Eudora Welty’s White Fruitcake
Moist, white fruitcake is a little lighter than traditional dark fruitcake. This Southern version is “improved” by dribbling it with bourbon instead of rum.
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Several notions may come to mind when you think of Eudora Welty — author, Pulitzer Prize winner, famous Mississippian. But, fruitcake? Yes. I am, of course, referring to the kind of fruitcake laced with candied fruit and nuts, spiked with spirits, and eaten during the holidays.
Welty frequently made her signature white fruitcake, passed down from a family recipe, to share with her closest friends during the holidays. Sometime in the 1980’s, Welty included the recipe in her annual Christmas card. Since then, Eudora Welty’s White Fruitcake has been published numerous times in magazines all over the world.
What is the difference between a white fruitcake and a dark fruitcake?
The main difference between a white fruitcake and a dark fruitcake are the sugars. Traditional dark fruitcake is made with brown sugar and molasses. White fruitcake is made with white granulated sugar. Some recipes also call for light corn syrup. One ingredient remains constant, however — booze.
While most fruitcakes include dark rum in its list of ingredients, Welty opts for bourbon. One full cup of bourbon is mixed into the batter before baking.
What is the best type of bourbon to use for baking?
You don’t need to go out and purchase the expensive stuff. Save that for sipping. For baking, stick with brands such as Jim Beam, Wild Turkey, Old Crow, or Evan Williams.
Ingredients and tools you will need
With the exception of the candied fruit, all of these ingredients should be readily available in your grocery store. You can usually find the candied fruit in the stores closer to the holiday season. But if you have trouble locating it, I have included links below where you can purchase it online. To make white fruitcake, you will need:
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups white sugar
- 6 large eggs, separated
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted before measuring
- 1/4 cup extra flour for fruit and nuts
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon of salt
- 1 pound pecan halves
- 1/2 pound candied red cherries
- 1/2 pound candied green cherries
- 1 pound candied pineapple
- 1 cup bourbon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Cooking spray
- Two 9.5 inches, 12 cup bundt or angel food cake pans
How to make white fruitcake
Before you get started, be sure to set out the butter to soften. Depending on the temperature of your house, it should take about 30 minutes for the butter to come to room temperature.
Start by preheating the oven to 250 degrees. Grease your pans well with cooking spray and sprinkle with a dusting of flour. This will prevent the cake from sticking to the pan and make it easier to release later.
Cut the candied pineapple into chunks. Slice the cherries in half if they are not already. Reserve about a ½ cup of nice-looking whole pecans to decorate the tops of the cakes and set those aside. Chop up the remaining pecans. Dust the fruit and nuts lightly with a little flour to keep them from clustering together in the batter or sinking to the bottom.
In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar together until it is smooth and creamy. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. With the mixer running on medium, add 2/3 cup of the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Then add an egg yolk. Keep alternating flour-egg-flour until all the eggs and flour are mixed into the batter.
Keep the mixer running. Add the pecans to the batter. Then add 1/3 cup of the bourbon. Add the pineapple, then add another 1/3 cup of bourbon. Follow with the cherries and the last remaining 1/3 cup of bourbon. Turn the mixer off.
Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. If you’re not sure what stiff peaks are, check out my post on how to make meringue. Same technique, we’re just not adding sugar to our egg whites. Fold the whipped eggs whites into the batter.
Fill each cake pan about 2/3 full. The fruitcakes will rise as they bake. Decorate the tops with nuts. Bake for approximately three hours. Ms. Welty isn’t real specific here. The top of the cake should spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted near the center should come out clean and dry. If the top of the cakes start to brown too soon, loosely lay a sheet of foil over the top. When done, the cake should be a warm golden color.
Once the cake pans become cool enough to handle, run a spatula around the sides of each cake, cover the pan with a big plate, then turn the pan over and slip the cake out.
“Improving” the white fruitcake
Ms. Welty advises that you make the cake several weeks ahead of Christmas and keep “improving” it by dribbling the cake with more bourbon from time to time. The bourbon in the cake actually “preserves” it and prevents mold from forming.
I tested this out myself with a leftover half of cake. I left it sitting in a covered cake dome for the duration of Christmas and periodically drizzled some bourbon over it. After four weeks, it still looked as if it was just baked. However, it will be quite boozy, so use your own discretion.
Storage and freezing instructions
If you’re uneasy about gifting or eating a cake that’s been sitting out for a month, here are a few ways to store them safely.
