My Grandmother’s White Fruitcake

white fruitcake recipe loaf sliced with white dinnerware

4.50 from 8 votes

My Grandmother’s White Fruitcake

I love fruitcake. Incredibly sweet, packed with pecans, candied cherries, pineapple, and golden raisins; dense as a brick and best enjoyed about four weeks old. Yum! This is my grandmother’s recipe, made every year like clockwork. If you start right after Thanksgiving, you’ll be perfectly timed for a festive, flavorful holiday treat that actually gets better with age.

Prep Time1

Cook Time2

Aging time (optional)28

Total Time28 3

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: slices

Calories: 328kcal

Cost: $20–$25 total (depending on your candied fruit and nut choices)

Equipment

Large mixing bowls
Electric mixer
4 loaf pans (9x5-inch)
Parchment or brown paper
Plastic wrap or beeswax wraps
Foil

Ingredients

1 lb salted butter 4 sticks, softened
3 cups white granulated sugar
6 large eggs
2 oz lemon extract
½ lb golden raisins
3 tbsp pickled peach juice see Note 1 for DIY or substitutes
5 cups flour divided
1 tsp salt
½ lb candied cherries
½ lb candied pineapple
4 cups pecans coarsely chopped (see Note 2)
1 tsp baking soda dissolved in 2 tbsp warm water

Instructions

Generously grease four 9x5x3-inch loaf pans with 1–2 teaspoons of the softened butter. Line each pan with parchment paper or cut-up brown grocery bags.
In a very large bowl, beat softened butter and sugar on high for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.
Place yolks in one bowl, whites in another.
Whip the yolks with lemon extract for 2 minutes until smooth and a little frothy.
Pour the yolk mixture into the butter-sugar mixture. Beat to combine.
In a separate bowl, toss raisins, cherries, pineapple, and pecans with half the flour and the salt. Stir this into the main mixture using a big wooden spoon.
Stir in the dissolved baking soda and pickled fruit juice (or rum/brandy). Add the remaining flour and mix until just combined. Batter will be stiff.
In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Gently fold them into the batter until fully incorporated.
Divide batter evenly between the four pans, filling each about ¾ full.
Place pans in a cold oven. Set temperature to 250°F. Bake for 2 hours or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (see Notes 4–5).
Let cool in pans on a rack. Once completely cool, remove from pans, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, then foil.
Optional but traditional: Age wrapped cakes in the fridge or a cool, dark spot for at least 4 weeks before slicing. Or wrap in liquor-soaked cloth for a vintage twist (see Note 6–7).

Notes

Note 1: Can’t find pickled peach juice? Make your own: Simmer one can of peaches in heavy syrup with 5 whole cloves, 1 cinnamon stick, and 1 tsp vinegar for 20 minutes. Strain and reserve the syrup. OR just use rum or brandy.

Note 2: Swap out pecans with walnuts or your favorite nuts.

Note 3: For extra moisture, place a shallow pan of water in the oven while baking (a DIY steam oven).

Note 4: If the cake starts browning too fast, tent with foil.

Note 5: Check for doneness with a toothpick or wooden skewer—if it comes out clean, it’s done.

Note 6: My grandmother insisted on aging her cakes for 3–4 weeks, wrapped in brandy-soaked cheesecloth, then foil. And you know what? She was absolutely right.

Note 7: For long-term storage (we’re talking decades here), bury your liquor-soaked fruitcake in powdered sugar and keep in a tightly sealed tin. It will last 25+ years if you refresh the cloth with more booze occasionally. I can’t imagine doing this, but apparently, it’s a thing.

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