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.

TIS THE SEASON ALMOST

 

I was driving by a local bakery, Alpine Pastry of Concord, California and paid a visit. They were just putting out their Holiday fruitcakes. I am happy.

OAKLAND MAGIC CIRCLE

I am officially a new card carrying member of the Oakland Magic Circle. Now I have another judging credential under my belt.  I judged my first show with 6 acts tonight. It was magical. Even the venue, the Scottish Rite Temple has a magical vibe. Bbq, chili, and now a magic judge; what will be my next judging endeavor?

HALLOWEEN CHOCOLATE

 One House Bakery in Benicia California made some housemade chocolates for this Halloween. I was intrigued and decided to make a purchase. It was a large sum of money to purchase these festive looking candies. They were fun & tasty.

    My sister paints a pumpkin in the image of our Rocky every years. This year the theme was Super Rocky and he approves.