PAUL'S FRUITCAKE CORNER

  Welcome to Paul’s Fruitcake Corner. Here at the corner we will try fruitcake so you do not have to. Fruitcake is not just limited to the Holiday season. Today I would like to share a very, very special cake. It is an Orange/Kumquat fruitcake inspired by my mother. My mother handed this recipe down to me and I believe it originally came from the “Sunset” magazine. I have used it as a guideline and put in my own twists. When my mother made fruitcakes it was quite the event. It took time to gather the ingredients. She would use quality fruits and nuts. My mother was a teetotaler but she would add alcohol to this very special cake.

  This light (colored) orange/kumquat flavored is a boozy moist treat of a cake. I used almonds, dried pineapple, dried apricots, dates, golden raisins, brown sugar and golden syrup. Fresh kumquats picked from my backyard tree and boiled in simple syrup were used in this recipe. Orange peel and its juice also sang in this choir. The cake was baked in a low heat oven and then thoroughly cooled. At this time in my life, I am a teetotaler too but made an exception for this special cake. I bought a bottle of Grand Marnier. I slowly added copious amounts to this cake. This was the icing on and throughout the cake. It just adds warmth and reinforces the orange flavor.

  The cake sat wrapped for 2 weeks before I cut into it. This gives the alcohol a chance to mellow its harshness and let all the flavors mingle. This cake was moist, sweet with dried fruit, rich and boozy. It has orange/kumquat flavor throughout. The flavor triggered food memories and happy times. I may be biased and am probably tooting my own horn but this is one fine fruitcake. Thanks Mom!