What’s On Your Plate Blog Challenge – Bringing the Sexy Back to Fruitcake Edition

Ah, yes! That butt of a lot of Yuletide-themed jokes…the long suffering fruitcake. Gentle readers, you might have suspected that when Donna gifted me with the Canadian Living Christmas Book and I found the bonus mystery recipe stuck within its pages, that a seed had been planted within my wee brain. You see, I am one of those weirdos that actually likes fruitcake…IF it is well-made and aged. Don’t get me started on the crap fruitcake you can purchase at ye olde grocery emporium. It’s dry as dust and made with cheap ingredients – no wonder people don’t like fruitcake if that is what is being served!

I hadn’t made a fruitcake in probably…uh…decades. I haven’t let fear or rusty skills stop me in the kitchen thus far, so shortly after that blog post (and even before my poll closed) I was assembling my ingredients to make not one but two versions of fruitcake for the upcoming festive season – Violet Burke’s and the Canadian Living Christmas Book Light Orange Almond one.

Oh, and thanks for voting on my poll! 52% of you said I should GO FOR IT, when it came to attempting Violet’s recipe. Another 20% said make the Orange Almond; another 23% wanted further investigation into piecaken. And I think 100% were pissed that Black Forest Trifle was not a choice, amiright? 😉

Orange Almond fruit (and nuts) assembled, and ready to be soaked in Grand Marnier overnight prior to baking.
Violet Burke’s fruit mixed and ready to marinate in sherry overnight, prior to baking. (Violet’s recipe did not specify any booze but I FIXED THAT!)
Orange Almond fruitcakes out of the oven.
Violet Burke’s cakes out of the oven. Can I just say that my house smelled amazing for more than a day?

Since late November, I had been giving the cheesecloth-wrapped cakes generous lashings of the same booze I had soaked the fruit with, every couple of weeks. The results speak for themselves:

Violet Burke recipe on the left, and Orange Almond on the right – ready for testing (and voting!) I’d like to publicly thank the holly bush outside my balcony for contributing to the table decor.
Closeup of the Light Orange Almond fruitcake
Closeup of Violet Burke’s fruitcake
New Year’s Day “judging panel”, including Donna (renowned fruitcake hater critic) behind the camera. Once again, I am rocking the Canadian cashmere, just like Christmas Day (different plaid, though). Hmmmm, am I in a (lack of) fashion rut?
More festively-dressed Donna trying the Orange Almond cake. She liked it! After enjoying the New Year’s spread my daughter and I had laid out though, there was absolutely no room for a piece – no matter how small – of Violet’s cake. However…
…Donna was kind enough to send me this photo the next morning – proof she tried (and liked!) Violet’s cake too.

I thought both recipes turned out beautifully – moist and flavourful. However my favourite (and the favourite of the Esteemed Judging Panel) was the Light Orange Almond Cake. (Sorry, Violet!)

The orange almond cake is non-traditional in its citrusy flavour and light colour. The inclusion of the slivered almonds and almond extract in the batter adds a lovely nuttiness that I really appreciated. I think this makes it a great cake for “fruitcake haters and nonbelievers” to try. Both Donna and Richard liked it and said they would definitely eat it again if given the chance, and they also both profess not to like fruitcake. The rest of us already liked fruitcake in general, and we also preferred the light cake.

Violet’s cake was leaning more towards the traditional fruitcake/plum pudding in richness and the addition of the sherry certainly lent it that old-time English fruitcake taste, in my opinion. Definitely a great fruitcake, and definitely head and shoulders above anything store-bought. I think next time I would make it with brandy instead of sherry, and play around with some of the ingredients and add chopped nuts…maybe pecans?

Or maybe I will make Suzanne’s mother’s fruitcake recipe next year instead. Suzanne wrote a lovely blog post recently, in defense of the much maligned fruitcake.

I had so much fun reading your comments about my finding of the Violet Burke recipe. You are so imaginative and creative and some of you really should go into the sleuthing business! Who knew a fruitcake recipe found in a thrifted cookbook would generate such wonderful responses? Certainly, not I.

Blogger and real-life friend Janis was even inspired to write another one of her beautiful short stories; this time about Violet Burke and how her recipe ended up in the pages of the cookbook. You can find it on her blog here. I highly recommend reading it. You might want to have a tissue handy. 😉

Thank you, everyone – for making this ol’ blogger’s heart so happy!

Speaking of Violet’s recipe – here’s what it looks like, now (like a real recipe should):

Donna and I are trying something new this month, for WOYPBC, a linkup!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter
https://fresh.inlinkz.com/js/widget/load.js?id=a8b40ada7693d64e5923

Fingers (and toes) crossed that it works well, and that people like this way of checking out each others’ WOYPBC posts. (If you don’t like it, it was Donna’s idea. If you do like it, it was our idea. Bwahahahaha!)

