This drunk fruitcake is the most polarizing Christmas cake in my family. No joke. The only two people who ate it were my Pop-pop and the dad-man. All the dad-man’s sisters hate it. Hated that Pop-pop made it. All because it smelt so bad. Well, it’s got two full bottles of brandy and a month of sitting under its belt. It’s not going to smell like an apple simmer pot.
This recipe took multiple phone calls to three of my aunts and one very confusing interview with my mom-mom Diane. From which I learned that Pop-pop just used a boxed cake and put random spices in it and hid the rest of the baking sins in Brandy. Now, in my defense, I have never made this recipe to its full potency. Mostly out of fear.
To quote my aunt who got the recipe from mom-mom, “It’s pound cake Diane; you just season it. Then get it drunk.” Which isn’t exactly a recipe, but that’s how pop-pop would explain drunk fruitcake to anyone who would ask.
Get Ya’ Drunk Fruitcake
Equipment
- 2-3 loaf pans
- glass bowl w/ lid
- Stand mixer
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cups
Ingredients
- 1 box pound cake mix
- 1 bottle brandy
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 c butter
- 1 t ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 t ground mace
- 1/2 t ground allspice
- 1/4 c Candied ginger
- 1/2 c Candied pineapple
- 3/4 c Candied cherries
- 1/2 c Raisins
Instructions
- Put fruit into a sealable glass bowl and pour 3/4 c to 1 c brandy over the fruit. Give it a good mix and let sit for at least 24 hours.
- Make the cake according to the box, adding in the cinnamon, ginger, mace, and allspice and replacing the water with the brandy. Fold in the candied fruits and brandy that didn’t soak in.
- Bake according to the back of the box for the appropriate pan.
- While still warm, drizzle with 1/4 c of Brandy. After they’ve cooled, wrap them in cheese cloth and liberally soak them in brandy. Place the loaves into an airtight storage container and store in a cool, dry place. Soak wrapped fruit cakes every few days for at least 3 weeks before serving.
Notes
Nothing says merry Christmas like big bottles of booze and saturating a cake in it. All jokes aside, this drunk fruitcake is not for the weak, or lightweight. I don’t personally drink and therefore do not make this cake every year. You can find my go-to fruitcake recipe here, the petite fruitcake. Or my rum fruitcake.
