We bet being the very first, First Lady was quite the adventure. Can you imagine?! Playing such a big role in history and not really knowing the footsteps you were leaving behind for more amazing women to follow in. Well, as you ponder on that, also think about Martha Washington’s Fruit Cake. Each golden-brown, fruit-infused bite will have you wondering about those very first moments of hosting and making everyone feel welcome in their home… which fun fact, was not the White House. We bet she served delightfully sweet slices such as these as conversations about a new country swirled around the room. Can’t you just picture it? What a time that must have been. So, the next time your thoughts head down a hallway to history, be sure you have Martha Washington’s Fruit Cake around for good measure. It’s the sweetest way to do it!
Ingredients
- 3 cups mixed dried fruit, chopped
- 1 cup dried candied pineapple, chopped
- 1/2 cup currants
- 1/4 cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 cups brandy or bourbon, divided
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups pecans, chopped
Directions
Step 1 –In a large bowl, add the mixed dried fruit, the dried pineapple, the currants, and the crystallized ginger.
Step 2 –Add 1 cup of the brandy to the fruit mixture and stir to combine.
Step 3 –Cover the bowl and let it sit for 2 hours.
Step 4 –Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Step 5 –Coat a tube pan with cooking spray.
Step 6 –In a large bowl, add the butter and the sugar and use an electric hand mixer to cream together.
Step 7 –Add the eggs to the butter mixture, one at a time, beating after each addition.
Step 8 –Stir the vanilla into the butter mixture.
Step 9 –In another large bowl, whisk the flour, the baking powder, and the salt together.
Step 10 –Use a large wooden spoon or spatula to stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture until it is thoroughly combined.
Step 11 –Stir the brandy-soaked fruit mixture and the pecans into the cake batter. It will be very thick.
Step 12 –Scrape the batter into the prepared tube pan and smooth out the top with a spatula.
Step 13 –Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes.
Step 14 –Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
Step 15 –Invert the cake onto a wire rack to cool completely, about 45 minutes.
Step 16 –Soak a layer of cheesecloth in the remaining brandy and wrap it around the cake.
Step 17 –Wrap the cheesecloth-draped cake with aluminum foil and let it rest for 24 hours.
Step 18 –Unwrap, slice, and serve.
