Well…back to fruitcake.
I remember my first experience with fruitcake. I must have been very young because my Mom
was giving me, another life lesson, like don’t pick out the cherries, and eat
the whole thing. But, Mom, the rest
taste like S---. But, of course I would
never say that like kids do today or My
mom would have given me life lesson and eat this until you're done or else. Since I didn't want to find out what the “else”
meant, so begrudgingly I would, eat the rest of the cake. I would still pick out the
fruit, and eat them, then the nuts; all that was left was this dry cake-like
stuff that was sort of bitter. And from
that point on, in my life I would never touch another fruitcake it. Well, that is not totally true. My first professional buying job was the deli
department, I think that is where buyers were assigned to see if they had what it takes, (I passed by the way).
Is this blog full of colloquialisms? In my job buying food for the deli like huge wheels of cheddar cheese,and candies for the sweet of tooth and the
wine for whatever, I had to purchase “fruit cakes” for Christmas. It was an ordeal, until I found that some
were soaked in rum, which gave me a mind explosion experience (that is the 60’s
in me), on our traditional, yucky fruitcake. Even that thought of our fruit
cake, being moist with really tasty fruit and nuts and “RUM”, changed my whole
outlook on life. I finally liked fruitcakes, and by the way they were selling
like hotcakes, can you believe that I can’t get away from this LOL I have
a few fruitcake recipes I would like to share with you and some history better
yet, google it or just press this link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruitcake, it will bring up a whole bunch of stuff that will amaze. One note, some fruit cakes take a long time to sit, to develop the flavors..so get baking! Well
here are the fruit cakes:
BETTY CROCKER’S MYSTERY FRUITCAKE Bake Betty Crocker Honey Spice Cake mix, following package directions. Cool and crumble into very large bowl or pan. Add following fruit to crumbled cake:
4 c. candied mixed fruit
1/2 c. each whole red & green candied cherries
1 1/2 c. seedless raisins
1 c. dates, cut up
4 1/2 c. pecan halves
Make up Betty Crocker Fluffy White Frosting mix, following package directions. Mix with cake and fruit. Pack TIGHTLY into foil-lined 10 inch tube pan or 2 (9 x 5 x 3 inch) loaf pans. Cover cake with foil and chill in refrigerator at least 24 hours. Cake should be kept refrigerated. This makes 6 1/2 pound fruit cake.
Jeweled Fruit Cake
This yummy fruitcake is packed with colorful dried fruits and rich Brazil nuts.
Prep Time 20 min
Total Time 26 hr 0 min
Servings 32
Total Time 26 hr 0 min
Servings 32
Ingredients:
2 Cups dried apricot halves (11 ounces)
2 Cups pitted whole dates (12 ounces)
1 1/2 Cups Brazil nuts (8 ounces)
1 Cup red and green candied pineapple, chopped (7 ounces)
1 Cup red and green whole maraschino cherry, drained (12 ounces)
3/4 Cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
3/4 Cup sugar
1/2 Teaspoon baking powder
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1 1/2 Teaspoons vanilla
3 Eggs
Light corn syrup, if desired
Directions:
2 Cups dried apricot halves (11 ounces)
2 Cups pitted whole dates (12 ounces)
1 1/2 Cups Brazil nuts (8 ounces)
1 Cup red and green candied pineapple, chopped (7 ounces)
1 Cup red and green whole maraschino cherry, drained (12 ounces)
3/4 Cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
3/4 Cup sugar
1/2 Teaspoon baking powder
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1 1/2 Teaspoons vanilla
3 Eggs
Light corn syrup, if desired
Directions:
Heat the oven to 300°F. Line a loaf pan, 9x5x3 or 8 1/2x4 1/2x2 1/2 inches, with aluminum foil; grease foil. Mix all the ingredients except corn syrup. Spread in pan. Bake about 1 hour 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. If necessary, cover with aluminum foil for last 30 minutes of baking to prevent excessive browning. Remove the fruitcake from pan (with foil) to wire rack. For a glossy top, immediately brush with corn syrup. Cool completely before cutting, about 24 hours. Wrap tightly and store in refrigerator no longer than 2 months.
