Cheska Montilla
The writer is a native of Bacolod City. She now resides in Doha, Qatar, where she is a full-time mother and a professional baker of cakes and pastries.
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Ahhhh! The sweet winter aroma of cinnamon, nutmeg, orange peels and plums! Nothing says Merry Christmas like a deliciously, aged fruitcake. With several versions across the globe, this rich and candied cake is favored during the holiday season.
This ancient Roman recipe has definitely come a long way from its humble beginnings of simply raisins, pine nuts and pomegranate seeds mixed with barley mash. From the Panforte and Pandolce of Italy, Stollen of Germany to the Pan De Pascua of Chile, fruitcakes are enjoyed in varied traditions and cultures. In the United Kingdom for example, fruitcakes are traditionally consumed during weddings and the holiday season.
They are usually covered in Marzipan and prepared months in advance as the cake has to be slowly fed with rum for weeks or months. In Portugal, a flava bean is inserted in the cake, and whoever finds the bean has the responsibility to pay or make the festive Bolo Rei the following year.
In the Philippines, aside from enjoying the traditionally-made fruitcake, the Crema de Fruta is our own version of a holiday cake. Especially enjoyed during the festive month of December, Crema de Fruta is a staple in almost every Filipino household’s noche buena.
Unlike its spirits-fed counterpart, Crema de Fruta has a shorter shelf life although I really doubt it would last more than a few hours once placed on the family’s table.
Here is an easy holiday baking you might enjoy that is perfect just in time for noche buena.
PINEAPPLE FRUIT CAKE
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup self-raising flour
- 1 cup caster sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- .5 tsp nutmeg
- 2 eggs
- 125 grams butter
- 500 grams mixed fruits
- 450 grams can of crushed pineapple
PROCEDURE
- Pre-heat your oven at 160C or 325F.
- Line an 8-inch cake pan with baking paper, making sure the paper is about 5cm higher from the edge of the pan.
- Combine in a pot and mix over medium heat:
- *Undrained Pineapple
- *Butter
- *Sugar
- *Cinnamon
- *Nutmeg
- *Baking Soda
- *Chopped Mixed fruit
- Keep mixing until sugar is dissolved
- Bring to a boil
- And keep on boil for about 3-4 minutes
- Let it cool down
- Sift and combine flour
- Once the mixture has cooled down, add the eggs and flour, mix them well
- Pour in prepared tin and bake for 1 1/2 hours or until the cake is done
- Once done, let it cool down
- Keep in an airtight container and refrigerate.
