Nanas Christmas Fruitcake Food

NANA'S JAPANESE FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees with racks placed in center. Spread nuts on a baking pan. Bake until fragrant, about 7 minutes. Transfer nuts to a bowl; set aside to cool.
• Line the bottoms of three 8-by-2-inch buttered cake pans with parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Dust the bottoms and sides of pan with flour, and tap out any excess. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Finely chop the raisins, and combine with the cinnamon and allspice. Set aside.
• With an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the sugar and shortening on medium speed until combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. On low speed, add the flour mixture and the milk to the batter, alternating between the two, starting and ending with the dry ingredients.
• Fold the reserved raisin mixture into one-third of the batter. Pour batter into one cake pan. Stir the reserved toasted walnuts into the remaining batter. Divide batter between two remaining cake pans. Bake, rotating pans for even baking if necessary, until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Transfer to cooling racks to cool, and invert cakes onto cooling rack. Allow to cool completely.
• Combine the pineapple, oranges, 2 cups coconut, and sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring filling to a boil over high heat, stirring. Reduce to a simmer, and let cook, stirring often, until thickened, about 20 minutes. Whisk the cornstarch into 1/4 cup warm water. Stir into filling. Continue to cook until thick, 6 minutes. Let cool before using.
• Place one walnut layer top-side down on the serving plate. Top with half of the filling. Place the raisin layer, top-side up, securely on top, press down lightly. Using an offset spatula, go around the layers to press filling between layers. Top with remaining filling. Place remaining walnut layer on top, top-side up. Press down with hands. Using the offset spatula, go around layers again to ensure filling is securely between layers. Frost the sides of the cake first, using an offset spatula. Finish icing the top of the cake. Decorate top of cake with drained candied orange zest and remaining coconut. Serve.

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.

NANA'S CHRISTMAS POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Cream the cream cheese and the butter together until light and fluffy.
• Gradually add the sugar and cream well.
• Add the vanilla and brandy (or bourbon), mixing well.
• Add the eggs one at a time,beating well after each addition.
• Set aside 1/4 cup flour.
• Sift the remaining 2 cups flour, cornstarch and baking powder together.
• Gradually add the flour mix to the batter, mixing well.
• Dredge the pecans and candied fruit in the 1/4 cup flour, coating all pieces thoroughly.
• (this keeps them from all sinking to the bottom of the cake as it bakes) Fold the pecans, candied fruit and any flour residue into the cake batter.
• Grease a bundt pan very heavily with Crisco, and sprinkle the 3 tablespoons of sugar evenly in the bottom of the cake pan over the Crisco.
• Pour the cake batter into the bundt pan.
• Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.
• Then reduce the oven heat to 300 degrees and bake for another 1 hour and 20 minutes.

NANA'S FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• put sultannas in a saucepan, cover with water and boil.
• beet eggs, add sugar.
• cut butter and add to eggs and sugar.
• strain sultannas, add to egg mixture and stir.
• add flour, baking powder and salt.
• bake for 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees.
• add essence if wanted.
• check at 1 hour.

NAN'S BOILED FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Place all the ingredients for the fruit mix in a large saucepan bring to the boil and allow to cool for about 30 minutes
• Preheat oven to 160C / Gas 3
• Add the cherries and nuts stir through
• then add eggs and mix well, add the flour and fold through the mix.
• Place the mixture in a greased and floured 8' - deep cake tin. Tie some greaseproof paper around the outside of the tin so that the paper comes over the edges of the tin or optionally place over the top about half way through baking. Bake for 2 hours but check after 1.5 hours , check to see if cooked throughly with a skewer. If not bake a little further until the skewer comes out clean from the cake. Allow to cool and either decorate with marzipan and royal icing, or dried apricots and cherries and glaze with melted apricot jam or plain is very nice too.

EXTRA-FRUITY CHRISTMAS CAKE

Steps:

• Put all the dried fruit, the mixed peel and citrus zests in a large bowl, the pour over the brandy. Stir, cover and leave to soak overnight.
• The next day, heat the oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Line the base and side of a deep 23cm cake tin with a double layer of baking parchment, so it comes a few centimetres above the rim.
• Beat the butter, sugar and treacle together in a large bowl using an electric whisk, until pale and creamy. Alternatively, use a stand mixer. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl every so often. Sift the flour, baking powder and spices into a separate bowl, then stir this into the wet ingredients along with the ground almonds until combined.
• Stir in the rehydrated fruit along with the soaking liquid, then spoon the batter into the prepared tin and level the surface with the back of a spoon. Bake for 2 hrs 25 mins-2 hrs 30 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.If the cake starts to darken too quickly, cover with foil.
• Leave to cool completely in the tin, then prick small holes all over the surface using a cocktail stick or skewer and brush over a little brandy. Wrap the cake in baking parchment, then a sheet of foil. Store in an airtight container and feed the cake with 1-2 tbsp brandy each week for three or four weeks, stopping the week before you want to ice it. Will keep in a cool, dry place for six months.

NAN'S BEST DARK FRUITCAKE:

Steps:

• With 3/4 cup of the dark rum, pour over chopped fruit and nuts. Cover and let soak for at least 48 hours. The fruit should be stirred once a day or so.
• Keep remaining rum for after baking directions -- see below.
• Stir flour, salt, baking soda and spices together Set aside.
• In separate bowl, Cream shortening and brown sugar together till fluffy.
• Add eggs and beat one at a time.
• Add molasses, jam and mix well.
• Blend in dry ingredients. Fold in fruit.
• Prepare your round fruit cake pan by oiling and line pan with paper. Oil and flour again lightly.
• Ensure the top of the paper is about 1 inch or so above the top of the pan.
• Fill prepared pans 2/3 full.
• Bake in a slow oven 300°F for 2 hours or so.
• Place a shallow pan of hot water on the bottom rack of the oven during baking. This will ensure the cake stays moist. Remove this pan of water during the last hour of baking.
• Cool completely before removing paper.
• Storing and mellowing of fruit Cake: Wrap a cheese cloth that has been soaked in the remaining 1/4 cup of rum over the cake, covering it completely.
• Next wrap the cake and cheesecloth in aluminum foil wrap.
• Place in a cool place. Taste of cake is best when stored for 4 weeks or so! I've often brushed egg white over the cake, rolled out almond paste and laid it over the top and sides of cake. I then ice it. Everyone raves! NOTE: I've often doubled the recipe for a larger cake.