Double Arm Pump Fruitcake

Right before Christmas I talked about making my first ever fruitcake. Well, I packed it in the car and drove it to France with us and, two days shy of the 3-4 week "incubation," "fermentation" (or whatever you want to call it) period, sliced into it with great anticipation.

It is a wonder that a cake should sit for 3-4 weeks before it is considered edible.  The friends I shared it with were hesitant and asked "Does it have eggs in it?" and "What about milk and butter?"  I reassured them that with all the alcohol and the fact that it baked for nearly five hours, they would not wind up retching over the toilet.  I'm not sure they were convinced, but I received a resounding thumbs up after everyone had taken a bite of this ultra-dense, fruity, perfumy, and just-the-right-sweetness-cake.

Sure, there were plenty of jokes about the size and weight of the cake.  I will not lie:  it absolutely could be used to bonk someone over the head with the same effectiveness as a large brick.

The bottom line is that I love this fruit cake.  So much so that I will be making it again next year.  My friend Jessica, who was nice enough to take these photos when my camera went missing, was also enamored and insisted on getting her hands on the recipe.

I suppose it really passed the test though when my discriminating French friends and relatives kept reaching for more of the chunks that I'd cut and set on a plate.

Do you see how I had it wrapped in a triple layer of foil and then wrapped again inside a plastic shopping bag?  The recipe suggested the foil and storing it in a Tupperware or other plastic container, but I did not have a 10" round container that would hold my cake.  But never mind, it was soft and moist and didn't suffer without the container in the least.