Nanas Fruit Cake Food

NANA'S BANANA CAKE WITH SALTED CARAMEL BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare three 8-inch cake pans with baking spray and parchment liners.
• Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together the granulated sugar, light brown sugar and butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Slowly add the eggs, one at a time, mixing each fully before adding the next.
• With the mixer on low, slowly trickle the oil into the mixture. Once added, increase the speed to medium-high and continue to mix until the mixture thickens and begins to look like mayonnaise. Using a silicone spatula, scrape down your bowl, making sure to get anything at the bottom of the bowl that has not been mixed well.
• In a small bowl, combine the buttermilk and vanilla extract. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add a third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on medium high speed for 90 seconds. Bring the speed down to low and, alternately, add the buttermilk mixture and remaining flour mixture in 4 stages, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Fold in the mashed bananas. Mix only enough to incorporate the ingredients after each addition.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pans, filling two-thirds full. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. The top of the cake should spring back slightly after a gentle tap with your finger. Allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before removing from the pans. Allow the cakes to cool completely before frosting.
• For the salted caramel Swiss meringue buttercream: Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the egg whites and confectioners' sugar on medium-high until the mixture thickens to fluffy white, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and gradually add the softened butter. Increase the speed to medium-high and continue mixing for 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce the speed and add the prepared caramel sauce, vanilla and salt. Mix until combined.
• To assemble the cake: Frost the top of 1 cake round with some salted caramel Swiss meringue buttercream. Drizzle with some prepared caramel sauce and sprinkle with some pecans. Add a second round and repeat with the buttercream, caramel sauce and pecans. Top with the remaining cake round and frost the entire cake with the buttercream.
• Combine the sugar, corn syrup and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan, making sure the sugar is completely wet, but being careful not to let the sugar water coat the sides of the pan. Turn the heat to medium-high and cook for about 4 minutes. The cooking process is done when the sugar has reached a nice amber color. Do not stir during the cooking process. Quickly remove the sugar from the heat and add the heavy cream. The mixture will bubble. Stir to combine. Whisk in the butter, sea salt and lemon juice. Allow to cool completely before use.

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.

NANNY'S FRUITCAKE COOKIES

Steps:

• Place the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle with Triple Sec and toss to combine. Let stand, covered, overnight. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugars and nutmeg until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in egg. Gradually beat in flour. Stir in fruit mixture. Divide dough in half; shape each into a 12x3x1-in. rectangular log. Cover; refrigerate overnight or until firm., Preheat oven to 350°. Uncover and cut dough crosswise into 1/2-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake until edges are light brown, 13-16 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

NANA EDIE'S DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Make cake layers:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 2 (8- by 2-inch) round cake pans and dust with flour, knocking out excess.
• Stir together milk and vinegar and set aside to "sour" (mixture will curdle). Melt chocolate and butter with water in a large metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, whisking until smooth. Cool slightly. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Beat sugar into chocolate mixture with an electric mixer. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture and beat on low speed just until combined. Add soured milk and beat on high speed 2 minutes.
• Divide batter evenly between cake pans. Bake in middle of oven until tops of layers spring back when touched lightly and edges have just started to pull away from sides of pans, about 35 minutes. Cool layers in pans on racks 5 minutes. Run a thin knife around edges of pans, then invert layers onto racks to cool completely.
• Make frosting:
• Bring sugar and cream to a boil in a heavy saucepan, stirring constantly, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add chocolate, butter, and vanilla, stirring until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Chill frosting, stirring frequently, until thickened and spreadable.
• Assemble cake:
• Brush any loose crumbs from layers and put 1 layer upside down on a serving plate. Spread with about 1 cup frosting. Place other layer on top, right side up. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining frosting.

NANA'S FRUIT CAKE...

Steps:

• 1. Heat oven to 325F. Lightly grease & flour 2 loaf pans.
• 2. In saucepan boil the first 4 ingredients.
• 3. In medium bowl sift together the next 6 ingredients.
• 4. After the liquid has fully cooled, add to dry ingredients & mix well.
• 5. Add in the raisins. Make sure not to over brown the top of cake.
• 6. bake for 30 to 3 mins. Cool on wore rack.

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.

NANA'S DECADENT RUM BALLS

Steps:

• Crumble the fruit cake (I blitzed mine in the food processor for a few seconds) and place in a large bowl
• Pour rum over fruit cake and allow to soak in for a minute or so. Mix through.
• Melt chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between. Pour melted chocolate into crumbled fruit cake
• Pour chocolate over fruit cake mixture and stir through thoroughly. You will notice the mixture start to come together
• Take tablespoons of the mixture and roll into small balls
• Place each ball into a bowl of the chocolate sprinkles and coat
• Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set before enjoying

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.

BANANA CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• For the banana cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Mix on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt into a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Add the bananas to the butter mixture and mix until combined. Let the mixer do the work of mashing for you. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until well combined. Mix in the yogurt and vanilla. Turn the mixer to low and add the dry ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix.
• Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack and cool completely.
• For the cream cheese frosting: Using the electric mixer on high speed, blend the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. With the mixer on low, add the confectioners' sugar and then the vanilla.
• Spread the frosting on top of the cake. Decorate around the perimeter of the cake with raspberries, if desired.

NANA'S CREOLE PECAN CAKE BARS

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 300°F Coat the bottom and sides of a large (17-by-12-inch) baking sheet with cooking spray, then line with parchment paper.
• 2. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl.
• 3. Cream butter and sugar in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed. Add eggs one at a time and beat until creamy. Add vanilla and beat until combined.
• 4. Add half the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until well combined. Add cinnamon and nutmeg; stir until blended into the mixture completely. Add pecans, raisins and dates to the rest of the flour mixture. (Coating the dried fruit and nuts helps distribute them in the mix.) Stir the flour-coated fruit and nuts into the batter. Do not overstir. Evenly spread the batter into the prepared baking pan with a spatula. (Coat the spatula with cooking spray, if necessary, to make spreading easier.).
• 5. Bake for 45 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the sides. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 45 minutes. Invert onto a large cutting board and remove the parchment. Cut into 48 squares.
• Per bar: 132 calories; 7 g fat (2 g sat, 3 g mono); 18 mg cholesterol; 17 g carbohydrate; 9 g added sugars; 1 g protein; 1 g fiber; 43 mg sodium; 90 mg potassium.
• Tip: To bring an egg to room temperature, set it on the counter for 15 minutes or submerge it (in the shell) in a bowl of lukewarm (not hot) water for 5 minutes.

NANA'S CHRISTMAS STOLLEN

Steps:

• Scald milk. Add sugar, butter, and salt, and cool to lukewarm. Add 2 whole eggs, and 2 yolks. Mix.
• Add to 3 cups flour and yeast in food processor. Process and let rise until double.
• Add cardamom, raisins, citron, and cherries, and rest of flour. Process and put on floured board and knead. Let rise in greased bowl.
• When risen, cut into 3-4 pieces. Roll each into an oval, butter, and fold in half lengthwise. Put on greased baking sheet, cover, and let rise until double.
• Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 25 minutes.
• Remove to rack. When cool, frost with white butter frosting and decorate with candied cherry halves and sprinkle with colored sugar.