Glens Christmas Cake Fruitcake Food

TRADITIONAL CANADIAN CHRISTMAS CAKE

Steps:

• Place all fruit in large bowl; add bourbon and soak for 2-4 hours
• Preheat oven to 300°F and grease two 9 x 5 loaf pans 2 1/2 inches deep or five 5 3/4 x 3 pans 2 inches deep
• Line bottoms with parchment paper; butter it (the original recipe was waxed paper)
• Cream together butter and brown sugar; beat in the eggs.
• Sift all dry ingredients; beat into butter mixture
• Add molasses and brewed black coffee or espresso to mixture; combine well
• Fold in the nuts and bourbon soaked in fruit
• Carefully pack the batter into the prepared pans almost to the top (I used an offset spatula to finish the tops of each cake)
• Place pans on centre rack of oven in a bain marie (place pans in a larger pan and pour hot water halfway up the sides); bake for 2 to 2 ½ hours, or until toothpick comes out clean (the small cakes took 50 minutes, so watch carefully after 45 minutes)
• If the tops brown too quickly, place foil over the top
• Cool 30 minutes, then remove and set on wire rack
• Wrap carefully in a triple layer of cheesecloth that has been soaked in bourbon
• Seal tightly in aluminum foil and store in a cool dry place until the holiday season
• Once a week, remove foil, and brush additional bourbon onto the cheese cloth
• The longer it is stored, the more times it is dowsed, the more pungent and flavourful it becomes.

CHRISTMAS FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Soak cherries, mango, cranberries, currants, and citron in 1/4 cup rum for at least 24 hours. Cover tightly, and store at room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Butter a 6x3-inch round pan or loaf pan and line it with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; mix into butter and sugar in three batches, alternating with molasses and milk. Stir in soaked fruit and chopped nuts. Scrape batter into prepared pan.
• Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with 2 tablespoons rum.
• Cut out one piece parchment paper and one piece cheesecloth, each large enough to wrap around the cake. Moisten cheesecloth with 1 tablespoon rum. Arrange cheesecloth on top of parchment paper, and unmold cake onto it. Sprinkle top and sides of cake with remaining rum. Wrap the cheesecloth closely to the surface of the cake, then wrap with paper. Place in an airtight tin, and age for at least 10 weeks. If storing longer, douse with additional rum for every 10 weeks of storage.

PHILLY CHRISTMAS BUNDT CAKE (FRUITCAKE)

Steps:

• Blend cream cheese, butter, sugar,eggs, and vanilla well.
• Slowly add 2 cups cake flour sifted with baking powder.
• Combine remaining 1/4 cup flour with fruit and nuts.
• Fold into batter.
• Pour into greased 10in. bundt pan.
• Bake at 325* for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• Cool in pan for 5-10 minutes before removing.

GLEN'S CHRISTMAS CAKE (FRUITCAKE)

Steps:

• PREPARE FRUIT; Wash fruit separately and dry thoroughly; chop raisins and put all fruit into container with tight lid along with cherries, add rum and sherry; mix to coat fruit, chill overnight or several days.
• CAKE MIXTURE; Beat butter and brown sugar with grated lemon rind, until light and creamy; add golden syrup, marmalade (or jam) and parisienne essence, beat well.
• Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each, add 1 tbs flour with last egg.
• Sift together flour and spices and stir into creamed mixture alternately with fruit and chopped almonds.
• Prepare 20cm (8") square or round cake tin with 2 thicknesses each of brown and greased greasproof paper, paper should extend 10cm above the rim of the tin.
• Spoon mixture into tin, smooth top; brush milk over top of cake to stop cracking and arrange extra almonds on top (omit this is icing cake) and bake in a slow oven 140degC (275degF) for about 4 to 4 1/2hrs or until cooked.
• Place a baking dish of water on the shelf below during cooking to help keep cake moist.
• Brown paper can be placed over top of cake to keep top from scorching.
• Remove from oven, test with knife or skewer if it comes out clean it is cooked and immediately sprinkle with 1 tbs extra sherry; remove cake from tin but leave paper on cake; wrap well in tea towels or sheets of foil and leave until cold.