Nantucket Fruitcake with Homemade Candied Cranberries and Rich Christmas Sauce

This recipe was featured in Cuisine Magazine December 1979. It won the 2017 Kitchen Arts and Letters “Fruitcake Redemption Contest” in New York City.

It is a New England version of the holiday favorite is moist and fresh-flavored, with a creative fruit and nut mixture. The homemade Candied Cranberries and Cranberry Syrup lend color and zest to the fruitcake. It is served with a dollop of the creamy Rich Christmas Sauce.

Nantucket Fruitcake:

1 ½ cups chopped Candied Cranberries*
½ cup Cranberry Syrup*
4 cups golden raisins
2 cups chopped blanched almonds
1 ½ cups chopped white or golden dried figs**
1 ½ cups chopped candied citron
1 ½ cups chopped candied orange peel
1 ½ cups chopped pecans
½ cup chopped dried apricots
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups unsalted butter, softened
2 ½ cups sugar
7 eggs
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground mace
¾ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon lemon extract
½ cup brandy
Garnish:
Melted cherry jelly
Whole pecans
Sugared cranberries

Make Candied Cranberries and Cranberry Syrup; reserve ½ cup syrup.

Chop enough Candied Cranberries to measure 1 ½ cups; reserve remaining berries for another use. Combine chopped berries, raisins, almonds, figs, citron, orange peel, chopped pecans and apricots in a large bowl; add 1 cup flour; toss.

Heat oven to 275 degrees F. Cream butter and sugar in a large mixer bowl. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. In a medium bowl, mix 3 cups flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, mace and salt. Add flour mixture a third at a time to egg mixture, alternating with the ½ cup Cranberry Syrup and beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and lemon extracts.

Fold batter into fruit mixture. Spoon batter into well-greased 10-inch tube pan, filling three-fourths of pan; spoon remaining batter into well-greased 9×5-inch loaf pan. Bake until tops are brown and wooden pick inserted in center is withdrawn clean, about 3 ½ hours for loaf pan and 4 hours for tube pan.

Cool in pans on wire racks 35 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely. Soak 2 pieces cheesecloth in brandy and wrap around cakes; then wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 48 hours before serving.***

Make Rich Christmas Sauce

To serve, brush cakes with jelly. Garnish with pecans and sugared cranberries. Slice while cold, but serve at room temperature with Rich Christmas Sauce.

TIPS:

*Chopped red candied cherries can be substituted for Candied Cranberries; cranberry juice can be substituted for Cranberry Syrup.
**Chopped dried figlets can be substituted.
***Cake can be stored wrapped in plastic wrap in refrigerator up to 2 months.

Candied Cranberries and Cranberry Syrup:

2 ½ cups sugar
¾ cup water
¾ cup cranberry juice cocktail
1 quart fresh cranberries
Pinch ground cinnamon
Pinch ground nutmeg

Heat sugar, water and cranberry juice to boiling. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute.

Combine cranberries, cinnamon, nutmeg and hot syrup in ovenproof bowl. Place bowl on steamer rack in steamer over simmering water. Steam covered 45 minutes.

Remove bowl from steamer; cool on wire rack without stirring. Let stand uncovered at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until syrup is very thick, about 3 days.

Remove cranberries with slotted spoon to waxed paper-lined baking sheet. Store syrup in tightly covered container. Let cranberries stand uncovered at room temperature, turning occasionally, until dry, about 3 days. (Fruit will be slightly sticky.) Store cranberries in tightly covered container.

TIP: Cranberries and syrup can be stored in containers at room temperature up to 3 months. They can be used in other recipes calling for candied fruit or sweet syrup. Syrup also can be used to glaze baked ham or roast pork; garnish with candied cranberries.