Fruit And Nut Topped Pound Cake Food

HOLIDAY FRUIT-FILLED POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Heat brandy in a 1-quart saucepan over low heat until warm, then remove from heat and stir in dried fruit. Cover and let stand 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 325°F with rack in middle. Invert bottom of springform pan and lock on side. Generously butter pan and dust with flour, knocking out excess.
• Finely grind 3/4 cup almonds with 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor, then whisk together with flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
• Beat butter and remaining 3/4 cup sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition (batter will appear curdled), then add vanilla, zest, and fruit with brandy and beat until thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes.
• At low speed, mix in flour mixture until incorporated. Spoon batter into pan, smoothing it, and top with remaining 1/3 cup almonds.
• Bake until a long wooden pick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours. Run a thin metal spatula around side of cake, then cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt marmalade with liqueur in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring, then strain glaze through a sieve into a small bowl, discarding solids.
• Loosen side of cake with thin metal spatula again, then remove side of pan and loosen bottom of cake. Transfer cake from pan to rack and brush glaze over top of cake.
• Cool cake completely, about 3 hours.

FESTIVE FRUIT & NUT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4/fan 160C and lightly grease and line the base and sides of a deep 22-23cm round loose-based cake tin with Bake-o-Glide or baking parchment (see overleaf). Beat the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, ground almonds and spices until thoroughly mixed and creamy, preferably with an electric beater or in a food mixer.
• Measure off 100g/4oz of the cake mixture, put in a bowl and set aside. Fold the fruit and rum into the remaining mixture, then gently stir in the marzipan. Spoon this mixture into the prepared cake tin and flatten with a spatula to make a smooth even surface, then make a slight dip in the centre of the cake. This simple trick will give the finished cake a nice flat top. Bake for 11⁄4 hours.
• While the cake is in the oven, make the fruit and nut topping. Mix all the nuts, cherries and syrup into the remaining cake mixture (see tip overleaf). Spoon the mixture on top of the part-cooked cake (once it has had its 11⁄4 hours), evenly distributing the mixture of nuts and cherries across the surface of the cake. Loosely cover the top of the tin with foil.
• Return to the oven for 40 minutes more, then take off the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes, so the nuts can turn golden. Keep an eye on them, so they don't get too dark. To test the cake mixture is cooked, insert a fine skewer into the cake - if it comes out clean then it's ready. Cool in the tin then turn out, keeping the lining on, and wrap with foil. (The cake will keep for up to 2 weeks or can be frozen for up to 2 months.)
• To serve, remove the cake from the foil and strip away the lining. Place on a board or serving plate and tie with a decorative ribbon.

CHOCOLATE FONDUE WITH FRUIT AND GRILLED POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Heat up the grill. Grill the pineapple slices over medium heat until charred on both sides, about 8 minutes.
• Brush the pound cake slices with the melted butter and grill over medium heat until toasted, about 4 minutes.
• Cut the pound cake into 1 inch cubes and transfer to a plate. Cut the pineapple into 1 inch cubes and transfer to a separate plate along with the apricots.
• In a pan, bring the cream and bourbon to a simmer. Add both of the chocolates and the salt, then remove the pan from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth.
• Serve the chocolate with the grilled pound cake and fruit.

FRUIT COCKTAIL POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Line 2 9x5x3-inch loaf pans with heavy foil, leaving 1/2-inch collar.
• Coat generously with margarine.
• Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl and blend well.
• Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition.
• Alternately add flour and baking powder, mixing well.
• Fold in fruit cocktail and nuts.
• Divide between pans.
• Bake until tester comes out dry, about 1 hour.
• Let cool 5- 10 mins before removing from pans.
• Cool completely on rack.

FRUIT POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Cream shortening and sugar together.
• Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition.
• Add flour, salt, mace. Mix again.
• Add vanilla and beat. Add remaining ingredients and mix very well.
• Bake in a greased loaf pan for 60 -80 minutes with the oven temp set at 350*.
• **NOTE: To make a basic pound cake, the use above recipe, OMITTING the fruit and follow directions for baking/preparing.**.

