# California fruitcake



## rocketdog1 (Dec 16, 2008)

Many years ago I hada ecipe for this fruitcake.  I has NO candied fruit - only dried apricots, figs, prunes, raisens, nuts etc.  It is delicious.  It is a light fruit cake.  If anyone has this recipe I'd love to have it again.  I can't find it anywhere.  Even a fruitcake hater would love it.


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## PieSusan (Dec 16, 2008)

Maida Heatter has a light fruitcake recipe in one of her books.


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## ChefJune (Dec 16, 2008)

rocketdog1 said:


> Many years ago I hada ecipe for this fruitcake. I has NO candied fruit - only dried apricots, figs, prunes, raisens, nuts etc. It is delicious. It is a light fruit cake. If anyone has this recipe I'd love to have it again. I can't find it anywhere. Even a fruitcake hater would love it.


 

I have it, and I will post it for you tonight.  It is DEEEElicious!


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## PieSusan (Dec 17, 2008)

PieSusan said:


> Maida Heatter has a light fruitcake recipe in one of her books.


 
Google Maida Heatter’s California Fruit Bars and you will find a recipe for something close to what you want.

See.
eG Forums -> The Fruitcake Topic


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## rocketdog1 (Dec 17, 2008)

Dear Piesusan,
Could you tell me where?


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## ChefJune (Dec 17, 2008)

rocketdog... I have THE recipe you are talking about, and I forgot  to post it last night. I have sent myself a message to be sure it gets posted tonight.

sorry.....

(and that recipe of Maida Heatter's is not the same. I have that, too.)


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## PieSusan (Dec 17, 2008)

Maida Heatter's Light Fruitcake recipe is in her New Book of Great Desserts onn page 82. Makes 6-1/2 pound cake.

I am allowed to list ingredients, so here they are:
5 oz (1 cup) light raisins
1/2 cup Cognac or Brandy
8 oz (1-1/2 cups) candied citron, cut into slices or small squares
5 oz (1 cup) candied pineapple or candied ginger, cut into 1/4" slices
4 oz (1 cup) candied red or green cherries, cut into halves
4 oz (1 cup) candied orange rind, cut into slices or small squares
4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
8 oz (2 cups) slivered (julienne) blanched almonds
4 oz (generous 1 cup) pecan halves or large pieces
12 oz (3 sticks) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups granulated sugar
6 eggs (graded large), separated
1/2 teaspoon mace
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
Finely grated rind of 2 or three lemons (some of the juice will be used for the icing)
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
Additional Cognac or brandy (for brushing on the baked cake)

Fruitcake Icing
1 cup plus 2 Tablespons sifted confectioners' sugar
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 Tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons lemon juice


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## PieSusan (Dec 17, 2008)

See also.
Recipes - California Fruitcake Recipes

High Tide Purlers: The Joy of Fruitcake

California Fruitcake Recipe : Recipezaar

http://www.hightidepurlers.com/2008/02/the-joy-of-frui.html


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## kitchenelf (Dec 17, 2008)

June - I would love to see your recipe.  Thanks.


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## PieSusan (Dec 17, 2008)

kitchenelf said:


> June - I would love to see your recipe. Thanks.


 
Me, too! I love to compare different versions of recipes.


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## ChefJune (Dec 18, 2008)

*California Fruitcake*

Sorry this took so long! 

*CALIFORNIA FRUITCAKE*

There’s not one candied bit of anything in this fruitcake.  It’s chock full of yummy dried fruits and luscious nuts.  You can add some finely chopped orange zest, if you like to give it that real California touch!

makes 2 in 9x5x3-inch pans, or 5 in 5x3x2-inch pans

Note:	This recipe doubles, triples, quadruples, etc., exactly!

1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup clover honey
6 extra large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
grated peel of 1 large orange
2-1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon Rumford's baking powder
3 cups each diced prunes, diced dried figs, dates, apricots, yellow raisins, and chopped walnuts -- 15 cups in all!  (Be sure to buy dried fruit which has already been pitted.)

Heat oven to 275 degrees F.  Grease loaf pans well.  Line the bottoms of metal pans with waxed paper or parchment.  Grease the lining.

Cream butter until fluffy.  Beat in honey.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Stir in vanilla, orange peel, flour and baking powder.

Beat until smooth and well blended.  Fold in fruit and nuts.

Spoon mixture into pans.  Press to eliminate air spaces, and smooth the top.  Cover pans with greased foil.  Bake at 275 degrees for 1-1/2 hours.  (1 hour for smaller pans.)  Remove foil, raise temperature to 300 degrees F., bake 1 hour more (1/2 hour).  

Cool in pan(s) for 15 minutes.  Then remove from the pans to a cooling rack and cool with the top side up.  Remove paper.  

Wrap cakes in rum soaked cheesecloth, then foil.  Store in cool, dry place.


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## PieSusan (Dec 18, 2008)

^Wow, June that fruitcake sounds wonderful, especially with your suggestion of orange zest! However, it sounds like it would make more than 2 loaf cake pans with 15 cups of fruit. Are the pans full all the way to the top?
Thanks, PieSusan


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## PieSusan (Dec 18, 2008)

Maida Heatter does not use those little tubs of flourescent cut up fruit. She buys candied fruits by the pound and cuts them up herself. She claims that it makes all the difference in the world. She has two NY sources: Paprikas Weiss and H. Roth & Son.


