped mixed nuts
Directions
1
Mix together oil, brown sugar and eggs in a bowl. Vigorously beat with a spoon or electric mixer for two minutes.
2
Sift together 2 cups of flour and rest of dry ingredients. Stir into oil mixture alternately with the juice.
3
Sift remaining cup of flour over combined fruits and nuts. Pour batter over fruit and mix.
4
Line 2 greased loaf pans with paper. Pour batter into pans. Place a pan of water on the lower rack of the oven.
5
Bake cakes for 2½ to 3 hours in a slow oven (275 degrees). *Mine took 2½ hours to bake*
6
Cool on racks without removing the paper. When cool, remove paper and seal in a covered container in a cool place to ripen.
Wesson’s Famous Fruit Cake
We mostly picked this because of the “famous” in the name. I assumed this meant that this recipe had been around for some time!
This was a really easy cake to put together. Actually, it wasn’t so much as a cake as a quick bread, like banana bread.
It even looks like banana bread batter! Except for the red and green cherries.
The biggest difference between this and banana bread was the incredibly long cooking time, similar to the long cooking time in our previous adventures into fruit cake (pork cake!).
But all-in-all, this bread came together quickly, smelled good while baking and looked pretty festive.
I don’t even mind the cherries that much!
“This is good. Tastes like a fruit and nut cake.”
The Verdict: Good
From The Testing Notes:
Good fruit and nut flavor. Not too moist, but not dry either. Cake itself is good, but not very spicy. Would benefit from extra spices and some rum or brandy! Good overall-would be very tasty as a breakfast bread.
FAQs
And in 2019 the Detroit News reported that a Michigan family treasured a then 141-year-old fruitcake as an heirloom. And you could theoretically still eat these century-old cakes without harm—if you can get past the nauseating, rancid smell.
How to age a Christmas fruit cake? ›
Let cake cool completely before brushing with rum and wrapping in cheesecloth, followed by plastic wrap and tin foil, then storing in a sealed plastic bag in a cool, dry area. Remove wrapping and brush cake top and sides with rum once a week. Let cake “age” for at least 3-4 weeks before cutting and serving.
What is Christmas special cake? ›
Christmas cake is an English tradition that began as plum porridge. A traditional English Christmas cake is made with moist Zante currants, sultanas (golden raisins) and raisins which have been soaked in brandy, rum, whisky or sherry.
Which fruit is usually used on top of a cake as decoration? ›
To make a fresh fruit cake with whipped cream topping you can use any these (topping as well as filling): Strawberries. Mango. Cherries.
What is the lifespan of a fruitcake? ›
How to Store Fruitcake Without Alcohol? Fruitcake without alcohol won't last as long, however, its shelf life can still be maximized through proper storage techniques. Our fruitcake can last up to one month on your countertop, four months in the fridge, and six months in the freezer.
Can fruitcake last 25 years? ›
It lasts longer than you think
According to Mental Floss, fruitcake has quite the shelf life. The tasty, holiday treat can age 25 years and still be enjoyed, as long as it's stored in an airtight container.
What alcohol is best in fruitcake? ›
Evenly pour 1.5 - 2 ounces of your favorite bourbon, rum, brandy, or cognac, over the fruitcake.
What is the best liquor to soak fruitcake in? ›
What alcohol should you use? Strong, flavourful spirits with a high ABV are ideal for feeding fruitcakes. You can use rum, brandy or whisky for spice, or if you like citrus flavours, try an orange liqueur. Cherry brandy and amaretto will also work well if you prefer these.
Should fruitcake be refrigerated? ›
For best quality, a fruit cake that is tightly wrapped with aluminum foil or saran warp can be stored for up to 1 month in a cool, dark pantry, 6 months in the refrigerator, and 12 months in a freezer. Check often for signs of spoilage, and if mold or off-odors develop, discard the cake.
What cake does Tom Cruise send at Christmas? ›
The famous “Tom Cruise Cake” is a white chocolate-coconut Bundt cake from Doan's Bakery in California. Every year, Tom Cruise gifts the decadent cake to his closest friends for the holidays.
Christmas cakes are also commonly made with pudding while a fruit cake uses butter, however there are Christmas cake recipes that do contain butter. The traditional Scottish Christmas cake, also known as the Whisky Dundee, is very popular. It is a light crumbly cake with currants, raisins, cherries and Scotch whisky.
What is another name for Christmas fruit cake? ›
Fruitcake was historically referred to as plum cake in England from around 1700.
What is slang for fruit cake? ›
Slang. a crazy or eccentric person; nut.
What is candied fruit for fruitcake called? ›
Candied fruit, also known as glacé fruit, is whole fruit, smaller pieces of fruit, or pieces of peel, placed in heated sugar syrup, which absorbs the moisture from within the fruit and eventually preserves it.
What is a dried fruit cake called? ›
Plum cake refers to a wide range of cakes usually made with dried fruits such as currants, raisins, sultanas, or prunes, and also sometimes with fresh fruits.
Can fruit cake last 100 years? ›
The chemical composition of the cake makes it possible to keep it for a 100 years. Indeed, its density prevents bacteria and mold to proliferate and its alcohol content makes it more sanitized, which also has an impact on its conservation.
What is the original fruitcake? ›
The Roman fruitcake was a mash of barley, honey, wine and dried fruit, often pomegranate seeds. What you might recognize as a modern-style fruitcake – a moist, leavened dessert studded with fruits and nuts – was probably first baked in the early Middle Ages in Europe.
What is the 141 year old fruitcake? ›
Michigan Family Holds On To 141-Year-Old Fruitcake : NPR. Michigan Family Holds On To 141-Year-Old Fruitcake They are keeping the fruitcake to honor Fidelia Ford, an ancestor who baked it in 1878. The cake doesn't set a record. The Detroit News says the record belongs to a cake found in an Egyptian tomb.
When was fruitcake invented? ›
100 A.D. A cake called “satura” was made during the Roman Empire by mixing stale bread with pine nuts, pomegranate seeds and raisins, then soaking it in barley mash and an alcoholic beverage brewed from honey. Roman soldiers snacked on these cakes because they preserved well.
AuthorRetroRuth
