Bourbon Apple Fruitcake (Newfoundland)

canadian-newfoundland-bouronapplefruitcake A real old-fashioned recipe that’s simply mixed together in one bowl and baked. The shredded apples in the batter keep it moist and delicious, while the bourbon enhances the flavour of the cake beautifully.

2½ cups all-purpose flour, unbleached, reserve ½ cup to coat fruit
1½ cups brown sugar, lightly packed
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. ground allspice
1½ cups butter, very soft
3 Tbsp. molasses
5 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
½ tsp. pure almond extract
1 cup raisins
1 cup mixed fruit
3 medium apples, grated
1 cup glacé cherries, cut in half
1 cup nuts, such as walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts, toasted, chopped
1 cup (8 oz) bourbon, for soaking into the cake when cool

This cake can be made the old-fashioned way, simple by using a large mixing bowl and a wooden spoon. If you are using a stand mixer, choose the paddle attachment and keep it on low speed throughout.

Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C/140°C fan, Gas Mark 3). Lightly grease and flour a 10” springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper for easy release if you prefer.

This cake can also be baked in a large tube pan (angel food cake pan). It will be too large for a Bundt pan but you may get a Bundt sized cake and a small loaf cake out of the recipe.

In a large bowl mix together 2 cups of the flour plus the brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon nutmeg and allspice. I use a whisk to mix it making sure that there are no lumps of brown sugar in the mix.

Before adding the butter make sure that it is very soft. You can soften butter in the microwave by putting it on defrost for a few seconds at a time and then leaving it for a minute to rest. Repeat this process a few times until the butter is very soft; to the consistency that it would spread across a slice of fresh bread easily.

Add the butter, molasses eggs, vanilla and pure almond extracts and the grated apples. Stir until the flour is almost incorporated. (A few streaks of flour remain in the batter)

Toss all of the fruit with the remaining ½ cup flour and add to the batter along with the nuts.

Fold the fruit and nuts into the batter and spread evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake for 1½-2 hours depending upon the size of your pan. Mine took the full two hours in a 10” spring form pan. The cake should feel firm to the touch at the center and a wooden toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. The cake should be cooled almost completely in the pan on a wire rack before removing.

At this point you can poke small holes in the top and bottom of the cake with a wooden skewer and very slowly spoon on 4 oz of bourbon, half on the top, wait ten minutes, then flip it over and pour the remaining half on the bottom. (Note that you can add ½ the amount one week and half the next as some people prefer.)

Soak several layers of cheesecloth in additional bourbon if you like and wrap completely around the cake, then cover with several layers of plastic wrap and store in a cool place.

If bourbon is not to your taste, you cause dark rum or brandy of you prefer.

Makes 36.