***Expert Tips***Make Petite Fruitcakes when you place a paper or foil baking cup in each of 24 medium muffin cups, 2 1/2x1 1/4 inches. Divide batter evenly among cups (about 1/3 cup each). Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pan to wire rack. Makes 24 servings. ***Enjoy chocolate-coated fruitcake drops! Cut leftover fruitcake into 1-inch cubes. Spear each cube with a toothpick and dip into melted chocolate candy coating (almond bark). Set fruitcake cubes on waxed paper to harden.
Best Christmas Fruitcake Recipe
What would Christmas baking efforts be without a real fruitcake? This one is full of fruits and nuts and is sweet and moist….. Real treat! Especially if you serve it with French Vanilla Ice Cream or real whipping cream, just forget the calories for once – this one is worth it!
Ingredients:
1/8 cup chopped Maraschino cherries
1/8 cup chopped dried or candied mango
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup dried currants
2 tablespoons chopped candied lemon
1/4 cup dark rum
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup dark rum, divided
Directions:
Christmas Cake
"This cake is a rich, dark, moist fruit cake, very flavorful at Christmas. Try icing with almond paste for a more festive touch. This recipe is started in October or November so as to let it mellow before the holidays. I remember very well my mother storing her fruit cake in an old butter churn that belonged to my grandmother and great grandmother. I wish that I had that old crock."
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 3 Hours 30 Minutes
1/8 cup chopped dried or candied mango
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup dried currants
2 tablespoons chopped candied lemon
1/4 cup dark rum
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup dark rum, divided
Directions:
Start by soaking the cherries, mango, cranberries, currants, and lemon by covering them in a bowl with in 1/4 cup of rum. Cover tightly and let the mixture sit for at least 24 hours in room temperature. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Butter a 6×3 inch round pan (or a small loaf pan if you don’t have a round one) and line with parchment paper. In a large bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg until nicely mixed together. Mix together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and add to the butter and sugar mixture in three Batches, with alternatively adding molasses and milk. Stir in soaked fruit and chopped nuts. Transfer 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. This cake is great if you age it for a while – you could make it as far ahead as 10-12 weeks – but it will be just as good in a week!
Christmas Cake "This cake is a rich, dark, moist fruit cake, very flavorful at Christmas. Try icing with almond paste for a more festive touch. This recipe is started in October or November so as to let it mellow before the holidays. I remember very well my mother storing her fruit cake in an old butter churn that belonged to my grandmother and great grandmother. I wish that I had that old crock." Cook Time: 3 Hours 30 Minutes
Ready In: 6 Hours
Servings: 16
Servings: 16
Ingredients:
2 (8 ounce) containers candied cherries
1 (8 ounce) container candied mixed
citrus peel
2 cups raisins
1 cup dried currants
1 cup dates, pitted and chopped
2 (2.25 ounce) packages blanched
slivered almonds
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
6 eggs
3/4 cup molasses
3/4 cup apple juice
Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine cherries, citrus peel, raisins, currants, dates, and almonds. Stir in brandy; let stand 2 hours, or overnight. Dredge soaked fruit with 1/2 cup flour. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Grease an 8x8x3 inch fruit cake pan, line with parchment paper, and grease again. In a small bowl, mix together 2 cups flour, baking soda, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter until light. Gradually blend in brown sugar and eggs. Mix together molasses and apple juice. Beat into butter mixture alternately with flour mixture, making 4 dry and 3 liquid additions. Fold in floured fruit. Turn batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean. Remove from pan, and lift off paper. Cool cake completely, then wrap loosely in waxed paper. Store in an airtight container. In a medium bowl, combine cherries, citrus peel, raisins, currants, dates, and almonds. Stir in brandy; let stand 2 hours, or overnight. Dredge soaked fruit with 1/2 cup flour. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Grease an 8x8x3 inch fruit cake pan, line with parchment paper, and grease again. In a small bowl, mix together 2 cups flour, baking soda, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter until light. Gradually blend in brown sugar and eggs. Mix together molasses and apple juice. Beat into butter mixture alternately with flour mixture, making 4 dry and 3 liquid additions. Fold in floured fruit. Turn batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean. Remove from pan, and lift off paper. Cool cake completely, then wrap loosely in waxed paper. Store in an airtight container.
