French-Style Fruit Cake
Meet “Cake Aux Fruits Confits” – a French-style fruit cake that brings all the festive vibes, without overwhelming sweetness or booziness – unlike its American or British counterparts. It features lightly rum-soaked candied fruits, plump raisins and chunks of tender marzipan in a buttery, airy crumb. This lighter take on the classic fruit cake might just win you over if you weren’t a fan before. Get ready to savor the joy of every bite! Just like its British and American counterparts, the French-Style Fruit Cake, known as “Cake aux Fruits…
- Prep time
- 25 min
- Cook time
- 45 min
- Yield
- 12 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 cup (150g) mixed candied fruits, chopped.2/3 cup (100g) mixed raisins (dark and golden)
- 2 tbsp (30ml) rum (light, dark or spiced)
- 1/2 cup (125g) unsalted butter, at room temperature.3/4 cup (150g) sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (about 50g) sliced almonds, blanched or unblanched
- 3.5 ounces (100g) marzipan, cut in small cubes
Instructions
- 1
Step 1 - The day before: In a small bowl, stir together the dried fruits, raisins, and rum. Cover and let soak overnight in the fridge.
- 2
Step 2 - The next day, whisk together the room-temperature butter with sugar until frothy. Whisk in the vanilla extract and the eggs.
- 3
Step 3 - Pre-heat your oven to 350°F (180°C) with a rack in the middle. Grease a loaf pan with butter, sprinkle the inside with flour and set aside.
- 4
Step 4 - In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and stir until just incorporated. Add the shaved almonds, marzipan cubes and rum-soaked dried fruits, and stir until just incorporated.
- 5
Transfer the batter to the pan and bake for 45 minutes, until golden and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack.