Summer Fruit Cake Food

SUMMER FRUIT DRIZZLE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease a 900g/2lb loaf tin and line the base and ends with a long strip of baking parchment. Put the butter, caster sugar, flour, eggs and vanilla extract into a large bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer for 5 mins until pale and creamy - the mixture will be very thick.
• Spread one-third of the cake mix into the tin, then scatter over 50g of the fruit. Carefully dot and spread another third of the cake mix on top, and scatter with another 50g fruit. Finally dot the rest of the cake mix over and gently spread with the back of a spoon. Bake for 1 hr, until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
• Poke the cake all over with a skewer. Put remaining 75g fruit into a bowl with the granulated sugar. Stir in 1 tbsp of the citrus juice first with a fork, mashing a little of the fruit as you go. If it's a bit dry, add a splash more juice and spoon over the cake. Leave in the tin until the cake is cool and the topping is set and crisp.

SUMMER FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• To make cake: Preheat oven to 350-degrees F.
• Grease and flour 9x13-inch pan.
• Combine flour-salt in bowl.
• Beat eggs-vanilla in large bowl.
• Add flour mixture to egg mixture.
• Stir in remaining ingredients (fruit-raisins).
• Pour into prepared pan.
• Bake for 40-45 minutes or toothpick comes out clean.
• While cake is baking make glaze: Combine all glaze ingredients (sugar-baking soda) in large saucepan over medium heat.
• Bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat.
• Stir in vanilla.
• When cake is done, remove from oven and poke entire surface of cake with a toothpick.
• Pour glaze over hot cake slowly.

EASY SUMMER FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Line a baking pan with baking paper.
• Mix the eggs with the oil, add the sugar and the orange juice, followed by the fruit and the dry ingredients.
• Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-50 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
• Keep refrigerated and use within two days- if it lasts that long.

ANGEL FOOD CAKE WITH SUMMER FRUIT SALAD AND RASPBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• For the Angel Cake:
• Preheat the oven to 350°F
• Sift the flour twice with 1/2 cup of the sugar.
• With an electric mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt until soft peaks form when the mixer is removed from the batter.
• Add half of the remaining sugar and beat for 1 minute. Add the remaining sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating after each addition.
• Stir in the vanilla.
• Fold the flour and sugar mixture into the egg whites, 1/4 cup at a time, just until incorporated.
• Put the batter in an ungreased 10" tube pan and bake until the cake is light golden brown and springy to the touch, about 1 hour. Invert the pan and let the cake cool completely before removing from the pan.
• For the Summer Fruit Salad:
• Mix fruit in a bowl.
• Sprinkle with the orange juice.
• For the Finest Raspberry Dessert Sauce:
• Puree the berries in a blender with the lemon juice. Blend in the sugar by the tablespoonful, tasting after each addition, until the desired degree of sweetness is reached.
• Strain through a fine strainer, pressing with a rubber spatula to release the juices.
• Put it all together:
• Place a slice of angel cake on each plate. (Store the leftover cake in an airtight container or freeze for longer storage.)
• With a slotted spoon, place a portion of the Summer Fruit Salad on a corner of the cake slice and let it spill over the side.
• Drizzle the raspberry sauce around the fruit salad.

TROPICAL FRUIT CAKES

Steps:

• Grease and lightly flour eight 1-cup fluted tube pans or six 4-1/2x2-1/2x1-1/2-inch individual loaf pans and set pans aside.
• In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.
• In a large bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds, add brown sugar; beat until combined.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating on medium speed until combined (The batter may appear curdled).
• Combine 1/4 cup rum or pineapple juice, 1/4 cup pineapple juice, the corn syrup, ginger, and vanilla.
• Add flour mixture and rum mixture alternately to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.
• Fold in fruit bits and nuts.
• Spread batter in prepared pan.
• Bake in a 325 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes for fluted tube pans or 30 to 35 minutes for loaf pans or until a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean.
• Cool cakes in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool at least 1 hour on racks.
• Poke holes in cakes using a wooden toothpick or bamboo skewer.
• Soak eight or six 8-inch-square pieces of double thickness 100-percent cotton cheesecloth with the 1/3 cup rum or pineapple juice and wrap each cake in rum- or juice-soaked cheesecloth.
• Wrap each cake tightly in foil or seal in a plastic bag.
• Chill in refrigerator for 24 hours.
• Remove foil or remove cakes from bags; drizzle with 1/4 cup rum or pineapple juice. Rewrap with foil or return to plastic bags and refrigerate at least 24 hours.
• Remove cheesecloth before serving.
• If desired, sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar. Makes 6 or 8 cakes (24 servings).
• Make-Ahead Tip: Prepare Tropical Fruit Cake as directed through until the 24 hr chill, except refrigerate up to 5 days. (Or prepare Tropical Fruit Cakes as directed through up to 24 hr chill, except do not sprinkle with powdered sugar. Place in self-sealing freezer bags. Seal, label, and freeze up to 3 months.)
• To serve, thaw frozen cakes in freezer bags in the refrigerator overnight. Serve as directed.

