Fantastic Holiday Fruitcake Food

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.

RICH BRANDY CHRISTMAS FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• The night before you cook this place all the fruit fruit peel and nuts into a bowl and soak for 12 hours in the brandy and orange juice; Stir every time you go into the kitchen!
• pre-heat oven to 275ºF/140ºC.
• Grease and line with greaseproof paper an 8 inch/20cm round cake tin.
• Sift the flour salt and spices into a large mixing bowl.
• In a separate bowl cream the butter and sugar together until the mixtures fluffy.
• Beat the eggs and add them a little at a time.
• Fold in the flour and spices.
• Stir in the fruit that has been soaking along with any excess liquid.
• Mix in the treacle.
• Spoon into the cake tin and spread out evenly.
• Cover the cake with a double square of greaseproof paper with a small hole in the top.
• Bake the cake on the lower shelf for 4& 1/4- 3/4 hours.
• When the cake is cold wrap in double greaseproof paper and store in an airtight tin.
• Feed the cake every two days for the first 2 weeks with a spoonful of brandy and/or orange juice and/or glacè cherry syrup.
• First poke little holes in the cake with a knitting needle or a skewer.
• Come Christmas you will have a very very rich fruit cake.
• Use royal icing to ice it or almond paste and royal icing, I don't like almond paste!

FANTASTIC BANANA FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Set oven to 300 degrees Prepare two (9" x 5") loaf pans, or 8 mini loaf pans.
• In a large bowl combine the fruit, dates and walnuts, then dredge them with 1/4 cup flour.
• Sift the remaining flour together with the baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves; set aside.
• In another bowl, cream butter, add sugar, and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
• Beat in the eggs one at a time.
• Beat in the orange rind, orange juice, orange extract and drained pineapple.
• Mash the bananas with a fork (do not use a food processor, as it will liquefy and the bananas, and will change the texture of the cake).
• Alternately, stir in the banana puree with the flour mixture into the creamed mixture. Stir in the floured fruit and nuts.
• Turn into prepared pans.
• Bake for about 2 hours and 15 minutes, or until loosley with foil if the cakes are browning too much on top.
• Cool in pans for 20 minutes, then turn onto racks Note: If baking in mini loaf pans, then cut down the baking time.

HOLIDAY FRUITCAKE (FRUIT CAKE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan.
• Combine flour and baking soda; set aside.
• In a large bowl combine mincemeat and sweetened condensed milk. Stir in beaten eggs then the fruit and walnuts. Add the flour/baking soda mixture and stir until combined.
• Spoon batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake approximately 1 hour 20 minutes or until test in middle of cake comes out clean. (I cook to 1 hour 10 minutes then start testing every 10 minutes until cake tests for doneness. If it's over baked it will be dry, otherwise the cake will come out perfectly moist. Be diligent with your testing.).
• Cool 15 minutes. Turn out of pan onto a wire rack. Cool completely. Cake may be cut into individual portions and wrapped in foil and frozen.
• To make in loaf pans, spoon 3/4 full. Bake 300 degrees for 1 hour or until test in middle of cake comes out clean.

FANTASTIC LIGHT FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar.
• Add eggs one at a time.
• Add extract, orange juice and soda water.
• Add cherries, pineapple, and pecans until all is added. I used to mix all by hand, but now I have a larger mixer that works well and I only mix the cherries, pineapple and pecans by hand.
• Drop batter by spoonsful into lightly greased and floured pans. Batter will be very heavy.
• Bake at 275 until firm to touch.
• This will make 2 large bundt pans, or a loaf pan and several small pans for gifts. The small pans take about 55-60 minutes and the large tube pans take about 65-80 minute The bundt pan will take longer. You can cut the recipe in half since the batter is so heavy and each half makes a whole bundt pan or one large and three smaller loaf pans.

EASY-PEASY FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Put the rum (or brandy), orange zest and juice and mixed dried fruit in a bowl and stir. Leave to soak overnight.
• Heat oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3½. Double line a 20cm tin with baking parchment. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whisk in the eggs one by one, then fold in the almonds and flour. Add a pinch of salt and fold in the soaked fruit mixture (and any remaining liquid in the bowl), along with the nuts, candied peel and ginger. Spoon the mixture into the tin and level the surface.
• Bake for 1 hr, then turn the oven down to 150C/130C fan/gas 2 and bake for a further 2 hrs. Check the cake to see if it's pulling away from the sides of the tin and feels firm on top. If you need to, keep cooking for a further 15 mins. Cool in the tin. If storing in the tin, wrap the cake tightly first. Will freeze for up to two months.
• To decorate, brush the cake with the apricot jam (or glaze) and arrange your choice of candied fruit on top. Will keep in a sealed container for up to three weeks.