Very Berry Fruitcake

By ldelmas

Ingredients

• Ingredients:
• Makes : One Fruitcake (using a 2-lb. loaf pan or a 4- to 6-cup mold)
• 1/2 cup dry sherry, divided
• 2 cups Gourmet Nut Very Berry mix (M25844)
• 5 oz. butter, room temperature
• 5 oz. margarine, room temperature
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 6 eggs
• 1 Tbsp. molasses
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Zest of 3 lemons
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup ground nuts (almonds are nice, but any will do)
• 1 cup almonds, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• Brandy (for soaking)

Preparation

Step 1

Directions:


Preheat the oven to 275°F.

Put 1/4 cup of sherry and Very Berry mix in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Turn off the heat. Mix well to coat all the berries in sherry and let them soak while you prepare the batter.

Cream the butter, margarine, and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time. Add the molasses, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and juice. Mix well.

Drain the berries, reserving the sherry, and combine the berries with the flour, ground nuts, almonds, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl. Mix well. Add this mixture to the butter and eggs and stir to combine. Add the reserved sherry along with the remaining 1/4 cup sherry and stir.

Transfer the batter to a 2-lb. loaf pan or another mold. If you use a 4-cup mold, you'll have leftover batter which can be put into muffin cups.

Bake in a 275°F oven for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Cool the cake in the mold and then invert onto a cooling rack. When cool, pierce the cake with a skewer and trickle in some brandy. Let the brandy soak in and repeat.

Traditionally, an English fruitcake should be left for a few weeks, in an airtight container, and then treated with brandy again. It's then usually covered in a rolled marzipan and frosted with royal icing. While this is delicious when made traditionally, you can eat the cake closer to the time of baking as a great accompaniment to coffee or tea. It is the British cake of choice for both Christmastime as well as for weddings.