Martha Washington’s Great Cake
A little history lesson first…
Martha Washington's Great Cake was a large celebratory cake consisting of fruit and spices. In 1797, George Washington refused to serve a third term as President. Washington bade the public farewell and returned to Mount Vernon in time for Christmas festivities. As part of the Yuletide celebrations, Martha Washington arranged for a type of fruited cake known as a "Great Cake" to be baked and served as a dessert on the last of the twelve days of Christmas, known as Epiphany or Twelfth Night.
Great Cakes were a common dessert in the Colonial Era and tended to be very large, as reflected by the list of ingredients that varied according to the version of the recipe used. One transcription of Martha Washington's Great Cake recipe utilized the following ingredients: a peck of flour, three quarters of a pound of sugar, three pounds of melted butter, and seven pounds of currants. Added to these ingredients were four grated nutmegs, cloves, cinnamon, mace, caraway seeds, water, and salt. Other ingredients included yeast derived from barm (the foam that rises to the top of fermented liquor), and liquid derived from posset, a warm mixture of ale and cream.
1 cup currants
1 cup water
4 ounces candied orange peel
4 ounces candied lemon peel
4 ounces candied citron
3 ½ ounces candied red and/or green cherries
¼ cup brandy
8 ounces butter, softened
1 cup sugar
5 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 ¼ cups sifted unbleached flour
½ teaspoon ground mace
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons Sherry or brandy for soaking Candied cherries, optional
Directions
Holiday Fruitcake
2 (8 ounce) containers candied cherries
1 (8 ounce) container candied mixed
citrus peel
2 cups raisins
1 cup dried currants
1 cup dates, pitted and chopped
2 (2.25 ounce) packages blanched
slivered almonds
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
6 eggs
3/4 cup molasses
3/4 cup apple juice
Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine cherries, citrus peel, raisins, currants, dates, and almonds. Stir in brandy; let stand 2 hours, or overnight. Dredge soaked fruit with 1/2 cup flour. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Grease an 8x8x3 inch fruit cake pan, line with parchment paper, and grease again. In a small bowl, mix together 2 cups flour, baking soda, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter until light. Gradually blend in brown sugar and eggs. Mix together molasses and apple juice. Beat into butter mixture alternately with flour mixture, making 4 dry and 3 liquid additions. Fold in floured fruit. Turn batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean. Remove from pan, and lift off paper. Cool cake completely, then wrap loosely in waxed paper. Store in an airtight container. In a medium bowl, combine cherries, citrus peel, raisins, currants, dates, and almonds. Stir in brandy; let stand 2 hours, or overnight. Dredge soaked fruit with 1/2 cup flour. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Grease an 8x8x3 inch fruit cake pan, line with parchment paper, and grease again. In a small bowl, mix together 2 cups flour, baking soda, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter until light. Gradually blend in brown sugar and eggs. Mix together molasses and apple juice. Beat into butter mixture alternately with flour mixture, making 4 dry and 3 liquid additions. Fold in floured fruit. Turn batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean. Remove from pan, and lift off paper. Cool cake completely, then wrap loosely in waxed paper. Store in an airtight container.
In a medium bowl, combine cherries, citrus peel, raisins, currants, dates, and almonds. Stir in brandy; let stand 2 hours, or overnight. Dredge soaked fruit with 1/2 cup flour. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Grease an 8x8x3 inch fruit cake pan, line with parchment paper, and grease again. In a small bowl, mix together 2 cups flour, baking soda, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter until light. Gradually blend in brown sugar and eggs. Mix together molasses and apple juice. Beat into butter mixture alternately with flour mixture, making 4 dry and 3 liquid additions. Fold in floured fruit. Turn batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean. Remove from pan, and lift off paper. Cool cake completely, then wrap loosely in waxed paper. Store in an airtight container.