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## ChefJune (Dec 18, 2008)

PieSusan said:


> Maida Heatter does not use those little tubs of flourescent cut up fruit. She buys candied fruits by the pound and cuts them up herself. She claims that it makes all the difference in the world. She has two NY sources: Paprikas Weiss and H. Roth & Son.


 
I'm not sure those places are still in business, Susan.  Maida Heatter's books are from the 70's.


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## ChefJune (Dec 18, 2008)

PieSusan said:


> ^Wow, June that fruitcake sounds wonderful, especially with your suggestion of orange zest! However, it sounds like it would make more than 2 loaf cake pans with 15 cups of fruit. Are the pans full all the way to the top?
> Thanks, PieSusan


 
The recipe will make two of the 9-inch loaf pans.  Those are VERY large cakes.  Other than the first time I made this recipe, I have never used that size pan.  I make mostly the mini cakes and the mid-sized ones.  They slice up very nicely for a dessert plate.


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## PieSusan (Dec 18, 2008)

Thanks, ChefJune! I am not a fan of the candied flourescent fruit but I do love dried fruit in cakes. This one sounds very special.


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## PieSusan (Dec 18, 2008)

By the way, I recently read that fruitcakes are easiest cut when they are very cold.


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## ChefJune (Dec 18, 2008)

PieSusan said:


> By the way, I recently read that fruitcakes are easiest cut when they are very cold.


 
That's my experience.


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## rocketdog1 (Dec 19, 2008)

Yes, ChefJune!  That's the recipe!  Thanks so much!


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## PieSusan (Jan 1, 2009)

How did it turn out, rocketdog?


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## Aria (Jan 1, 2009)

*ChefJune California Fruit Cake*

YES.  This sounds yummmmy.   Did not make fruit cake this year.
Will try this recipe soon.   Thanks for sharing.  Aria


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## rocketdog1 (Jan 2, 2009)

Terrific, PieSusan.  People were knocked out - its so different than the candied one. People who hate fruit cake loved it.  i put rum on one loaf.  I like it without, myself. Thanks again.


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## ChefJune (Jan 2, 2009)

rocketdog1 said:


> Terrific, PieSusan.  People were knocked out - its so different than the candied one. People who hate fruit cake loved it.  i put rum on one loaf.  I like it without, myself. Thanks again.



I'm so glad.  I didn't make it this year, myself, but was wishing for a slice or two.....  Personally, when I make it, I go California all the way and imbibe it with California brandy, rather than rum. I like the flavor of the brandy with these fruits better than rum.


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## Bigjim68 (Jan 2, 2009)

My mother used to make what she called an applesauce cake.  A lot like fruit cake except no fruit, only raisins and nuts.  Very dense She does not remember the recipe, and apparently did not pass it on.  Anybody ever heard of it and/or have a recipe.  I would like to recreate it.  Don't even know where to start.


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## gadzooks (Jan 2, 2009)

ChefJune said:


> Sorry this took so long!
> 
> *CALIFORNIA FRUITCAKE*
> 
> ...



Thank you so much, ChefJune, for this recipe. I love good fruitcake, and also do not use alcoholic beverages, which can be almost oxymoronic! This recipe sounds delightful, and I will try it. I would not use a recipe that calls for a large amount of liquor as an ingredient, but a wrap in, say, dark Jamaican rum would be fine. I also like the dried, rather than candied, fruit.


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## rocketdog1 (Jan 3, 2009)

that's good to  now.  Can you recommend brandy?  Sorry, not all of my eys are woring - as you can see.


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## quicksilver (Jan 3, 2009)

It's funny this came up this morning. I was watching a rerun of Jay Leno last night - originally aired between Thanksgiving and Christmas, with Robin Williams.
Anyway, one of his stand-ups was a joke about using fruitcake in place of a Duralog to burn in your fireplace.

I just thought it was funny. Sorry!


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## gadzooks (Jan 3, 2009)

I've had fruitcake like that...it doesn't really burn that well, but makes a good wheel-chock.


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## ChefJune (Jan 3, 2009)

quicksilver said:


> It's funny this came up this morning. I was watching a rerun of Jay Leno last night - originally aired between Thanksgiving and Christmas, with Robin Williams.
> Anyway, one of his stand-ups was a joke about using fruitcake in place of a Duralog to burn in your fireplace.
> 
> I just thought it was funny. Sorry!



No need to apologize.  I feel that way about the mass-produced fruitcakes that are mailed about in those metal tins every year.  My dad used to call them "doorstops" as he sat scarfing down Mom's homemade fruitcake.  There's a world of difference, even in ones made with candied fruit.

Rocketdog: the king of California brandies is Germain-Robin, but I wouldn't use that in the fruitcake.  If you google California brandy, or just ask your favorite retailer, you should get a good one.  I haven't made this fruitcake in quite a few years. (I do plan to rectify that next holiday season, however. )


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## Dick Rademacher (Sep 24, 2012)

Thanks Chef June, This seems to be the one. If not, its good enough to substitute. I have been searching for years, Thanks Again.
                                                                    Old Crock


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