Equipment
Ingredients
Cake Batter
- 450 g unsalted butter, cubed, room temperature
- 360 g all-purpose flour, sifted
- 225 g candied ginger, 6mm cubes
- 225 g golden raisins
- 450 g walnuts, broken into pieces
- 5 g baking powder
- 2 g fine salt
- 400 g granulated sugar
- 6 egg yolks
- 80 ml sherry wine
- 6 egg whites
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 1111 kcal
- Protein
- 16 g
- Carbohydrates
- 113 g
- Fat
- 69 g
- Fiber
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 74 g
- Sodium
- 192 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 27 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 16 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 23 g
- Cholesterol
- 226 mg
- Potassium
- 466 mg
- Calcium
- 122 mg
- Iron
- 3.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 91 mg
- Phosphorus
- 289 mg
- Zinc
- 2.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 354 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 1 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.7 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 5 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.3 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.47 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.45 mg
- Niacin
- 2.9 mg
- Folate
- 130 mcg
- Water
- 44 g
- Alcohol
- 1 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat oven to 135°C (275°F).
Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan, tapping out any excess flour.
Combine the candied ginger, golden raisins, and walnuts in a mixing bowl.
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
Add the sifted flour mixture to the fruit and nuts, tossing until the inclusions are evenly coated.
In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, followed by the sherry.
Pour the creamed butter mixture over the floured fruit and nuts, and fold by hand until just combined.
Whip the egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold the egg whites into the batter until no white streaks remain.
Transfer batter to the pan and bake on a baking sheet for 2 hours and 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 93°C (200°F).
Cool the cake in the pan briefly, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Wrap the cooled cake in cheesecloth and foil, then store in the refrigerator for at least 10 days before serving.
Chef's Notes
- Periodically brushing the wrapped cake with additional sherry, cognac, or rum during the 10-day aging process will enhance moisture and flavor depth.
Storage
Refrigerator: 30 days — Wrap in cheesecloth and foil; the flavor improves significantly after aging for 10 days.
Freezer: 3 months — Wrap tightly in plastic and foil.
Reheating: Serve at room temperature.
Troubleshooting
Fruit and nuts sink to the bottom of the cake
Cause: Inclusions were not properly coated in the flour mixture
Fix: Cannot be fixed once baked.
Prevention: Ensure the fruit and nut mixture is thoroughly tossed with the sifted dry ingredients before adding wet components.
Cake is dry or crumbly
Cause: Overbaking or skipping the aging process
Fix: Brush the sliced cake with additional sherry or simple syrup.
Prevention: Use a thermometer to pull the cake at exactly 93°C (200°F) and age for the full 10 days.
Cultural Context
This rich, dense fruitcake is a staple of American holiday baking, particularly popular during the Christmas season. Its tradition of aging with spirits like sherry or brandy is common in many European fruitcake variations, evolving into a deeply flavorful and festive treat meant to be shared with loved ones.
