Holiday Fruitcake takes a shortcut approach to a dessert that is usually anything but quick. Quick-bread mix, mincemeat, nuts and candied fruit come together in a Bundt pan, giving you the dense, festive look of a traditional fruitcake without the longer ingredient list and extended preparation.
The source note is what makes this one especially worth keeping: Mary Thompson says her mother made it every year, and remembers that the family doctor who made house calls often ended up with one of the fruitcakes at Christmas. That small detail turns the recipe from a holiday cake into a snapshot of how food moved through a family and community.
Holiday Fruitcake
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 c. water
- 2 pkg. Pillsbury quick bread mix any flavor, I use date
- 2 2/3 c. (one 28 oz. jar) None Such mincemeat
- 1 c. nuts halves or chopped
- 2 c. candied fruit
Instructions
- Generously grease and flour 10 inch (12 cup) Bundt fluted tube pan. In a large bowl, combine eggs and water. Add remaining ingredients. By hand, stir until combined. Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 80 to 90 minutes until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes, then invert on cooling rack. Cool completely. To store, wrap tightly in foil or plastic wrap; store in refrigerator. If desired, glaze with warm corn syrup. Decorate with candied fruits and nuts.
Notes
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This recipe traces back to a Jersey County community cookbook created in the spirit of sharing, service and local connection. If you’d like to carry that spirit forward, consider supporting the Jersey County Historical Society and its work preserving local history for future generations.
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