This was my kitchen counter last Saturday as I was getting ready to make this year’s batch of Fruit Cake to give as gifts. The candied fruit, raisins, dried cranberries, and orange marmalade had all been soaking in dark rum in the large white Tupperware bowl (with secure lid) for a week. It was well marinated and ready to be turned into fruit cake.

Here’s the recipe: https://jmncreativeendeavours.ca/2019/10/21/christmas-fruit-cake/

This is what it looks like after it’s been cooled for several weeks in the fridge:

The point of making the cakes this early in the season is to allow the rum that has been incorporated into the fruit to slowly release into the cake – which it does by Christmas.

I end up with a very flavourful, rich cake with the fruit nicely distributed. I don’t brush the tops with more rum – that does’t seem to be necessary. The rum in the fruit softens the outsides so the whole cake is dense and dark and delicious.

I just had a friend in for coffee – she wants to make fruitcake for a few gifts. So I shared a wee taste with her so she could know what it comes out like. The cake got her stamp of approval.

We’ll be making those cakes together in the very near future, I have no doubt!