PASSION FRUIT POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch (23-cm) loaf pan, dust it with flour, and tap out any excess. Line the bottom with a rectangle of parchment paper.
• To make the cake, in a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a bowl by hand), beat together the butter, 1 cup (200 g) sugar, and the orange zest on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.
• In a small bowl, beat together the eggs and vanilla. With the mixer running, slowly dribble the egg mixture into the butter mixture, stopping the mixer and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until the eggs are completely incorporated. (The mixture may look curdled, which is normal.)
• Using a rubber spatula, stir the flour mixture into the butter-sugar mixture by hand just until combined. Don't overmix. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool about 15 minutes.
• While the cake is cooling, prepare the glaze. In a small bowl, very gently stir together the passion fruit juice and 1/3 cup (65 g) sugar. Don't let the sugar dissolve.
• Loosen the cake from the loaf pan by running a knife around the sides of the cake. Invert the warm cake out of the pan, peel off the parchment paper, and turn it right side up onto a plate.
• Using a wooden skewer, pierce the top of the cake all the way through to the bottom about 50 times. Spoon half of the glaze over the top of the cake. Turn the cake on each of its sides, spooning the rest of the glaze over so that the cake is evenly coated. Sop up the glaze that collects in the plate by rubbing the bottom and sides of the cake in it.
• Serving
• Serve the sliced cake just as it is or with a compote of fresh tropical fruit or berries.
• Storage
• Store the cake loosely wrapped in plastic wrap, to keep the glaze crisp.
• Variation
• To make ORANGE POUND CAKE, replace the passion fruit juice in the glaze with 1/2 cup (125 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice.
• tip
• To strain fresh passion fruit pulp, halve the fruits, scoop the pulp into a mesh strainer set over a bowl, and press the pulp to separate the seeds from the juice. You can find frozen passion fruit purée in Latin markets as well as online (see Resources, page 270).

JEWELLED FRUIT, NUT & SEED CAKE

Steps:

• Make the Hot toddy cake (see link, right) in a loose-bottom tin, holding back about 2 tbsp of the mix for later. While it bakes, bake the fruit and nut topping. Melt the butter and golden syrup together, then toss with the nuts, dried fruit and seeds. Set aside; the butter mix will start to cool and thicken.
• Take the cake out of the oven 30 mins before the end of cooking, then gently spread over the remaining cake mix with the back of a spoon. The cake will still be quite soft but will take the weight, don't worry about it sinking. Scatter the fruit and nut mix over the top in an even layer. Bake for the remaining 30 mins until the cake is cooked and the nuts golden. Test for doneness by poking a skewer through the topping and into the cake. If it's underdone, but the nuts are golden, just cover with foil and give it another 10 mins; then test again.
• Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin, so that the nutty topping firms up. Loosen any obviously sticky edges, then push the cake out of the tin from the bottom. Transfer to a cake board or plate and fix the ribbon around the base before serving. Can be kept in an airtight tin for up to a week.

FRUIT AND POUND CAKE TRIFLE

Steps:

• Defrost the strawberries, reserving juice. Drain orange segments, reserving juice/syrup. Drain dark cherries, reserving juice.
• In a large, glass trifle bowl begin assembly by placing a layer of pound cake slices in the bottom of the bowl. Drizzle some of the reserved juices on each slice of cake. spoon 1/2 can of pudding over cake slices. Spoon one of the fruits over the pudding.
• Continue making additional layers with the remaining cake (drizzled with juice), pudding, and fruit. Arrange the fruit around the sides of the bowl (for the layer) to make it pretty.
• Refrigerate 8 hours or more.
• Top with whipped topping before serving. Serve by scooping into individual serving bowls with a large spoon.

DRIED FRUIT AND NUT CAKE

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line the bottom and sides of one large 9 x 5 inch loaf pan or 2 smaller 8 x 4 loaf pans.
• In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the salt, baking powder and baking soda to combine. Add the brown sugar, all the dried fruit, and nuts and mix thoroughly with your fingers. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, beat the eggs with the vanilla extract until light. Pour the egg mixture over the dry ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon or your hands until all the fruits and nuts are coated with batter. Scrape into the prepared pan (pans).
• Bake until the top is deep golden brown and the batter clinging to the fruit seems set, about 1 hour for smaller loaves, 10-15 minutes longer for a large loaf. Tent loosely with foil if the cake appears to be browning too much. Cook completely in the pan(s) on a rack.
• When completely cool, remove the cake from the pan(s). The cake keeps, wrapped airtight in foil or plastic wrap, for several weeks at room temperature or at least 3 months in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen for at least 6 months.
• To serve, cut into thin slices with a sharp heavy knife.