Of course, you are still more than welcome to let my co-host Donna or myself know what’s on your plate at your house, in the Comments of either Donna’s or my post (or both, if you are so inclined!). Please check out Donna’s January post, here!

Hope you all had a lovely holiday, if you celebrated. And all the best for a happy, healthy 2022!

Rock on,

The WB

89 thoughts on “What’s On Your Plate Blog Challenge – Bringing the Sexy Back to Fruitcake Edition

  1. Hooray! The linkup thing worked (I even stayed up WAY past my bedtime to make sure)! 😀

    More importantly, I never (ever) believed that anyone could make me try fruitcake (let along like it). Seriously, if non-fruitcake-lovers sampled your Orange Almond Cake they too would become believers. You have a true calling here!

    1. Of course you did (stay up to make sure it worked)! 😁 I would expect nothing less from you, my friend. I truly appreciate you taking a fruitcake leap of faith for me, Donna. And I am so glad you didn’t regret it. Thanks 💕

      1. Thanks, Deb – It actually was quite easy to stay up late. After a harrowing two-hour bus ride from Horseshoe Bay to Downtown Vancouver (with the bus driver literally instructing all passengers to crowd together in the far back of the bus and jump up and down so that the bus could make it up the icy hill), my entire nervous system was WIDE awake! 😀
        You have definitely sold me on fruitcake — especially your boozy orange-spice version!

  2. Those fruitcakes both look and sound delicious deb. I’ve never made one in all my life and now that I’m at this point (61 years), I’ve decided to go through life never making a fruitcake, Christmas or otherwise! Great job and I love the linkup, where I’ve shared my post about Cow Poo slice – yep that’s a thing!

  3. They both look like the came out really well. I’d definitely try them both, but think I’d prefer the Lighter Orange Almond and put in less fruit, but I’m a Panettone gal rather than the traditional fruitcake. I have started looking at recipes for Panettone…who knows perhaps next year I’ll make my own? If I do I’m blaming it on you!! 😂🥰

    1. I can get into Panettone! I wonder what a homemade one would taste like compared to the store bought (which is all I’ve ever known). I hope you do make one, Deborah. Thanks 💕

  4. Just based on looks alone, I would go for the Orange Almond. Not being a fruitcake fan, I can’t guarantee I’d like it, but somehow I think I would. Homemade always seems to have that indefinable extra something-something ❤️

    1. Absolutely! Homemade is usually so much better. So many corners are cut during mass production to make things affordable and profitable. You might be shocked if I told you how much I spent on ingredients for these cakes. Or not. (Probably not, as you are a great cook who doesn’t scrimp!) Thanks, Joanne 💕

  5. I’ll be truthful I’ve never been a fan of fruitcake, but I like many of the flavors in one. Your photos do make it look appealing. The old-fashioned sweet treat I like that makes everyone shudder is mince pie. People hate on it like you cannot believe.

    1. Yes, mince pie! Another much maligned Christmas treat. I do love a tiny slice or a little mince tart at Christmas (and then I’m good for another year). I almost bought a package of tarts from the grocery store but I know I’d end up either eating them all or throwing the other 5 tarts out. Hmmm….maybe next year? 🤔 Thanks, Ally 💕

  6. debscarey

    Yup, another one here who avoided fruitcake for most of her life. I blame being forced to eat heavy (and dry) fruitcake in the tropics – not suitable at all 🙁 Meeting it again as an adult via a friend’s wedding cake, slathered in thick icing and marzipan, made me hate it even more, so it was many a year before I tried again. A friend made an earl grey tea loaf (a fruitcake by another name) which was simply lovely. I suspect the Orange Almond would be the one for me too.

    1. Earl Grey tea loaf? I am intrigued!!!! Speaking of tropical fruit cakes, I have sampled a few slices of rum-soaked Caribbean fruit cake over the years and you are right – they can be heavy (and also delicious, if made well). Thanks, Debs 💕

      1. debscarey

        If you like Earl Grey tea (and I love it), it’s makes a nice alternative soaking liquid to alcohol for those who prefer to avoid it. Personally, I’m fine with the alcohol, but this version made a lovely cake for mid-morning consuming.

  7. Hmmm…not a fruit cake person. The only person in my family who eats it is my sis-in-law so if someone gets one as a gift, they go to her. I love how colorful the almond one is. Usually they are good rich and dense for me but maybe I would try a crumb or two. I’m more a Panettone person although I’m really not a fan of dried fruit. Maybe that’s where the issue is. Raisins and apricots don’t count as dried fruit though. At least not in my book! 🙂

    1. That’s unusual, Kate…any person I know that hates dried fruit lists raisins as Enemy Number One. Oh, you have given me a wonderful idea for the next time I make the Orange Almond cake – add apricots!!!!! 🙏🙏🙏 I love the colours in the lighter cake too – very festive to look at and even more festive to eat! Thank you 💕

  8. The Misadventures of Widowhood

    Your fruitcakes both look great! I wish I could try that almond one. And your enthusiastic approach to enjoying (and documenting) your kitchen adventure was fun to follow.

