Christmas Fruitcake with Rum (Cape Breton Recipe)
This Christmas fruitcake, with spiced rum, strong coffee, and lots of dried fruit, is inspired by a handwritten recipe from Cape Breton.
Servings: 24 servings
Calories: 343kcal
Equipment
- Two 9 x 5-inch (23 x 13 cm) loaf tins
- Parchment paper
- Measuring cups and spoons, or a digital kitchen scale
- Three Mixing bowls
- Stand or hand mixer
- Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
- Cooling rack
- Wooden skewer
Ingredients
For the fruit mixture:
- 1 ½ cups golden raisins
- 1 cup glacé (candied) cherries red and/or green, whole or halved
- 1 cup mixed peel finely diced
- ½ cup dark raisins
- ½ cup dates pitted, chopped
- ½ cup dried currants
- ½ cup prunes chopped
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
Dry ingredients:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Wet ingredients:
- 1 cup salted butter softened, plus extra for greasing the tins
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 5 large eggs
- ½ cup strawberry jam
- 2 tablespoons fancy molasses
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup strong coffee cooled
- ½ cup rum dark or spiced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Lightly grease two 9 x 5-inch (23 x 13 cm) loaf tins with butter, then line them with parchment paper and set aside.
- Make the coffee from the wet ingredient list and set it aside to cool. If your eggs are cold, place them in a bowl of hot tap water to bring them to room temperature. If any of your dried fruit needs chopping, do that now.
- Place all the fruit in a large bowl and stir until combined. Sprinkle with ¼ cup of flour and stir again until the fruit is well coated. Set aside.
- In another bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg until combined. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until the mixture is light and smooth, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium-high and mix for 1 minute more.
- Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add the eggs, strawberry jam, molasses, and vanilla. Mix at medium-high speed for 1 to 2 minutes, or until well combined.
- Scrape down the bowl again and switch to a spatula or wooden spoon. Add the flour mixture, and stir by hand until the flour is about halfway incorporated. Add the fruit, cooled coffee, and rum, then continue stirring until the flour has just disappeared, making sure to reach the bottom of the bowl.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared tins, smoothing the tops with a spatula or butter knife. Place the tins in the oven and bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out mostly clean with no wet batter on it.
- Cool the loaves in the tins on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then transfer them to the rack to cool completely.
To age the fruitcakes with rum for a deeper flavour:
- If you would like to age the fruitcakes, brush the top of each loaf with 1 tablespoon of rum once completely cool. If you prefer a stronger rum flavour, you can use up to 2 tablespoons per loaf. Wrap the loaves tightly in parchment paper and foil between brushings, and repeat every few days for up to one week.
Notes
- For detailed ingredient notes, substitution tips, variations, and step-by-step photos, scroll through the full recipe post.
- Use a digital kitchen scale for precise measurements and an oven thermometer to confirm your oven is heating correctly.
- To switch to gram measurements, click Metric grams in the ingredients section of the recipe card.
- Fill the loaf tins evenly so the cakes bake at the same rate. To be precise, place each tin on a scale and weigh the batter.
- The loaves may crack slightly on top, which is normal for a dense fruitcake.
- Allow the loaves to cool completely before slicing, as fruitcake firms up as it rests and cuts more cleanly.
- Wrap your fruitcakes tightly in parchment paper and foil, then store at room temperature for up to one week. For longer storage, refrigerate for up to one month or freeze for up to two months. The flavour improves after a day or two, making this a good recipe to bake ahead.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 343kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 233mg | Potassium: 248mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 341IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1mg