The Case for Fruitcake (and the Fruit That Makes It)
There’s something defiant about baking with candied peel and raisins. It’s a throwback, a gentle rebellion against the shiny immediacy of modern desserts. While others pile high their cakes with whipped ganache and edible glitter, there you are—measuring out shriveled raisins and translucent cubes of orange rind, as if conjuring something from another century.
But the truth is: when done well, dried fruit in baking delivers a complexity that no frosting can match. Sweet, bitter, chewy, boozy—these are notes you can’t fake. They make a panettone ethereal, a stollen rich with story, a fruitcake something your guests will actually eat.
Still, baking with candied peel and raisins isn’t foolproof. Use them wrong and you’re left with gummy textures or aggressive bitterness. Use them right—and they become bursts of joy in every bite.
A Brief History: Why We Bake with Preserved Fruit
Long before refrigeration, sugar was preservation. Candied orange peel, citron, dried currants—these weren’t holiday luxuries; they were necessities. In Victorian England, fruitcake was less dessert, more survival rations in silk. And in Italy, the appearance of dried fruit in panettone was a sign that winter had arrived—and with it, a reason to gather.
The lasting power of these ingredients speaks to more than just history. Baking with candied fruit is about layering flavor. It’s about patience. It’s about using sugar not just as sweetness, but as architecture.
Texture Trouble: Why Dried Fruit Can Ruin a Bake
Here’s the villain of many a home-baked fruitcake: dry, leathery bits of fruit that chew like a punishment. Often, the mistake is simple—bakers toss raisins and candied peel into batters straight from the packet.
But dried fruit is thirsty. If not pre-soaked, it will draw moisture from your batter mid-bake, leaving you with dry cake and dry fruit. Similarly, low-quality candied peel can be bitter or rubbery, throwing off an otherwise balanced recipe.
How to Soak (and When to Skip It)
The Soak Method (Essential for Raisins)
To keep raisins in baking plump and tender, soak them in warm liquid for 20–30 minutes. Water works, but spirits sing: rum, brandy, or sweet wine add aromatic depth.
Quick Tip: Drain and pat dry before folding into batter—extra liquid can destabilize your mix.
Candied Peel: Handle with Care
High-quality candied peel (especially homemade or artisanal) needs no soaking. It’s already soft and sweet. But if you’re using store-bought varieties that seem stiff or excessively sugary, you can simmer them briefly in water or orange liqueur to soften and brighten.
Skip soaking if the peel is syrupy and soft out of the box—it will melt into the bake beautifully.
When Dried Fruit Shines: Recipes That Love It
Certain recipes are built around the assertiveness of dried and candied fruit. They don’t hide it—they elevate it.
Panettone: A rich, airy Italian bread that rises like a soufflé. The balance of citrus peel and golden raisins is key to its identity.
Stollen: Germany’s answer to the holiday loaf—dense, buttery, wrapped around a log of marzipan, and filled with soaked raisins, currants, and orange peel.
Fruitcake (Yes, Fruitcake): When made with soaked fruit and dark sugar, it’s not a punchline—it’s a revelation.
Hot Cross Buns: That subtle bite of sultana or currant adds depth to these springtime staples.
Explore more ideas in our Beginner’s Guide to Holiday Fruit Baking, including soaking charts, booze pairings, and fruit substitutions.
Choosing the Right Fruit: Don’t Just Use What’s in the Tin
Not all dried fruit in baking is created equal. The neon-green cherries and waxy citron cubes of 1990s supermarket fruitcake fame are largely to blame for dried fruit’s bad reputation.
Upgrade Your Pantry
Golden raisins: Sweeter and softer than dark raisins, with a lighter chew.
Sultanas or currants: Smaller, tarter, ideal in buns or soda bread.
Homemade candied orange peel: A game changer. Simmer peel in sugar syrup, then dry and roll in more sugar. It’s fragrant, tender, and never bitter.
A Final Note: Bake Like a Time Traveler
To bake with candied peel and raisins is to reject the shortcut. It’s to stir, soak, and measure with your hands and senses. It’s to trust that these humble little nuggets of preserved sunshine will open up in the oven and reward your patience.
And when you slice into that fruit-studded loaf and taste both sugar and story—you’ll know it was worth it.
