Fruitcake. Discuss.

This year I finally have my very own kitchen so re-started an annual tradition of baking holiday fruitcake.
Got hooked on Stollen while living in Germany (great ones are sold at the Christmas Market in Dresden), it's not made with molasses like the stuff we're used to here but the principal is the same: a generally dense cake with dried fruits and nuts, usually soaked with spirits.
This year I followed this basic recipe, doubled, but for fruit I soaked a tropical mix (mango, pineapple, papaya and coconut from Target's very good "Archer Farms" label) plus raisins in dark rum and Jim Beam, and added toasted macadamia nuts ($9.99 for a 2 lb jar at Target(!)).
Baked them 3 weeks before xmas, spritzing with brandy every 3-4 days while aging in the cool basement. They take 3-5 weeks to hit their prime IMO.
Came out great - passed out the little ones to the neighbors and the larger ones to family and close friends. Smeared with some softened butter and coffee on the side it makes a great breakfast or desert.
They were so popular, next year going to make a triple batch.
Anybody else into this, the fruitiest of cakes?
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oh yeah, between the fruitcake and my wife's pumpkin ginger spice cupcakes the castle has been smelling awesome!

Just had a couple slices with my afternoon coffee. Yum!!!
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beev check your PM, and do let me know next time you're in town!

Lorenzo and Franca attended my wedding last year.
If you see a 1:18 Ferrari 308 in a glass case next to Lorenzo's desk in the garage, read the plaque. I gave this to him for all he did to help get my car back in fighting form.
He always invites me and the wife to watch F1 races at his house, the food they put out for the Italian GP is worth the visit alone!
The Reinas are indeed fine people, we love em.

PS: and thanks for the reminder, have to send them a fruitcake

 

Yesterday our local 'upscale' supermarket was selling ~2lb Dresdner Stollen (made locally) for $25 :O

A poker buddy was over on Friday so I broke out one of my FC loaves. His reaction "mmmmmm, that's good. I always thought fruitcake was bad!" LOL
Had to send a small loaf home with him for his wife and kids to try.

 

Nice! Ask her if she also knows how to make Silesian Himmelreich , a specialty of the area. If so, beg/bribe/blackmail her to make it
I LOVE german food....

hehehe 3/4 of a loaf for me, 1 for our best friends.
Like I said, next year I'm upping the quantity!
It's really easy and fun IMO to make, people appreciate the homemade gift, go for it!

Interesting, never had it with chocolate.
I'm with Zack though, generalizing all US fruitcake, like the typical ones your see in supermarkets, as vile isn't fair. Not in the same league as your wife's (or mine!), but nothing inherently wrong with them. I'll happily scarf some down if nothing else is around.

 

back on topic - saw boxed Panatone at the Mexican supermarket today for $5. Mostly natural ingredients, should have bought one. Had to order a birthday cake for my wife's 30th in 2 weeks. Getting a banana strawberry layer with yellow cake, whipped icing and chocolate drizzled all over the top.
Same bakery in El Rey that did our wedding (sheet) cake last year.

Last night at my poker game I sliced up the last bigger loaf of 2011 FC. They would have eaten more if I had it.
Wish I could edit the first post in this thread - after almost 6 weeks the cake is incredible. Next year when I make many more loaves will try aging some 2-6 months+. Need to buy a 1.75 of nice Brandy and a spritzer

Ross - please ask your wife nicely if she'd share that recipe with us underprivileged American fruitcakers

 

It's that time of year again!

Bought all the ingredients today for a 4x batch of the recipe linked above. Right now 5lbs of dried fruits are taking an overnight brandy and rum soak in the the fridge, tomorrow night it's bake time.

Gonna try some dark chocolate chips in a couple loaves per Ross' suggestion. Also have a big bag of pine nuts I may toast and combine with the pecans, haven't decided yet.

Oh boy I can hardly wait!
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Fruitcakapalooza 2012 hit a small snag last night.
Don't know how I did it without a stand mixer last year, but after "creaming" five sticks of unsalted butter with 1-1/4 cups brown sugar with a handheld mixer (that I almost threw against the wall in frustration), mixing in the 5 eggs resulted in a grainy, disgusting mess. Tossed it and planned on going to Target today for a real mixer (in addition to another 1-1/2 of butter) until I took a look at Craigslist for "KitchenAid" this morning on a whim. Well hello! Classic K45 for $65, called him up, went downtown at lunch and came home with a tank of a mixer for $60. Little dent on the top adds character IMO.
Now THIS creams the damn butter and sugar!
Batter is airier than last year, but didn't seem to rise much more.
Folding in the fruits and nuts was a two person job.
House smells divine....
Now really hard part: waiting to dive in mouth first when I spritz the loaves with brandy every 4-5 days while it ages in the cellar...
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And this might be the one thing I cook I don't mind that some people won't care for.
More for me mwhah hahahahaha

All cakes are now safety entombed in big tupperware cases in the basement with the first of about 8 applications of brandy slowly seeping throughout....

 

Thanks we've been in the house for 1.5 years, the PO really went to town on the kitchen.

Nice! My pop bought a stollen every year since I can remember but I never appreciated it until my 30's after living in Germany. I'd bring back a big loaf with me from the Dresden Striezelmarkt, there was no other present he'd want more.