Tea’s Unique Spicy Kentucky Bourbon Fruitcake

Welcome to Paul’s Fruitcake Corner. Here at the corner we try fruitcakes so you do not have to. On our final day of my 2025 fruitcake journey we have a cake from Tea’s Unique. This is a company based in Flowery Branch, Georgia that sells tea’s sourced from Korea. They also sell fruitcake. Today we are trying the “Southern Gourmet Fruit Cake Aged with Cinnamon Spiced Kentucky Bourbon”. This was a 2 pound cake that suggested refrigeration before slicing. This cake was packed with walnuts, plump golden and purple raisins, cherries, pineapple, orange peel, papaya, and crunchy pecans. There is a bourbon presence but it is very nuanced and not particularly spicy.  This cake was very moist and thoroughly enjoyed. The ingredient list was very very long and avoided to deter from this enjoyement.

   Thanks for coming along on my fun and tasty fruitcake journey. It was fun and sometimes challenging to source these commercially sold cakes. I enjoyed the majority but they will never replace the joy of making and enjoying a homemade fruitcake. See you next year!

Grandma’s Traditional Fruitcakes……Dark fruitcake

Welcome to Paul’s Fruitcake Corner. Here at the corner we try fruitcake so you do not have to. We are going north of the border to Alberta, Canada to try Grandma’s Traditional Fruitcake. This cake is from a 4 generation recipe and a small company run for 35 years by Cynthia Baumgardt. She sells these cakes at craft shows and by mail order. We are trying the dark fruitcake which has a dark rum infusion. It is a pleasant mix of spices, cherries, raisins, molasses, dark brown sugar and orange and lemon peel. The unwrapping of the festive blue foil wrapping reveals a shiny dark loaf that smells of Christmas spices. The flavors are all there. It is pleasant with the fruits (no nuts), spices and ends with a warmth and flavor from the rum. To be totally honest here, the cake is a tad dry. Except for the dryness this cake was enjoyable.

Logistics Note.

  I talked to Ms. Baumgardt on the phone and asked her if she would ship her cake to the states. She was very gracious and explained she would but she has had past problem with shipping across the border. The cake was held at customs for almost three weeks and total shipping time was just shy of a month. I was warned and was thankful to try her cake.

Priesters Pecan Fruitcake

 

Welcome to Paul’s Fruitcake Corner. Here at the corner we try fruitcakes so you do not have to. Priester is a company that sells lots of nuts specifically pecans. This cake delivers in the nut department evident by the image pictured. There are some fruits to add sweetness to this cake; blend of dates, sun-ripened raisins, candied pineapple, glazed cherries. Priesters claims to have a secret method of aging and glazing. I do taste some sort of booze which may have been brandy (?). The cake is shaped in a Bundt cake form and is delivered in a festively decorated box. If you like pecans, this cake delivers. We liked it………

Just in case you were wondering; Priesters is located in Alabama. They are proud to say; “Our Fruitcake is also featured on the list of "100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama".

Sisters of St Benedict of Ferdinand Indiana

 

Welcome to Paul’s Fruitcake Corner. Here at the corner we try fruitcakes so you do not have to.

The sisters are not kidding around when they say bourbon soaked. If you like bourbon this is the cake for you; Wow! The Sisters of St Benedict of Ferdinand Indiana are one of the largest Benedictine communities of women in the United States. This is a description of their cake from the website; Made from our Prioress' grandfather's original recipe, this exceptional fruit cake is soaked in smooth Kentucky bourbon for over four weeks, creating a rich and full bourbon flavor mixed with candied fruits, dried fruits, and pecans. Perfect for sharing with friends.

It may be perfect for sharing but that might be difficult because this cake is so good. It is moist and chock full of fruit. It is not overly sweet except for the fruit goodness .The bourbon flavor, presence and warmth is very prevalent. I think I will have another slice.

ROBERT LAMBERT WHITE FRUITCAKE

Welcome to Paul’s Fruitcake Corner. Here at the corner we try fruitcakes so you do not have to. Let’s address the elephant in the room right away. This is an expensive fruitcake. If you order directly this 1 pound cake with shipping will cost you 96 dollars to be shipped to your home. * Robert Lambert is selling a deluxe cake with pedigree ingredients. Each cake is handmade and the high end ingredients are sourced from exotic and local places. There is dried pineapple, Himalayan Hunza raisins, glaceed apricots from Australia, candied Ranpur limes, Bergamot & Seville orange, Lisbon lemon, and Buddha’s hand and candied ginger. The nuts are Brazil, pecans, toasted almonds and walnuts.

The cake arrived wrapped in cheesecloth, tied with twine and decorated by a candied orange peel & Wisconsin cedar twig.  It did have a faint odor of brandy. I cut into it to reveal a variable cornucopia of nuts and fruits dispersed through a blond batter. The first bite had a citrus forward flavor which was enjoyable. There is a lot going on with this cake with all its cherries, nuts, citrus and ginger. I thought the cake batter holding the various fruits and nut was a little dry which was very surprising. I did enjoy the cake and a 1 pound cake did not last very long.

Robert Lambert has a reputation for making high end fruitcakes. On his website he will expound on his procedures and his method of sourcing ingredients. Multiple magazines and media have written about his cakes. There is a lot of thought and care to his presentation and ingredients. I did think this year’s cake was on the dry side. I had of his cakes last year and it was not dry and a lot boozier. Only you can make the decision if the cake justifies this lofty price tag.

*I had not planned to buy a 95 dollar cake this year but Market Hall had a ‘Black Friday” sale had a sale and this cake was discounted to 62 dollars delivered to my door

CAPTAIN DRAKE’S CAKES SCOTCH WHISKY CAKE

 

Welcome to Paul’s Fruitcake Corner 2025. Here at the corner we try fruitcakes so you do not have to. My wonderful wife, Ms. Goofy was at the Dicken’s Faire last weekend and picked up this Scotch Whisky Cake from the “Celtic Tea Shoppe”. Let’s start off with a quote from the seller;

“If there is no whisky cake in heaven, I am not going”

This cake out of the box is rather hockey puckish looking; a little on the flat side. The recipe is based on the ‘Dundee cake from Scotland. The Dundee cake is round and decorated with almonds. No almonds on this cake but it is full of whisky soaked fruits including cherries, sultanas, currants, pineapple and ginger.

  The top is moist looking and glistens with whisky glaze. This cake has a good ration of batter to fruit. You do get gentle whisky warmth from each bite. You also get sweetness from the fruits but is not cloying. This is a good version of a Scotch Whisky Cake. My only criticism is this cake is moist on the surface but a tad dry in the center. It still was enjoyed.

Disclaimer & FAQ of Paul’s Fruitcake Corner

No, I do not have the recipe…..This is a yearly personal folly of mine. All throughout the year I search out fruitcakes to try and review. I tried to get all different cakes than from the previous year. Yes, I do eat all of the fruitcakes…. I do not represent any fruitcake companies. I personally pay for all the cakes. I hope you enjoy the next several weeks at Paul’s Fruitcake Corner

EGG NOG JELLY BELLY

 Like my neighbor who put up Christmas decorations a month ago, Jelly Belly did not get the memo Christmas season  does not start till the day after Thanksgiving.