Martha Washington’s Great Cake
A little history lesson first…
Martha Washington's Great Cake was a large celebratory cake consisting of fruit and spices. In 1797, George Washington refused to serve a third term as President. Washington bade the public farewell and returned to Mount Vernon in time for Christmas festivities. As part of the Yuletide celebrations, Martha Washington arranged for a type of fruited cake known as a "Great Cake" to be baked and served as a dessert on the last of the twelve days of Christmas, known as Epiphany or Twelfth Night.
Great Cakes were a common dessert in the Colonial Era and tended to be very large, as reflected by the list of ingredients that varied according to the version of the recipe used. One transcription of Martha Washington's Great Cake recipe utilized the following ingredients: a peck of flour, three quarters of a pound of sugar, three pounds of melted butter, and seven pounds of currants. Added to these ingredients were four grated nutmegs, cloves, cinnamon, mace, caraway seeds, water, and salt. Other ingredients included yeast derived from barm (the foam that rises to the top of fermented liquor), and liquid derived from posset, a warm mixture of ale and cream.
The cake would most likely have been baked in a medium oven in a large mold so that it would have risen, with the oven's heat reduced once the cake started to rise and firm. The end result was a risen cake similar to pantone, the Italian delicacy that lies somewhere between a cake and bread in texture and is also commonly eaten at Christmas. However Martha Washington's Great Cake would have had a denser texture than pantone and contained greater quantities of fruit and spice than the Italian sweet.
Ingredients
1 ½ cups golden raisin 1 cup currants
1 cup water
4 ounces candied orange peel
4 ounces candied lemon peel
4 ounces candied citron
3 ½ ounces candied red and/or green cherries
¼ cup brandy
8 ounces butter, softened
1 cup sugar
5 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 ¼ cups sifted unbleached flour
½ teaspoon ground mace
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons Sherry or brandy for soaking Candied cherries, optional
Directions
Soak the raisins and currants overnight in water in a small bowl. Combine the orange peel, lemon peel, citron and cherries in a medium-size bowl; sprinkle with brandy and marinate overnight. Beat the butter, three-quarters of a cup of the sugar, egg yolks and lemon juice at high speed in electric mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy, about five minutes.
Sift the flour, mace and nutmeg on wax paper. Stir into the batter alternately with the Sherry, blending well. Drain the raisins and currants. Add them to the batter with the candied fruits and brandy, mixing well. Beat the egg whites until they are foamy. Beat in the remaining one-quarter cup of sugar slowly until stiff peaks form. Fold into the batter. Grease two 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-by-2 1/2-inch pans. Spoon the batter into the pans. Place a large pan filled halfway up with boiling water on the lowest oven rack. Place the cakes on the middle oven rack. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes; reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake 55 minutes longer or until the cake centers spring back when lightly touched. Cool the cakes on wire racks for 15 minutes. Remove from pans. Wrap the cooled cakes in Sherry- or brandy-soaked cheesecloth. Place in tightly covered containers or wrap in heavy-duty aluminum foil. Check the cheesecloth occasionally. If it dries out, add more Sherry or brandy.
Garnish the cakes with candied cherries, if desired Holiday Fruitcake
12-16 Servings
Prep: 20 min.
Bake: 2 hours + cooling
Prep: 20 min.
Bake: 2 hours + cooling
Ingredients
3 cups whole red and green candied cherries
3 cups diced candied pineapple
1 package (1 pound) shelled walnuts
1 package (10 ounces) golden raisins
1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
5 eggs
4 tablespoons McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 300°. In a large bowl, combine cherries, pineapple, walnuts and raisins; set aside. In another large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Pour over fruit mixture and stir to coat. Transfer to a greased and floured 10-in. tube pan. Bake 2 hours or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Wrap tightly and store in a cool place. Slice with a serrated knife;
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