Period Fruit Cake Recipe!

[Albert Sailhorst]

FRUIT CAKE
(from Housekeeping in Old Virginia, by Marion Cabell Tyree, 1878)

Ingredients:
2 lbs. best stoned raisins
2 lbs. currants
1 lb. citron
12 eggs
1 lb. fresh butter
1 lb. loaf sugar
1 lb. flour
4-1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1-1/4 tsp. soda
1 large tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 small tbsp. white ginger
4-1/2 nutmegs
1 tbsp. best molasses
1/2 teacup best brandy
Instructions:

2 pounds best stoned raisins.
2 pounds currants.
1 pound citron.
12 eggs.
1 pound fresh butter.
1 pound loaf sugar.
1 pound flour.
Make the batter as you would for nice cake, and before adding the fruit, stir into the batter --
4-1/2 teaspoonfuls cream of tartar.
1-1/4 teaspoonful soda.
1 large tablespoonful of ground cinnamon.
1 small tablespoonful of white ginger.
4-1/2 nutmegs.
1 tablespoonful of best molasses.
Add by degrees the fruit and one-half teacup best brandy; bake slowly five hours. Excellent, and will keep good six months.
-- Mrs. F.

 

[donna]

My Granny made the best fruitcake. I always liked it even thou many don't like fruitcake.

 

[USS ALASKA]

USS ALASKA

 

[Albert Sailhorst]

I made my Fruitcake today!!

 

[major bill]

I always liked fruitcakes. My siblings thought I was crazy. Well just more fruitcake for me.

 

[Fairfield]

A well-made, unsappy fruitcake is a joy! I make mine on Halloween and let it age till Christmas, periodically spiking with single malt scotch. I'm with major bill on this--except that my siblings are equally crazy!

 

[Pollaco]

Now if I can get my wife to make a batch this year. She leaves out alot of the "green things" and puts in more nuts then are called for. Kind of "custom made". She's even tried gluten free for her sister.

 

[KianGaf]

Civil War Fruitcake — Tasting History

Dense, heavily spiced fruitcake with the flavor of a plum pudding

www.tastinghistory.com

I was making a beef stroganoff for dinner inspired by the Tasting history guy and spotted this while browsing on his website. I don't eat fruit cake that often anymore but remember them fondly from visiting my grandparents in the countryside.

 

[Fairfield]

Looking at the recipe, it seems heavy on spices which I'd have thought were hard to come by and a bit skimpy on fruit. It appears to have been somewhat akin to Norwegian Julekake (Christmas Cake)--which Norwegians eat all year (with raisins instead of fruit) as a sweet bread.

 

[NH Civil War Gal]

I love a good fruitcake. We actually are having some right now. I freeze them and we have them year round.

 

[KianGaf]

Looking at the recipe, it seems heavy on spices which I'd have thought were hard to come by and a bit skimpy on fruit. It appear2 to have been somewhat akin to Norwegian Julekake (Christmas Cake)--which Norwegians eat all year (with raisins instead of fruit) as a sweet bread.

I reckon these websites like to embellish their dishes to seem more creative. I don't think Mace for instance was easy to find in them days. Its like the dish I was cooking today he insisted on smetana and sarepska mustard so I went to local Polish supermarket. When I was cooking the dish I realised I could have just used Dijon mustard and sour cream that I already had in the fridge.

 

[Fairfield]

I reckon these websites like to embellish their dishes to seem more creative. I don't think Mace for instance was easy to find in them days. Its like the dish I was cooking today he insisted on smetana and sarepska mustard so I went to local Polish supermarket. When I was cooking the dish I realised I could have just used Dijon mustard and sour cream that I already had in the fridge.

I do a lot of dumbing-down of recipes because I live in an area which is without a lot of exotic resources. I have a friend, a retired chef, who will drive for miles for THE right ingredient--but I don't bake or cook on her level. I guess that you and I are more like the ACW cook who improvised.

 

[Northern Light]

Civil War Fruitcake — Tasting History

Dense, heavily spiced fruitcake with the flavor of a plum pudding

www.tastinghistory.com

I was making a beef stroganoff for dinner inspired by the Tasting history guy and spotted this while browsing on his website. I don't eat fruit cake that often anymore but remember them fondly from visiting my grandparents in the countryside.

I just discovered Max Miller and I find his content fascinating! I especially like the Hellfire Stew and hardtack episodes.

 

[KianGaf]

I just discovered Max Miller and I find his content fascinating! I especially like the Hellfire Stew and hardtack episodes.

I really like his style. It does a good job of making his videos interesting and informative. I am contemplating buying his cookbook.

 

[donna]

Thought bump the older thread on fruitcake.

 

[Karen Lips]

I love a good fruitcake. We actually are having some right now. I freeze them and we have them year round.

Have you ever had a fruit cake that come from the famous bakery in Corsicana, Texas?

 

[Pollaco]

Have you ever had a fruit cake that come from the famous bakery in Corsicana, Texas?

Good and edible but overpriced in my opinion. Nothing beats homemade.

 

[NH Civil War Gal]

Have you ever had a fruit cake that come from the famous bakery in Corsicana, Texas?

No! I haven't heard of them.

 

[Pollaco]

No! I haven't heard of them.

It's called the Collin Street Bakery. They used to rely on word of mouth and celebrity endorsements.They are good.

 

[donna]

They are good.