It's definitely not the one Christmas dessert that people look forward to every year. Its weight in a shipping box tells us that we've been unfortunate enough to receive one for the holidays. And, finally, when that brown, fruity loaf is unwrapped, it's all anyone can do to avoid using it as a doorstop, even though no one wants to waste a plate displaying it for all the world to see. It's a fruitcake, and it has garnered a reputation for being not only the worst holiday dessert but the worst dessert, period.
Part of the reason this dense, often dry cake has the reputation it does is due to that no one finds that dried fruit in the middle to be appealing. Secondly, the actual cake itself has a minimal flavor and required at least one cup of tea - if not several - in order to get through just a few bites. Despite all of this, the fruitcake lives on and continues to be included in gift baskets and holiday food swaps, so we had to ask the questions: Is there a way to save fruitcake and make it something other than a fruit-and-nut-laden brick?
The answer, surprisingly, is yes.
The American Version Is Drastically Different From Others
Believe it or not, there are fruitcakes in other countries that don't look anything like what's going on in North America. In Italy, for example, panettone is a version of a fruitcake that has a light, airy bread base and can often be seen made with chocolate chips, as well.
In Germany, stollen is another variant of fruitcake, but with a bread base that's denser and the entire thing is usually topped with powdered sugar. The difference between both of these and an American version is the fact that they actually taste like a 'fruitcake' should and are far more texturally pleasing, with a mouthfeel that's not slightly sticky, rock-like, or chewy.
It Starts With The Fruit
The problem with fruitcake, according to many people, is the fact that the fruit inside isn't even appetizing. Maraschino cherries are normally used in shades of red and green and while they're fine dunked into Shirley Temple drinks and used to top cookies, they just don't add anything to a traditional loaf of bread.
If nothing else, they add a level of sweetness that's just unpleasant and altogether hard to get through, as their chewy texture gets gummy in the oven and doesn't melt into the rest of the cake's flavors as it should. To remedy this, many people swap out the cherries - as festive as they are - for actual dried fruit. However, this leads to problem number two if it's not done correctly.
Moisture Levels Are Important
The most common mistake that's made when actually baking a fruitcake is forgetting to soak the fruit before adding it to the batter. While there's not much to be done about an intense dislike of the cake, there are ways to make it taste better and not as desert-like. By soaking the fruit, bakers are ensuring enough moisture around and within the fruit, so that moisture is not wicked from the actual cake batter. This moisture-wicking, where dried fruit takes in moisture from the batter, is what results in a dry, inedible cake. Since it's traditional for a fruitcake to have some type of alcohol as an ingredient, many people soak the fruit in the alcohol beforehand. This allows the fruit to get plump again as it re-hydrates and, as it cooks, the fruit will absorb the liquid while it also flavors the cake itself.
Experts say to soak the fruit for days at least, in order to ensure that everything is as moist as possible. If alcohol isn't an option, then just water or fruit juice will work just as well. The type of fruit matters as well - while berries are great at absorbing liquid, others aren't as apt to absorb as much as you'd think. A great go-to is dried figs and any other fruit that remains soft even after it's dehydrated. This means that it's prone to getting plump again and retaining moisture for some time after it's been properly soaked. A good nut to fruit ratio is another way to save a fruitcake; too many nuts can give the cake a gritty, crunchy texture, while too little can make it too bready. The texture is half the fun of eating a fruitcake since nuts give it crunch, dried fruit gives it a bit of chewiness, and the bread, in reality, should be moist and banana-bread-like.