Tutti Frutti Pound Cake Food

TUTTI-FRUTTI POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on long sides. Coat parchment with cooking spray, then dust with flour, tapping out excess. Whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl.
• Beat butter and cream cheese in a large bowl until creamy. Add granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating to combine after each addition. Beat in vanilla. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture, beating to combine.
• Transfer batter to prepared pan, smoothing top with an offset spatula. Bake on a baking sheet until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour, 10 minutes, tenting with foil after 50 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack, then turn out onto rack, top-side up, and let cool completely, about 3 hours.
• Slice cake in half horizontally. Slice each portion in half again to create 4 equal slices.
• Filling: Bring 2 cups peaches, granulated sugar, salt, and 1/3 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, until fruit is tender, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly, then puree mixture in a food processor until smooth (you should have about 1 1/2 cups).
• Prepare an ice-water bath. Sprinkle gelatin over 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Let sit until softened, about 5 minutes. Heat over medium, stirring until gelatin is dissolved. Stir in peach mixture to combine. Transfer to a large bowl; place in ice bath and let stand, stirring frequently, until beginning to set, about 6 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 1/2 cups peaches and cherries. Whisk cream to stiff peaks, then fold into peach mixture. Continue stirring over ice bath until mixture will hold its shape when dropped off a spoon.
• Line loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving an overhang on all sides. Place bottom cake layer in pan. Spread 1 cup peach mixture over cake. Repeat with remaining cake layers and filling, ending with top cake layer. Wrap plastic around cake and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours and up to 2 days, before removing from pan using plastic. (If desired, trim edges of assembled cake.) Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.

MOIST AND BOOZY FRUITCAKE WITH RUM AND PORT (A.K.A. DARK BROWN CAKE)

Steps:

• At least 2 weeks before you plan to bake the cakes, place prunes, raisins, currants, cherries, citrus peel, candied ginger, rum, and port in a large container with a lid. Stir fruit once a day.
• When ready to bake the cakes, preheat oven to 250 degrees. Butter and flour two 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pans and two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans and line with parchment; butter parchment and set aside.
• In the bowl of a food processor or the jar of a heavy-duty blender, grind almonds to a coarse meal. Stir ground almonds into the fruit mixture until well combined. Working in batches, transfer almond-fruit mixture to the bowl of a food processor or jar of a blender and pulse until a chunky paste forms. Transfer paste to a large bowl or a rimmed baking sheet.
• In a small bowl, whisk together boiling water and cocoa powder until smooth; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter and brown sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add vanilla, and beat in eggs, one at a time. Transfer to a very large bowl or stock pot.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking soda. Using a spatula, fold flour mixture into butter mixture. Add cocoa powder mixture and molasses and fold to combine; stir in fruit.
• Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and bake until cakes are firm on top and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 3 hours. Remove from oven and immediately brush tops of cakes with rum. Let cakes cool completely.
• Invert cooled cakes to unmold and brush with additional rum. Wrap cakes in cheesecloth, a clean dish towel, or sturdy paper towels, and then in aluminum foil. Let stand at room temperature at least 3 days before serving, and up to 1 month. Serve cakes dusted with confectioners' sugar or frosted with royal icing.