NEW ZEALAND SUMMER FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Blend the flour and sugar together. Add the melted butter, vanilla and eggs. Pour the mixture into a greased, loose-bottomed 24cm cake tin.
• Place the fruit on top of the cake, piling it up and pressing down a little. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and bake 180C classic bake for 1 hour.
• *You can substitute the seasonal fruit for another can of drained fruit, such as pears, if desired. Serve warm with a mixture of whipped cream and unsweetened plain yoghurt.
• ** You can cream the softened butter and sugar if desired and add eggs/vanilla and then dry ingredients - it takes a little longer but does produce a slightly better result - just depends on time and inclination!

SUMMER FRUIT TRIFLE

Steps:

• Cover the bottom of a large bowl with 1/3 of the angel food cake cubes. Generously cover the cake with 1 1/3 cups yogurt. Spread 1 1/3 cups of the strawberry slices and blueberries on top of the yogurt. Repeat twice with the remaining cake cubes, yogurt, and berries. Serve immediately or chill until needed.

RICH FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• The night before, pour 75ml of the brandy over the fruit, cover and leave to sit, letting the fruit soak up the alcohol.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Line a deep, 25cm square cake tin with a double layer of baking parchment, then wrap a double layer of newspaper around the outside, so that it comes about 2.5cm above the sides of the tin, and secure with string.
• Sift the flour, spices, cocoa powder and ½ tsp salt together. Mix a third of this mixture into the soaked fruit. Cream the butter, zests and sugar until light and fluffy, stir in the treacle, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Fold in half the remaining flour mixture. Once mixed, fold in the fruit mixture followed by the remaining flour mixture.
• Spoon into the prepared tin, smoothing the top with a palette knife. Bake in the centre of the oven for 2 hrs 30 mins, checking the cake with 15 mins to go. When a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean, it's ready.
• Leave to cool in the tin for 30 mins then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. To store, peel off the baking parchment, poke holes into the cake and feed with the remaining brandy. Wrap well in cling film. Will keep for three months.

SUMMER-FRUIT SHORTCAKE WITH MASCARPONE

Steps:

• Make cake:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 425°F. Whisk buttermilk, egg and vanilla extract in medium bowl to blend; transfer 1 tablespoon mixture to small bowl and reserve for glaze. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into large bowl; add butter. Using electric mixer, beat until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 3 minutes. Add buttermilk mixture and blend just until soft moist dough forms. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Using floured hands, gather dough into ball and knead gently for 6 turns. Transfer dough to ungreased baking sheet. Shape dough into 8-inch round. Brush top with reserved 1 tablespoon buttermilk mixture. Bake cake until top is golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cake to rack and cool completely.
• Make filling:
• Toss plums, peaches, raspberries and 1/3 cup sugar in large bowl to blend. Let stand 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, beat mascarpone, whipping cream, 1/4 cup powdered sugar and vanilla in large bowl until firm peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Cut off top 1/3 of cake. Using small knife and leaving 1/2-inch border at edge, cut out enough of cake bottom to form 1/2-inch-deep indentation. Spread half of mascarpone cream in indentation. Using slotted spoon, remove fruit from bowl; mound onto cream. Reserve fruit juices in bowl. Spread remaining mascarpone cream over fruit. Cover with top of cake. Refrigerate cake and reserved juices separately, at least 3 hours and up to 6 hours.
• Let cake stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving. Dust with powdered sugar. Cut into wedges. Drizzle with reserved fruit juices and serve.