Christmas Fruit Cupcakes with Dried Fruits and Brandy

Two Aprons, One Kitchen

My mother called me a week ago. "Are you making those fruitcakes again?" She knows I'm not. I haven't made a traditional fruitcake in years. Too heavy. Too dense. Too much like eating a brick that someone soaked in booze.

But I still wanted that flavor. The dried fruit. The warm spice. The little kick from brandy that makes Christmas taste like Christmas.

So I started playing around with a cupcake recipe last December. Three batches in, I had something worth keeping.

These are not fruitcake cupcakes. They are just cupcakes. With dried fruit. And a little brandy. The butter and sour cream keep them light. The fruit keeps them interesting. It is Christmas in a paper liner.

The One Thing That Matters

Soak the fruit. Do not skip this step.

I know it adds ten minutes. I know it feels fussy. But if you dump dry dried fruit into cupcake batter, it will soak up moisture from the batter itself. You will end up with dry cupcakes. Dry, sad, dense cupcakes.

Just pour two tablespoons of brandy over the chopped fruit. Let it sit while you measure the flour and cream the butter. That is all. Ten minutes. Total.

The fruit plumps up. It gets soft. And when you fold it into the batter, it stays juicy through the oven. Every bite has a little burst of fruit and brandy.

If you don't drink alcohol, use orange juice with a splash of vanilla. It works. Not the same. But it works.

What You Need

Dried fruit mix — I use dried cranberries, dried apricots, dried cherries, and candied citrus peel. Equal parts cranberries and apricots. A little less cherries. A little less citrus peel. That is not science. It is just what I had in the pantry.

Brandy or rum — Either works. Brandy is smoother. Rum is sweeter. I used brandy this batch because I had a half-bottle from last Christmas. Use whatever you have.

Butter and sugar — Cream them until they look like fluffy sand. Two to three minutes. If you rush this, your cupcakes will be flat. Take the time.

Sour cream — This keeps the cupcakes tender. I have tried this recipe with yogurt and with buttermilk. Sour cream wins. The fat content matters here.

Cream cheese frosting — Store-bought is fine. But if you want to make it, mix one block of cream cheese with four tablespoons of butter, a teaspoon of vanilla, and two cups of powdered sugar. It takes five minutes.

Putting It Together

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners. Do not grease the tin. The liners do the work.

Chop the dried fruit into small pieces. About the size of a pea. I used to leave them big. Then I bit into a cupcake that had a whole dried cherry in it. It was like eating a jawbreaker. Chop them.

Pour the brandy over the chopped fruit. Stir once. Let it sit.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set it aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Two to three minutes. Scrape the bowl halfway through. The color should go from yellow to pale. That is how you know it is ready.

Add the eggs one at a time. Beat well after each one. Then add the vanilla extract.

Now alternate adding the flour mixture and the sour cream mixture. Start with flour. Add half. Mix until just combined. Add the sour cream and milk. Mix. Add the rest of the flour. Mix until you cannot see dry flour anymore. Do not overmix. Overmixing makes tough cupcakes.

Fold in the soaked dried fruit. Pour any remaining brandy liquid in too. It is flavor. Do not waste it.

The Only Problem I Ever Had

The first batch I made, I filled the liners too full. Three-quarters full is what the recipe says. I filled them to the top.

They overflowed. Made a mess in the oven. I had to scrape burnt fruit off the bottom of the pan. Not my proudest moment.

Fill them two-thirds full. That is the sweet spot. The cupcakes rise and dome nicely. They do not spill over.

Another thing: use a cookie scoop to divide the batter. A number 20 scoop holds exactly three tablespoons. Perfect for standard cupcakes. You get even portions every time.

Baking and Cooling

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Start checking at 17 minutes if your oven runs hot. Stick a toothpick in the center. If it comes out clean, they are done.

The tops will be golden brown. The edges will be slightly darker than the center. That is normal.

Let them cool in the pan for exactly five minutes. Any longer and they steam themselves. Any shorter and they fall apart when you try to move them.

Transfer them to a wire rack. Let them cool completely before frosting. I know you want to lick the bowl. I know. But warm frosting is a disaster. It runs off the cupcake and pools on the plate. Wait.

Frosting and Finishing

Mix the cream cheese frosting with powdered sugar until smooth. If it is too thick, add a teaspoon of milk. Too thin? Add more powdered sugar. You know your frosting better than I do.

Pipe it onto the cooled cupcakes. I use a star tip. It looks fancy with almost no effort. If you do not have a piping bag, use a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off. It works.

Top each cupcake with a few pieces of dried fruit and a dusting of gold dust. The gold is optional. It is pretty. But the cupcakes taste just as good without it.

How to Serve Them

Display them on a gold stand if you have one. Or a white cake stand. Or a wooden cutting board. They look good on anything.

I set them out on a copper tiered stand last year. My sister-in-law asked if I bought them from a bakery. I said no. She did not believe me. That is the best compliment.

These are perfect for a Christmas brunch or afternoon tea. They are also good for cookie exchanges where someone forgot to bring cookies. You bring cupcakes. Everyone is happy.

If you are giving them as gifts, put them in a cardboard bakery box. Add a little tag with the flavor. They keep for three days at room temperature. Longer in the fridge.

I always make a double batch. One for the party. One for my mother. She still thinks I am making fruitcake. I do not correct her. Let her have her memory. I will have my cupcakes.