Hi Everyone,

I have been asked to make my very first wedding cake. I was already nervous enough about this, and now the couple have asked me to make the top tier of their cake a traditional fruit cake, so that they can freeze and eat on their first anniversary.

I have never made a fruit cake before, and I was wondering if any of you have a great fruit cake recipe that I could try.

Any input and advice would be greatly appreciated.

Angela.

Here.  Download the linked pdf file which has lots of info and the recipe

http://cakecentral.com/t/751459/fruitcake-recipe-with-variations-and-advice-for-scratch-baking#post_7337872

Thank you so much, i really appreciate it!

Alton Brown's recipe is great.  Also, I made a great one with cherries, pecans, and amaretto.  BTW, I did the same exact thing this summer with a fruitcake to keep as the top tier.

A few tips from my research:

The fruit cake should be made about three months ahead of time.  Then it should be brushed with alcohol every week for  a few months and kept wrapped in a cloth in a tin.  The harshness of the alcohol dissipates as the flavor of the cake mellows. 

A few weeks before the wedding, it should be covered with marzipan.  This should then sit to dry for at least a week to dry out. 

Then it can be covered in fondant or royal icing.  Royal is more traditional and will serve to help keep the cake preserved for a longer period.

Some of our European friends can enlighten us, but it is my understanding that the royal icing is meant to break off at the time of cutting like hunks of candy.  Cutting the cake is not a gentle process.