Vietnamese Family Fruitcake
One batch yields 5 to 6 mini-loaves or 2 large loaf or bundt cakes. When baking a double batch, use the quantities in the Notes, which also contains links to candied citrus recipes and other tips.
Ingredients
Fruit and Nuts
- 800 g to 900kg | 4 cups mixed dried fruit and candied sweetmeats, such as raisin, dried sweetened cranberries, dried cherries, goji berries, candied ginger, candied citron, or orange peels (see Note for bonus recipes)
- 1 tablespoon grated orange or lime zest
- ½ tablespoon minced tender makrut or Persian lime leaves minced (optional)
- 120 ml | ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 60 ml | ¼ cup water or strong brewed black tea
- 200 ml | ⅓ plus ½ cup brandy, such as Chinese sorghum and rose petal liquor (Mei Kwei Lu Chiu), brandy, rum, or whiskey, divided
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
- 360 g | 2 ½ cups roasted or toasted mixed nuts and seeds, such as pecans, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, slivered almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and pistachios
Batter
- 355 g | 2 ½ cups all-purpose bleached flour or a 1:1 combo or all-purpose and whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoons fine sea salt
- ¾ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg or mace
- ¼ teaspoon ground clove or allspice
- 100 to 150 g | ½ to ¾ cup light or dark brown sugar (use maximum if the fruit and sweetmeat mixture is not overly sweet)
- 70g g | 6 tablespoons unsalted butter or virgin coconut oil, melted
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- Pecan or walnut halves, for garnishing
Instructions
- Soak overnight: As needed, coarsely chop the dried fruit and sweetmeats into pieces no bigger than ⅓ inch (1cm). Put all dried fruit and sweetmeats in a large bowl. Add the zest, lime leaf, juice, water (or tea), and ⅓ cup (80ml) of the liquor, and vanilla extract. Combine well with a spatula, separating any large chunks. Cover and set aside to plump up and macerate overnight or up to 3 days, stirring a couple times to ensure even exposure to the liquid.
- Prep your pans: Butter your pans. If using loaf pans, line the bottom and two sides with parchment so there’s some overhang (like a sling), and then butter the parchment and exposed pan wals. If using bundt pans, smear softened butter to coat well then flour and tap against the sink to remove excess flour. Set the prepared pans aside. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 300ºF.
- Make the batter: As needed, coarsely chop the nuts to pieces no bigger than ½-inch (1.25cm). Add all the nuts and seeds to the bowl of dried fruit and sweetmeats. Stir to combine well. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and ground spices (Chinese five spice, ginger, nutmeg, and clove) directly into the bowl. Add the sugar, then mix to coat well.
- In a measuring cup or bowl, whisk together the melted butter and eggs. Pour the wet ingredients onto the batter ingredients. Fold, stir and mix the ingredients together to combine well. Divide the batter among the prepared pans, stopping about two-third from the top. Level the surface.
- Bake then age: Bake for 1 ¼ to 1 ¾ hours, depending on the size of the pan, switching directions mid-way for even baking. The fruitcake is done when a cake tester or skewer insert comes out clean, and the top is slightly cracked and rounded.
- Cool and age: Let cool in the pan on a rack; keep the fruitcakes in their pans for easier storage, if desired. Let cool 15 minutes. While the cakes are still warm, poke holes into the cakes then pour about ¼ cup of the remaining liquor onto the cakes. Put in airtight container sand let age for 3 to 4 days before repeating with remaining liquor. Your can repeat the aging and add more liquor, if you like.
- To store, wrap in plastic wrap (or in parchment paper and wrap in foil). Keep at room temperature for up to 3 weeks or refrigerate for up to 6 weeks. Freeze for up to 1 year. Serve sliced at room temperature or slightly warmed.
Notes
Related recipes:
- Candied Buddha's Hand Citron
- Candied Orange Peels
- Candied Pomelo or Grapefruit Peels
- Candied Kumquats
- 1.6 to 1.8kg | 8 cups mixed dried fruit and candied sweetmeats (such as raisin, dried sweetened cranberries, dried cherries, candied ginger, candied citron, orange peels)
- 2 tablespoons grated tangerine, orange, and/or lime zest
- 6 tender kaffir/makrut or regular lime leaves, minced (optional)
- 240ml | 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 120ml | ½ cup water or strong brewed black tea
- 400ml | 1 ⅔ cup brandy, Chinese sorghum and rose petal liquor (mei kwei Lu chiu) or orange-flavored liquor (e.g., triple sec, Cointreau), divided
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 620g | 5 cups roasted or toasted mixed nuts and seeds (such as pecans, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, slivered almonds, sunflower seeds, or pistachios), coarsely chopped if needed
- 710g | 5 cups all-purpose unbleached flour or a 1:1 combo or all-purpose and whole wheat pastry flour
- 2 tablespoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg or mace
- ½ teaspoon ground clove or allspice
- 170g | ¾ cup unsalted butter or virgin coconut oil, melted
- 200 to 300g | 1 to 1 ½ cups light or dark brown sugar (use maximum if the fruit and sweetmeat mixture is not overly sweet)
- 8 large eggs, at room temperature
- Pecan or walnut halves, for garnishing