    1. Thank you, Jean 💕 I have a lot of fun creating in the kitchen, and will happily share both my hits AND misses. My father (a plain ol’ meat and potatoes guy) used to say to my mother enroute to my place for dinner “Oh, I hope she’s not trying out another new recipe on us again!” Spoiler: invariably I did 😁.

  9. That sure is some pretty fruit cake. I’m enjoying the fruit cake saga/blog spin-offs especially Janis’s short story. Thanks for the inspiration! The linkup tool looks great too, except for expiring in 7 days. It takes me too long to produce a blog! haha! Won’t meet the deadline since we are packing for the big move to Washington. Off topic, I finally started a painting using the Beam paints you recommended. I ordered one of the holiday kits and the paint is gorgeous!

  10. I used to dislike fruit cake – I think because they were always dusty, as you say. A home-made fruit cake with fruit that’s been pre-soaked and the cake wrapped up and “fed” regularly with booze? Yep, I’m there. The orange and almond sounds like something different to have a go at. As an aside, you got Donna to try it? That’s a result right there!

    1. YES! Donna not only tried it – she said she would eat it again, if offered!!! That is as solid as a recommendation for this cake as you will find anywhere 😁. Thanks, Jo 💕

  11. Hi Deb! I love, love, love fruitcake and make one every year for the Festive Season. I let the fruit soak in whisky or brandy for a couple of weeks and agree there is nothing like homemade. I do prefer a dark fruit cake but the two recipes you tried looked delicious and packed with fruit. I’m also pleased to see that we now have proof of Donna (who always says ‘don’t mention fruitcake’) eating a piece of your cake – it must have been good. Happy New Year, Deb and thanks for hosting #whatsonyourplateblogchallenge

    1. Sue, I just read your blog and now I am thinking I have to make a Christmas pudding with sauce once again, for next year. And I definitely need to soak any fruits longer than just 24 hours. Will have to make a note on ye olde Google calendar to start thinking about this in October – November is just too late! Happy New Year, and thanks 💕

  12. As you know, I’m not a fruitcake fan but I would have happily sampled both recipes. I imagine my fruitcake history, and the reason I’m not a fan, is because they didn’t include much or any booze. But, Grand Marnier? Sign me up! I love this continuing saga of Violet and her fruitcake. Thanks for the link to my story 🙂

    1. Fruitcakes need to be soaked in booze. To not do this would be akin to making shortbread without butter *shudders*. I think you would like either of these cakes, Janis. I am so happy for your story! How else can I inspire you??? Let me know. Thanks 💕

  13. Deb, the orange almond fruit mix looks like something I’d love as a snack. I can imagine it must have been delicious. As for Violet’s cake, it definitely needed pecans. Thanks for linking my ‘fruitcake controversy’ post. As tasty as it was, I have lots of ideas for re-making it next year.

    1. That’s the great thing about recipes, isn’t it? As we create, and even as we sample, we can be scheming and planning on how to tweak it for the next time we want to make something. Hehehehe! I look forward to a Part 2 from you (should you decide to) on your mom’s fruitcake, any more controversies, etc. Thanks, Suzanne 💕

  14. I LOVE Fruitcake and yours are particularly Beautiful, so I can only imagine how tasty they were. I lucked out this year and bought a Fruitcake at Wal-Mart that was actually delicious, moist and had quality ingredients. We ate it in a day and a half, went back for more and they were Sold Out. I guess Fruitcakes are more popular than I imagined, it used to seem like I was the only one who truly enjoyed them.

    1. Lucky you! A grocery chain here in Canada used to sell a truly delicious fruit cake too – a rip-off of Claxton fruitcake, actually. Then suddenly they stopped making them so I went a year without fruitcake, and now I have a couple of good recipes to get me through. Thanks, Bohemian 💕

  15. hilarymb

    Hi Deb – I love a good fruit cake and used to make them. The family have one that isn’t, frankly very nice, fortunately I don’t stay – so don’t feel beholden to eat it! Surprisingly I did spot one in a local supermarket that looked to be more than half decent, it wasn’t huge either, but it was delicious … so I had a few tea-time treats. I’ll do the same next year – unless of course I’m near you – in which case I’ll be round for yours – the both look good … Violet’s could do with more fruit, while the light Orange one looks delicious, especially after being generously soaked pre cutting!