Storage. Once completely cool, the cakes should be stored in a container with a lid or wrapped in plastic wrap to keep them from drying out. The cakes can be stored at room temperature for up to four days or in the refrigerator for a week.
Freezing. Wrap the cakes individually in a layer of plastic wrap followed by foil. Be sure to store them in an area of the freezer where they will not be crushed. Consume within six months. Allow the cakes to thaw completely before serving.
Frequently asked questions
Christmas cake is a British dessert that is very similar to fruitcake. It contains raisins or currents and is covered in a layer of marzipan.
Die hard fruitcake fanatics recommend aging a fruitcake for three months. You will need to continue preserving the cake from time to time by brushing bourbon over the top to prevent mold.
Yes. Eliminate the baking powder and salt from the ingredients since these are already included in self-rising flour.
Is it possible to just half the ingredients to make one cake?
Yes, you may need to decrease the cooking time. Start checking on the cake after 1 1/2 hours.
What can I use instead of alcohol?
You can replace the alcohol with fruit juice. I recommend using either orange or apple juice.
I’d like to make this fruitcake in mini loaf pans. How would I adjust the cooking time?
I can’t accurately answer that since I’ve never made this in mini pans. I would start checking the cakes at the halfway mark, then every 10 minutes after until cooked through.
Can I used fresh fruit instead of candied fruit?
I can’t guarantee you would achieve the same results by substituting fresh fruit for the dried. I would be concerned that the fresh fruit would not hold up as well to the long cooking time. Also, the fresh fruit could release extra liquid into the batter and affect the bake time and texture.
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Eudora Welty’s White Fruit Cake
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 6 large eggs separated
- 4 cups flour sifted before measuring
- flour for fruit and nuts
- 2 teapsoons baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon of salt
- 1 pound pecan halves
- 1/2 pound candied red cherries
- ½ pound candied green cherries
- 1 pound candied pineapple
- 1 cup bourbon
- 1 tsp. vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Grease your pans well and sprinkle with a dusting of flour.
- Cut the candied pineapple into chunks. Slice the cherries in half if they are not already. Reserve about ½ cup of nice-looking whole pecans to decorate the tops of the cakes and set those aside. Chop up the remaining pecans. Dust the fruit and nuts lightly with a little flour.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar together until it is smooth and creamy. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. With the mixer running on medium, add 2/3 cup of flour to the butter mixture. Then add an egg yolk. Keep alternating flour-egg-flour until all the eggs and flour are mixed into the batter.
- Keep the mixer running. Add the chopped pecans to the batter. Then add 1/3 cup of bourbon. Add the pineapple, then add another 1/3 cup of bourbon. Follow with the cherries and the last remaining 1/3 cup of bourbon and the vanilla. Turn the mixer off.
- Whip the egg whites until still peaks form. Fold the whipped eggs whites into the batter.
- Arrange the reserved pecan halves around the bottom of two 9.5-inch bundt or angel food cake pans. Fill each cake pan about 2/3 full.
- Bake for approximately three hours. The top of the cake should spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted at the center should come out clean and dry. If the top of the cakes start to brown too soon, loosely lay a sheet of foil over the top. When done, the cake should be a warm golden color.
- Once the cake pans become cool enough to handle, run a spatula around the sides of each cake, cover the pan with a big plate, then turn the pan over and slip the cake out. When cool, the cake should be stored in a container with a lid or wrapped in plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.
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Hi CJ! It is baking powder. Thank you for bringing that to my attention! I have corrected the post and the instructions.
The list of ingredients show baking powder, but the instructions say to sift flour with baking soda… which is correct ingredient? Planning to make this for the holidays.
What a lovely story, Nancy! Thank you for sharing.
I have been eating/making this cake for 65 years. Before I knew Eudora Welty’s name we called it Fruit Cake Martha Swann for one of my mother’s good friends, from whom she got the recipe. It is without a doubt the most delicious cake ever. I introduced my German husband to it, and every year I make and send some to his mother who remains in Germany. This year he is here with me in Texas as we make the cake together.
Hi Wendy! I would recommend using apple or orange juice instead. The protein in the cream could change the texture of the cake.
This sounds very similar to my grandmothers recipe (which I have lost) but I don’t want to use alcohol. Can I use cream as my liquid?
You can replace the alcohol with fruit juice. I recommend orange or apple juice.
What can I use to replace the alcohol?
Hi Rosina, I can’t accurately answer that since I’ve never made this in mini pans. I would start checking them at the halfway mark, then every 10 minutes after until cooked through.
I’d like to make this fruitcake in mini loaf pans. How would I adjust the cooking time?