No shame Fruitcake Adventures

I have no shame in admitting I like, even LOVE fruitcake. Oh yes I do. If you don't then you obviously have never had good fruitcake. I love variations on fruitcake too! Like Sticky Date Pudding, or Date Loaf. I do NOT love any fruitbreadesque variation that includes peel (candied or not). That's the key for me...NO peel.

So I decided to make a fruitcake this year. In advance of chrissy...so it can get good and moist and full of alcoholic goodness. Also my grandmother loves fruitcake, but can't eat nuts...so I thought I'd make one nut free for her. (Yes, I know, I like old people food...I'm not ashamed.)

Last night the fruitcake adventure began with me making this recipe:
Free Range Fruit Cake.

Now then, the plan was to make this cake and let it sit a few weeks, whilst liberally dousing with spirits of some sort. I made a few adjustments (ie. NO peel, no nuts, and port instead of brandy). The thing is, this cake has not made it through the few weeks. No sir! The D took one look at the macerated fruit cooking in the butter and sugar and decided it should be a "test run" cake. He even took it out of the oven early and dug out a warm not yet set up piece straight out of the pan.

The verdict? Good, but not as to-die-for good as we hoped. I think maybe if it had sat and gotten doused for a while it would have sealed the deal...but D complained that the batter wasn't dark and dense enough. So, I'm on the search for a good (and probably when it comes down to it - Aussie style) dark dense fruitcake recipe. Maanwhile, we'll "suffer" through this cake (um, by suffering I mean we will eat with absolute impunity).

I'll let you know when I concoct the perfect cake!

Addendum (12/10/03):

The fruitcake has improved tons just overnight. It has gotten denser and richer and more like we expected. So see? They don't tell you to start a fruitcake weeks in advance without reason. I'll keep you posted!