    Cheers – and I love the ‘What’s On Your Plate’ series … brings back memories of family meals – Happy New Year – Hilary

    1. Yes, agreed! Violet’s needs more tweaking, in my opinion. Even the Orange Almond – when I make it again I think I will add some chopped apricots. Happy New Year, Hilary! I am glad you are enjoying this. Thank you 💕

  16. Great Summary, Deb! Our panel is delighted to see how selflessly you dove into this complicated and time-consuming research project. We find your additional contributors thought-provoking, and applaud your statistical conclusions. Please bring samples to the oral exam.
    [Mwaaahhh!!! 😘 But not kidding about those samples! 💕]

  17. Happy New Year! I’m so very happy that you made both of these. I have to admit, when I hear the word Fruit Cake, I cringe. It just never looked appealing, but seeing yours? I’d love to sample both and give you my review. 🙂
    I love that you used Holly as a decor piece; I need to remember that as we have holly bushes at our house in GA.
    I’m off to read the blog/story about Violet.

  18. I am so taken by your preparations for the Orange Almond Cake – I never thought to soak nuts!!!! Loving Husband and I just had a conversation after reading your post about what that would do to the nut! Does it make it creamy? or does it disintegrate?

    Loving Husband is the fruitcake fiend … apart from well-fed with alcohol of some sort, he likes his fully iced (with a generous layer of marzipan/almond paste).

    1. The nut does not disintegrate, but it does become less crunchy. As much as I love anything almond (including marzipan), I like my fruitcakes un-iced. But I think a marzipan layer on the orange almond cake would be perfection *chef’s kiss* for those like your hubby who prefer fruitcake that way! Thank you, Ju-Lyn 💕

  19. Janet West

    Hello, once upon a lifetime ago I lived in your fair city. Victoria and the Saanich Penninsula are near and dear to my heart. I have been following you for awhile and enjoy your postings.
    I too am one who loves fruitcake. Yours look delicious! Wishing you all the best in the new year and hoping that your snow disappears soon.
    Janet

  20. “Violet’s recipe did not specify any booze but I FIXED THAT!” 😂 Now THAT’S how to do a fruitcake! Your cakes look and sound delicious, and could very well turn me into a convert. Happy 2022!❤

  21. Hi Deb! I am guessing that the main “secret” to tasty fruit cake is the freshness and the love and care you put into them. But just off hand, I’m thinking the one with the Grand Mariner in it would have my vote (as a preference to anything related to a Cadillac Margarita! And you almost got me wishing I was there to try some with you. Happy New Year and happy many more fruitcakes… Which also reminds me of the song “Fruitcakes” by Jimmy Buffett! ~Kathy

  22. Pingback: The Giant Sticky Bun – Touring My Backyard

  23. You are so right about the fruitcake being the butt of jokes.
    And this was so interesting to read (and see) how fruitcake can have a deliciousness to it.
    I would definitely want to toast mine and add butter – but it looks great and both recipes sound interesting
    also, the one that you preferred, with the “of the slivered almonds and almond extract” reminds me of some of the stuff I add to my homemade biscotti (which I now make using almond and cassava flour)
    🙂
    ~Yvette

      1. Hi – I got the recipe from her Cohen from the Denver Post in the 1990s and my first 200 batches were NOT gluten free – hahah a- they were traditional flour and gulp – canola oil – hahahah – but now I know that canola oil scars the liver and use avocado oil and butter – or coconut oil or even nutiva Lard – mmmmm and then change the flours –
        🙂

  24. Also, I did link to the challenge in a post this week, but I do not like using “inlinkz” and so I am not going to add my post there – so I guess I am not officially joining in – but did want to say I like this challenge (just don’t like using inlinkz)

      1. Hi – oh thanks for being so nice – I felt bad saying that.
        But we used to use it for Thursday Doors and once it reached a certain number of participants, they started adding in “advertisements” and so we were saturated with ads and a few folks complained about clicking on them – it was minor – but still….
        and I think the blog host was charged money to use linked in once it reached a certain number – and he just stopped using it and then had folks leave links in his comment or on a master page – and kept it all within Word Press

        and my real issue with using it right now is that I clear my cookies a lot – and so every time I go to Inlinkzm it wants me to log in – and I don’t like leaving the WordPress site to go and do that- (I don’t like leaving WP for many reasons but one of them is that it is more exposure to cookies and hidden tracking – for example, I looked up two recipes this week – including the one Janis left – and my tracking report showed that one of those sites had 89 domains or trackers tapped into from my one click?? I do not totally care about all that – because we are “out here” when we are online, but when possible – I try not to click links and I like to stay within WordPress – and Inlinkz seems like a sneaky little ad-based site.

        1. Thanks for letting me know, Yvette! So far the numbers on the link party are low and I haven’t seen any advertisements but I will definitely be on the look out for that. I wouldn’t like any of that stuff either.

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