Carrot Fruitcake Food

FRUIT & CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat the first six ingredients until well blended. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; gradually beat into sugar mixture until blended (batter will be thick). Stir in the carrots, apricots, currants and ginger., Coat a 10-in. fluted tube pan with cooking spray and sprinkle with flour; pour batter into pan. Bake at 350° for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely., For glaze, in a small saucepan, combine the pineapple juice, orange juice and honey. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes or until mixture is reduced to 1/3 cup. Remove from the heat; cool for 15 minutes. Stir in apricots and currants. Spoon over cake. Sprinkle with pecans.

THE BEST FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Combine the raisins, currants, apricots, figs, prunes, dates, walnuts, pecans, orange zest, lemon zest, candied ginger, pumpkin pie spice and cloves in a large bowl and toss to combine. Add 1 cup of the brandy, orange liqueur and molasses and stir to coat. Cover and set aside to macerate overnight. (Alternatively, cover the bowl and microwave 2 minutes, or until very hot. Leave covered and let sit until almost all the liquid has been absorbed into the fruit and nuts, about 2 hours.)
• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Spray two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray and line each with 2 pieces of parchment, one lengthwise and one crosswise, leaving a 2-inch overhang on each side. Spray the parchment with cooking spray.
• Sprinkle 1/2 cup flour over the soaked fruit mixture and toss to coat. Whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
• Cream the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to medium-low and beat in the flour mixture until the batter is blended and smooth. Pour the batter over the fruit mixture and fold with a rubber spatula until all the fruit is coated in batter.
• Divide the mixture evenly between the two prepared pans, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake until the cakes begin to pull away from the sides of the pans, the tops spring back slightly when pressed and a cake tester comes out clean, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer to a wire rack and brush with the remaining 2 tablespoons brandy. Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 15 minutes. Carefully remove each cake from its pan using the parchment overhang and place on the rack to cool completely.
• To store, wrap each loaf tightly in plastic and then foil. The wrapped fruitcakes can be stored in a cool, dry place for up to 3 months.

THE BEST CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds and lightly coat the paper with spray.
• Cover the raisins with very hot water and let sit until plump, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain.
• Toast the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet until fragrant and browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool, and then chop 1 cup of the pecans; reserve for the cake batter. Pulse the remaining 1/2 cup pecans in a food processor until very finely ground; reserve for garnish.
• Combine the carrots and buttermilk in a medium bowl. Whisk the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a large bowl. Beat the eggs, brown sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until pale and thick, about 4 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually stream in the oil. Add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the carrot mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until smooth. Fold in the raisins and chopped pecans with a rubber spatula. Scrape the batter evenly into the prepared pans.
• Bake the cakes, rotating the pans halfway through, until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let the cakes cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the cakes and invert onto the rack. Remove the parchment and let the cakes cool completely.
• For the frosting: Beat the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and gradually mix in the confectioner' sugar. Increase the speed to high and beat until the frosting until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• To assemble the cake: When the cakes are completely cool, trim the domes of each cake round with a large serrated knife so the tops are flat. Place one cake, cut-side down, on a platter. Spread 1 1/2 cups of the frosting evenly over top. Place the remaining cake, cut-side down, on top. Spread the top with another 1 1/2 cups of the frosting. Frost the sides of the cake with another 1 1/2 cups frosting and smooth out completely to make an even crumb coat (It's ok if some of the cake shows through. This is just a base layer.) Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the frosting set.
• Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake, swirling decoratively if desired. Sprinkle with the finely ground pecans.

CARROT FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease 10" inch tube pan.
• SIFT TOGETHER: flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, baking powder.
• COMBINE: oil, sugar, and eggs one at a time.
• Gradually combine egg mixture into dry ingredients, mixing until smooth.
• ADD: carrots, raisins, candied fruit, dates, and chopped nuts.
• Spoon into a greased 10" tube pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 1-1/2 hours.

CARROT FRUITCAKE DELIGHT

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F.
• In a saucepan cook carrots, raisins, honey, margarine and spices in the water for 10 minutes, then allow to cool.
• In a mixing bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, wheat germ, and walnuts and combine with other ingredients.
• Pour into two small well-greased loaf pans.
• Bake for 45 minutes.

CARROT FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x5 loaf pan with baking spray.
• In a large mixing bowl add the sugar, vegetable oil and eggs and whisk until smooth.
• Whisk in the carrots.
• Sift together 1 cup flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
• Whisk into wet ingredients until just combined.
• In a small bowl stir together pecans, 1 cup candied fruit and raisins with remaining 1/2 cup flour.
• Stir into the batter.
• Pour into loaf pan and top with remaining candied fruit.
• Bake for 55-60 minutes.
• Cool for 10 minutes before removing from loaf pan.

CARROT CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Oil and line the base and sides of an 18cm square cake tin with baking parchment.
• Tip the sugar, sunflower oil and eggs into a big mixing bowl. Lightly mix with a wooden spoon. Stir in the carrots, raisins and orange zest.
• Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and nutmeg into the bowl. Mix everything together, the mixture will be soft and almost runny.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 40-45 mins or until it feels firm and springy when you press it in the centre.
• Cool in the tin for 5 mins, then turn it out, peel off the paper and cool on a wire rack. (You can freeze the cake at this point if you want to serve it at a later date.)
• Beat the icing sugar and orange juice in a small bowl until smooth - you want the icing about as runny as single cream. Put the cake on a serving plate and boldly drizzle the icing back and forth in diagonal lines over the top, letting it drip down the sides.

CARROT FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Combine nuts, fruit, dates and raisins with 1/2 cup flour; set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine sugar and oil; mix well add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Combine the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and remaining flour, gradually add to sugar mixture, beating until smooth batter will be stiff.
• Fold in carrots and fruit mixture and spoon into a greased and floured 10' tube pan.
• Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Note: if you want to ice this cake there are many great icings or just drizzle recipes on this web site.

PASSION CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Oil and line the bases of 3 x 20cm sandwich tins with baking parchment. Mix the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, half the sugar and the coconut in a large mixing bowl. In another bowl mix the beaten whole eggs, mashed bananas, grated carrot, drained crushed pineapple, milk and oil. Beat the egg whites until stiff, then add the remaining sugar and beat until stiff and shiny again.
• Stir the wet mixture into the dry until smooth and lump-free, then using a large metal spoon or spatula, fold in the egg white mixture. Divide evenly between the tins and bake for 25 mins until risen and a skewer comes out clean. You might need to swap the position of the tins after 20 mins.
• For the drizzle, scoop out the passion fruit pulp into a small pan. Add the pineapple juice and caster sugar and heat until bubbling, then bubble until syrupy. For the icing, beat the cheese and butter until lump-free, then beat in icing sugar and vanilla. Chill until ready to assemble.
• Poke the cakes all over with a skewer, drizzle over most of the passion syrup, then cool. Once cool, spread the icing over two of the sponges. Sandwich together and top with the third, un-iced, sponge. Drizzle over the remaining syrup.