Walnut Spice Fruitcake Food

GERMAN WALNUT RAISIN SPICE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Grease and flour lightly THREE (8-by-1 1/2-inch) round layer cake pans.
• Chop raisins and 1 cup walnuts fine; place in a medium bowl.
• Add baking soda; then stir in boiling water.
• Let mixture cool 1/2 hour.
• Sift flour with cinnamon and salt.
• In large bowl, with electric mixer at medium speed, beat 3/4 cup butter until creamy.
• Add sugar, a little at a time, beating until light and fluffy.
• Stop beater once or twice; scrape down side of bowl with rubber spatula.
• Add eggs and egg yolks, one at a time.
• Beat after each addition; scrape side of bowl with rubber spatula.
• Beat until light and fluffy.
• Add lemon juice and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla.
• With wooden spoon, beat in flour mixture, in fourths, alternately with nut mixture, in thirds; begin and end with flour mixture.
• Pour batter into prepared pans.
• Place in oven, leaving space between pans.
• Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until top springs back when lightly pressed with fingertip and cake pulls away from edge.
• Cool on wire rack 5 minutes.
• With small spatula, loosen edge.
• Turn out on wire rack; turn top up; let cool completely—about 1 hour.
• MAKE FROSTING: In large bowl, with electric mixer at medium speed, beat cheese with butter and vanilla until creamy.
• Add the confectioners; sugar; beat until light and fluffy.
• Using 1 1/2 cups frosting, put layers together.
• Use rest of frosting to cover top and side of cake.
• With metal spatula, make decorative swirls in frosting; coarsely chop remaining walnuts; sprinkle around top.
• Refrigerate until serving.
• Makes 16 servings.

THE BEST FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Combine the raisins, currants, apricots, figs, prunes, dates, walnuts, pecans, orange zest, lemon zest, candied ginger, pumpkin pie spice and cloves in a large bowl and toss to combine. Add 1 cup of the brandy, orange liqueur and molasses and stir to coat. Cover and set aside to macerate overnight. (Alternatively, cover the bowl and microwave 2 minutes, or until very hot. Leave covered and let sit until almost all the liquid has been absorbed into the fruit and nuts, about 2 hours.)
• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Spray two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray and line each with 2 pieces of parchment, one lengthwise and one crosswise, leaving a 2-inch overhang on each side. Spray the parchment with cooking spray.
• Sprinkle 1/2 cup flour over the soaked fruit mixture and toss to coat. Whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
• Cream the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to medium-low and beat in the flour mixture until the batter is blended and smooth. Pour the batter over the fruit mixture and fold with a rubber spatula until all the fruit is coated in batter.
• Divide the mixture evenly between the two prepared pans, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake until the cakes begin to pull away from the sides of the pans, the tops spring back slightly when pressed and a cake tester comes out clean, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer to a wire rack and brush with the remaining 2 tablespoons brandy. Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 15 minutes. Carefully remove each cake from its pan using the parchment overhang and place on the rack to cool completely.
• To store, wrap each loaf tightly in plastic and then foil. The wrapped fruitcakes can be stored in a cool, dry place for up to 3 months.

WALNUT SPICE COFFEE CAKE

Steps:

• Combine the granulated and dark brown sugars, walnuts, flour, vanilla, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add the butter and stir to make moist, coarse crumbs; set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line the bottom of an 8-inch square cake pan with parchment paper; butter the paper and the sides of the pan.
• Sift the flour, baking soda, pie spice and salt into a medium bowl. Beat the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition; beat in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the sour cream in 2 parts, beginning and ending with the flour and mixing well between additions.
• Spread 2/3 of the batter in the prepared pan and sprinkle with half the crumbs. Top with the remaining batter and crumbs. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean and the top has browned, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
• Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Invert out of the pan and then turn crumb-side up to cool completely.
• Copyright 2016 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved

WALNUT SPICE FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the raisins, walnuts and cherries; set aside. In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. , Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves and nutmeg; add to creamed mixture alternatively with applesauce. Mix well. Stir in the raisin mixture. Transfer to a greased and floured 10-in. tube pan; top with whole cherries and walnut halves. , Bake at 325° for 1-1/2 hours or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Wrap tightly and store in a cool, dry place.

THE ULTIMATE CLASSIC FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Place raisins in a bowl. Add enough grand Marnier/Cointreau to cover them. Cover bowl and leave for 24 hours.
• Preheat oven to 150°C.
• In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, cream together the butter and sugar.
• Add the eggs one at a time. If mixture looks a bit like splitting, add a little flour.
• Add sifted flour, mixed spice, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon juice and Grand Marnier. Mix together.
• Gently fold in soaked raisins, dried chopped apricots, sultanas, chopped peel, cherries, walnuts and hazelnuts.
• Spoon the cake mix into 2 greased and lined 22cm spring form tins.
• Bake cakes for 2 1/2 hours to 3 hours.
• Remove and cool on wire rack. Once cool spray with more alcohol and wrap in cling film. Keep cakes in cool dry place until you ice/decorate them.
• ICING: Gently heat jam until spreadable. Spread over top and edges of cake.
• Roll out marzipan very thinly to the circumference of cake, also a strip around width of cake.
• Place marzipan on cake-gently pinch strip around top and side to stick them together. Repeat this with the icing. Mix together icing sugar, egg white and a few drops of food colouring into a smooth paste. Put into icing bag and decorate as desired.

FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 225 degrees F (110 degrees C). Grease and flour a tube pan.
• In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, soda, spices, eggs, lemon rind, vanilla, 1/2 cup brandy, fruit, nuts, and melted butter or margarine. Mix thoroughly. Pour into prepared pan.
• Bake for 1 hour, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
• Wrap cooled cake in foil. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons brandy over the cake everyday for 2 weeks.

SPICED RUM FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°. Line a 9x5-in. loaf pan with parchment, letting ends extend up sides of pan; grease and set aside., In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the walnuts, dates, cherries and mangoes; toss to coat. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, brown sugar and 1/2 cup rum until blended; stir into fruit mixture. Transfer to prepared pan., Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours. Cool in pan on a wire rack 20 minutes. Slowly pour remaining rum over cake. Cool completely. Wrap tightly and store in a cool, dry place overnight. Cut with a serrated knife.

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.