Christmas Boiled Fruit Cake

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This easy and forgiving recipe is inspired by a boiled fruit cake Andrew Zimmern tasted when visiting Newfoundland. By boiling the dried fruit with rum, molasses, cream and spices the cake turns out deliciously spongy and moist. Slideshow: Easy Holiday Desserts

By

Andrew Zimmern

Published on December 15, 2014

Christmas Boiled Fruit Cake — Photo: © Madeleine Hill

Active Time:

35 mins

Total Time:

3 hrs

Yield:

8

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Ingredients

2 sticks unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup raisins
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup dark rum
3 tablespoon unsulfured molasses
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup drained Amarena cherries (in syrup)
1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped
1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds
1 Granny Smith apple—peeled, cored and shredded
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cups self-rising flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and flour a 9-inch-round springform pan.
In a medium saucepan, combine the butter with the cherries, raisins, cranberries, brown sugar, rum, molasses, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and cardamom and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately high heat for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cream and return to a boil. Remove from the heat and let stand for 45 minutes.
Scrape the boiled fruit mixture into a large bowl. Stir in the Amarena cherries, pecans, almonds, shredded apple and eggs. Fold in the flour and baking soda until incorporated. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and transfer to a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake in the center of the oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.
Unmold the cake and transfer to a serving platter. Cut into wedges and serve.