Holiday Fruit Cake (Torta Negra)

This Venezuelan take on the Holiday Fruit Cake (Torta Negra) is made with macerated fruits and nuts, and layered with a browned butter frosting. It’s a must have dessert during the holidays!

About This Recipe

This Holiday Fruit Cake (Torta Negra) is a traditional dessert in Venezuela, only baked during the holidays. Its great flavor comes from the macerated fruits and spices that are soaked overnight. 

This cake makes for a great holiday gift for friends and co-workers. Just wrap it in cellophane and put it in a cake tin. I wanted to make this Torta de Navidad (Holiday Cake) to share a little bit of my home with you and I’m hoping this modern take on this traditional cake becomes a staple holiday recipe for you, too!

Ingredients

For the Cake Batter:

• Butter: This is the fat that will give the cake a moist and tender crumb. Using unsalted butter allows you to control the amount of salt in the batter.
• Granulated sugar: provide sweetness and structure.
• Dark brown sugar: has a richer flavor and more moisture than granulated sugar, and helps keep the cake moist.
• Eggs: provide structure, rise, and flavor. I suggest using large eggs at room temperature for best results.
• All-purpose flour: provides structure to the cake.
• Baking powder: a leavening agent, which means that it helps the cake to rise.
• Baking soda: also a leavening agent, and it helps to neutralize the acidity of the applesauce.
• Applesauce: adds moisture and flavor to the cake, and it also helps to make it more tender.
• Spices: cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice add a warm, nutty and slightly peppery flavor.

For the Fruit Mixture

• Blanched almonds: Blanched almonds are almonds that have had their skins removed. They add a nice crunch and nutty flavor.
• Walnuts: add another layer of crunch and flavor to the cake.
• Dried Cranberries: add a bit of tartness and sweetness to the cake.
• Golden and regular raisins: classic dried fruits that add a nice flavor.
• Candied ginger: has a spicy, sweet flavor that is perfect for holiday baking.
• Rum: adds a complex flavor and moisture to the cake.

For the Brown Butter Frosting

• Butter: the key ingredient in frosting; it provides richness, flavor, and moisture.
• Powdered sugar: makes the frosting smooth and spreadable, and adds a little bit of sweetness.
• Whole milk: used in frosting to thin it out and make it spreadable.
• Vanilla extract: adds a subtle warm flavor.

Instructions

Make the Fruit Mixture:

• In a large bowl, combine the chopped blanched almonds, walnuts, dried cranberries, golden raisins, raisins, and candied ginger.
• Pour the rum over the fruit mixture and toss to coat evenly. Cover the bowl and set aside to soak for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.

Top Tip: Soaking the fruits and nuts for over 12 hours allows the ingredients to absorb the flavors resulting in a more flavorful cake.

Make the Cake Batter:

• Cream butter and salt until light and fluffy and pale in color. Gradually add sugar and brown sugar, beating until well combined. Beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the sifted all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Reduce speed to low, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.
• Stir in the applesauce, strained fruit mixture, and walnuts until evenly distributed. Discard rum.
• Divide mixture into two prepared pans. Bake for 50 minutes or or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Helpful Tip: Overtaxing the batter leads to a dry cake.

Make the Brown Butter Frosting:

• Melt the butter over medium heat until light brown and fragrant.Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and 2-3 tablespoons of milk until smooth. Gradually add the cooled browned butter, beating until light and fluffy.
• Add more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the frosting reaches the desired consistency.

Helpful Tip: If the frosting is too thick, add more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency. If the frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency.

Assemble the cake:

• Once the cakes are completely cooled, place one layer on a cake stand or serving plate. Spread a generous amount of frosting over the top of the cake layer.
• Place the second cake layer on top of the frosting. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.
• Decorate the cake with fresh fruits and chopped nuts, if desired. I added gooseberries, which is a fruit native to Peru, and chopped walnuts.

Substitutions & Variations

• Choose your favorite fruits and nuts to use. The traditional version includes raisins, prunes, candied fruits, walnuts and figs.
• If you don’t have rum, you can substitute it with another type of liquor, such as brandy or bourbon.

Storage

• To store an un-frosted cake, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Store it at room temperature for up to 3 days.
• To store a frosted cake, place it in an airtight container. Store it at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• Freezing Instructions: Let the cake cool completely before freezing. Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze the cake for up to 3 months.
• Thawing Instructions: remove it from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator overnight. Once the cake is thawed, let it come to room temperature before frosting or serving.

Helpful Tip: Please note that freezing a fruitcake will slightly alter its texture. It will become slightly firmer and denser. However, the flavor will remain the same.

Top tips

• Macerate the fruits and nuts for over 12 hours in a mixture of rum and spices, this allows them to absorb the flavors of the liquor, resulting in a moister and more flavorful cake. To do this properly, place them in an air tight container and refrigerate overnight. Allow it to come to room temperature for 3 hours before baking the cake.
•  Drain the mixture before adding it to the batter, and replace the liquid needed with applesauce. It gives it a less rum-y flavor and adds all the moisture.
• For even-sized cakes: weigh the batter and split it evenly between two 8-inch round pans.
• Don’t overmix the batter: Overmixing can lead to a tough, dry cake. Mix just until the ingredients are combined.
• To prevent the cake from sticking to the pans, grease them well and flour them lightly before adding the batter.

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