How to Make an Edible Fruitcake

It sounds like an oxymoron: edible fruitcake. If this is what you're thinking, you've probably never had a fresh, homemade golden fruitcake.

Follow these steps and in no time you'll have a fruitcake that you'll actually enjoy eating.

Go on, give it a try. Fruitcakes need love, too!

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 8 oz. candied red cherries, halved
• 15 oz. golden raisins
• 3 1/2 oz. sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup light rum
• 2 cups sifted flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup butter or margarine
• 1 cup sugar
• 5 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup apricot preserves
• 2 Tbsp. light rum or orange juice

1. Grease two loaf pans.

2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

3. Combine fruit, nuts and rum in a large bowl. Allow to stand for 1 hour.

4. Sift flour and salt onto wax paper. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of this mixture over fruit and nuts. Toss to coat well.

5. Beat eggs, butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl at high speed for 3 minutes until fluffy.

6. Stir in remaining flour mixture until batter is quite smooth. Pour over prepared fruits and nuts and fold just until well blended.

7. Spoon batter into prepared pans.

8. Bake until centre springs back when lightly pressed with the fingertips. Cool in pans on wire racks for 15 minutes. Loosen edges with a knife, turn out and cool completely.

9. To decorate: heat apricot preserves with light rum or orange juice in a small saucepan until bubbly. Press through sieve and brush on cakes.

Tips & Warnings

• While typically a holiday recipe, fruitcakes are also common at weddings.