In article >,
Damsel in dis Dress > wrote:

> Wow! Crash, who has sworn that he hates fruitcake, tasted a slice of
> one of the cupcakes I made, and actually liked it! I always use
> pecans (personal preference), but he said it needed walnuts. I'll cut
> back on the mixed fruit and use more whole candied cherries for the
> next batch. And I'll use both red and green.
>
> Here's the issue. Crash is a recovering alcoholic. He gave the
> fruitcake back to me after taking one slice and told me if he finished
> it, it would set him off. Rum was his drink of choice. He just asked
> me to hide the rest of the bottle. He can handle small amounts of
> other alcoholic beverages (wine, wine coolers, etc.), but not hard
> liquors.
>
> Is there anything about fruitcake that makes it require booze? I'd
> like to make this for him again, but I don't want the cake to be
> super-dry for lack of hootch.
>
> My thoughts: Pre-soak the fruits with orange juice? Add more of
> something to the batter recipe for moisture? Here is the recipe. Pics
> are available at link in my sig. I need to use *this* recipe, but am
> wondering if it needs alterations.
>
>
> * Exported from MasterCook *
>
> Fruitcake
>
> Recipe By amsel
> Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
> Categories : cakes
>
> Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
> -------- ------------ --------------------------------
> ----BATTER----
> 1 cup sugar
> 1 cup butter
> 1/8 teaspoon salt
> 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
> 1/4 teaspoon mace
> 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
> 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
> 6 large eggs
> 2 teaspoons lemon extract
> 2 teaspoons vanilla
> 2 teaspoons sherry
> 2 1/2 cups flour
> ----FRUIT MIXTURE----
> 1/2 pound candied cherries
> 1 pound golden raisins
> 1/2 pound seedless raisins
> 1/2 pound currants
> 1/2 pound chopped pecans
> 1 pound mixed fruitcake fruit
> flour -- to coat fruit
>
> In a large bowl, combine batter ingredients in the order given,
> beating in one egg at a time. In a huge bowl, combine fruits and nuts.
> Add enough flour to the fruit mixture to coat lightly. Pour batter
> over fruit mixture; combine well.
>
> Line baking pans with at least two layers of heavy brown paper, such
> as postal wrapping paper, or grocery bags. (Instructions at end of
> post, if needed) Spoon batter into pans, filling no more than 2/3
> full.. Place shallow pan of water in bottom of 300 degree oven and
> bake cakes until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out
> clean (1-1/2 hours for 1 pound cake, 2-1/2 to 3 hours for larger
> cakes) Remove from oven and pour rum over cakes while still hot. When
> cooled just enough to handle, remove paper from cakes and cool on a
> wire rack.

> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Orange juice sounds plausible. Apple juice. Pear juice. Instead of
pouring the booze over, I've seen recipes wherein a saturated
cheesecloth is wrapped around the fruitcake. Something there?
And good for Crash for recognizing the temptation.
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http://www.jamlady.eboard.com, updated 12-11-05 - Good Food, Good Friends