Golden Fruitcake I Recipes

MINIATURE GOLDEN FRUITCAKES

Steps:

• In a large nonreactive bowl, combine dried fruit, walnuts, and 1 1/4 cups brandy. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand 8 hours (or up to 1 day), stirring occasionally.
• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs in 2 additions, scraping down bowl in between. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and spices. Reduce speed to low and beat in flour mixture in 2 additions, scraping down bowl in between. Fold fruit mixture into batter.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line two minimuffin pans with paper liners. Fill each liner with 1 rounded tablespoon batter. Firmly tap pans on counter to settle batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cake comes out clean and edges are light golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating pans halfway through.
• Brush cakes with 1/2 cup brandy; transfer cakes to a wire rack to cool completely. (To store, cover and refrigerate, up to 1 month.) Brush with apricot jam before serving or packing.

MRS. MAUS'S FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 275 degrees. Butter five 6-by-2-inch round cake pans. Butter five strips of 18-by-3-inch parchment paper to form a collar for each pan.
• Cream butter and 2 cups sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time. Mix in molasses and 2 cups of candied fruit, blending well. Remove batter to a large bowl and add one-quarter of the nuts. Sift in flour and allspice 1 cup at a time, mixing well between additions. Add remaining candied fruit and nuts, stirring with a spoon. Divide batter evenly among pans; bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 3 to 3 1/2 hours. While still warm, brush with 1/3 cup brandy mixed with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Let cool on wire rack.
• Gently remove cakes from pans and remove paper collars. Decorate cakes with glaceed fruits and candied cherries and kumquats. Heat apricot jam and remaining 1/3 cup brandy in a small saucepan over medium heat. Strain and brush over fruits to hold in place.

GOLDEN FRUITCAKE **EXCELLENT

Steps:

• 1. Cut 1 cup dried apricots into small pieces; pour just enough boiling water over apricots to cover. Let stand for 20 minutes, then drain thoroughly.Combine snipped apricots with 2 cups chopped, candied pineapple; 2 cups golden raisins; 1 cup dark raisins, 1 cup candied cherries, halved; 1 cup chopped citron; 1 cup chopped, candied orange peel; 1/2 cup chopped, candied lemon peel; 2 cups coarsely chopped pecans, and 1 cup slivered, blanched almonds.
• 2. Cream 1 1/4 cups shortening, 1 1/2 cups honey, and 2 teaspoons rum extract or vanilla together thoroughly; beat in 6 eggs. Sift 2 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour with 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves. Add to creamed mixture, mixing till smooth. Add fruit.
• 3. Turn fruitcake batter into greased pans lined with aluminum foil - either two 11x4x3 inch fruitcake pans and one 5 1/2x3x2 1/4 inch pan or one 10 inch tube springform pan and one 7 1/2x3 3/4x2 1/4 inch loaf pan. Bake at 275F degrees about 1 3/4 hours for small loaves, 2 hours for medium loaves, and 2 3/4 hours for tube pan. (Place shallow pan of hot water on bottom of oven.)
• 4. Cool cakes thoroughly, then remove them from pan. I use an injector to put brandy in cake. Be generous all over cake. The more, the better! Wrap tightly in brandy-soaked cloth and then foil. Store in cool place for several weeks. I start making cakes at the beginning to middle of October. That gives them lots of time to marinate and age in brandy. They are wonderful!

GOLDEN FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Place marzipan on plate; cover with plastic wrap. Freeze overnight. Combine dried figs and next 3 ingredients in large bowl. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight, stirring occasionally.
• Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter baking pans or forms. Beat 1 1/2 cups butter, sugar and brown sugar in large bowl until light. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then vanilla, cardamom, nutmeg and salt. Stir in flour in 4 additions. Stir in pine nuts, dried fruit mixture and any soaking liquid from bowl. Gently stir in marzipan.
• Divide batter among prepared pans. Place pans on baking sheet. Bake until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool cakes completely in pans on racks. Wrap in plastic. Let stand at least 1 day and up to 3 days at room temperature or chill up to 2 weeks. Serve at room temperature.

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.