Fruit Cake Food

BRANDY FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300° F and grease an 8-inch square pan and line with two layers of parchment paper. Wrap the outside of the pan with tin foil (this insulates the cake through its slow cooking process).
• Toss apricots, pineapple, candied orange peel, cherries, raisins and pecan halves with 1/2 cup of flour and set aside. Sift remaining flour with baking powder.
• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in zests. Add flour alternately with brandy in three additions until evenly incorporated. Stir in fruits and spread into prepared pan. Bake in centre of oven for 1 3/4 to 2 hours, until a tester is inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.
• For icing, beat butter with 1/4 cup of icing sugar until fluffy. Stir in brandy and beat in remaining icing sugar until desired spreadable consistency is achieved. Spread over top of cake.
• Fruitcake can be stored up to a month (plain) or a week (iced) in an airtight container.
• To prepare oranges for blanching, slice off top and tail of the orange and score the orange lengthwise in 5 places. Pull the scored peel off the orange, as if peeling the fruit to eat. Julienne the peel in 1/4-inch slices and dice. Blanch the peel in a pot of boiling water for 2 minutes and drain (this draws away the bitterness). Return peel to pot with sugar and 1 cup of water and bring up to a simmer. Simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes, until peel looks translucent. Drain well and spread peel onto a baking sheet to cool and dry for 1 to 2 hours.
• Store candied orange peel in an airtight container until ready to use.
• Yield: approximately 3/4 cup.

FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a mixing bowl, with a paddle attachment cream the butter and lard together. Add the sugar and continue creaming. Add the eggs gradually and mix until well incorporated.
• Then, add each ingredient one at a time and blend in. Turn batter out into a loaf pan (best for doorstops) lined with parchment paper. Bake 1 hour and 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 300 degrees F and bake an additional 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• Let cool in the pan. Wrap in plastic and let mature a few days. If you like, you can dip it or baste it with brandy, wrap it in cheesecloth, and store in a cool place for months (maybe even decades).

CLASSIC FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• For the fruit soak, toss the candied orange peel and all of the dried and candied fruits together with the sherry (or brandy), orange juice, orange zest, lemon zest and ginger. Cover and chill this mixture at least overnight, up to 3 days, stirring occasionally.
• Preheat the oven to 300 F and grease 2 9-inch round cake pans.
• Beat the butter and brown sugar until well light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the ground almonds.
• In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt and stir this into the batter. Stir in ¼ cup of the sherry or brandy. Fold the chopped pecans into the batter then add the soaked fruits, stirring well to coat the fruit. Spoon this into the prepared pans and spread to level. If you wish, arrange pecans on the top of the cakes in a ring. Bake the cakes for 2 hours and 15 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.
• While still hot from the oven, brush the tops of the fruitcakes with some of the remaining ½ cup of sherry or brandy. Brush again one or 2 more times as the cakes cool, then remove the cakes from their pans and wrap well.
• The fruitcakes will keep for up to 8 weeks in a cool place, or can be frozen for up to 6 months.

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.**.

BEST EVER FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Put the sugar, sultanas, currants, raisins, water, cherries, butter or margarine, salt into a saucepan, bringing it to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes
• Pour into a mixing bowl and allow to cool. Pre heat the oven to 170 degrees / Gas Mark 3
• Grease and line with grease proof paper a 20 cm round cake tin
• Add the egg to the cooled fruit mixture and stir in well. Add the flour and mix well
• Turn into the prepared cake tin, smooth the top and arrange optional almonds on the top.
• Bake for 1.25 - 1.50 hours until risen and golden brown. Cool slightly before turning out. The cake improves with keeping.

BOILED FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Place dried fruit, mixed peel, cherries, water, brandy, sugar and butter in pan.
• Heat gently, bring the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Take of heat and add the bicarb soda, stirring through, mixture will foam up a bit. Leave until cold.
• Sift flours and spices.
• Mix the eggs through the fruit mixture, then combine with dry ingredient.
• Pour into a lined 18cm square cake pan or 18cm round cake pan.
• Wet your hand and flatten top of cake.
• Bake at 150C for 1 hour.
• Cool in pan covered with a tea towel.