Great Grandmothers Fruit Filled Cake Recipes

HOLIDAY FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°. Combine fruit and nuts. In another 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 and nuts; stir to coat. , Transfer to a greased and floured 10-in. tube pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 2 hours. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Wrap tightly and store in a cool place. Bring to room temperature before serving; slice with a serrated knife.

GRANDMA LEACH'S FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch tube pan and one 9x5 inch loaf pan.
• Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves into a large bowl. Stir in the applesauce and oil, then mix in the raisins, dates, mixed fruit and 2 cups of walnuts. Pour into the prepared pans. Pans should be about 3/4 full if using mini pans, or an assortment.
• Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the crown of the cake comes out clean.

GRANDMA BETTY'S FAMILY FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Oven should be preheated to 250 (yes that is correct - 250) and cooking time is 2 hours (yes, 2 hours). Prep time is about 30 minutes. You will need 5-6 Mini Loaf Pans approximately 5" x 3" in size, I used 6.
• 2. Bowl #1 - Mix flour, baking powder and sugar, SET ASIDE
• 3. Bowl #2 - Mix Eggs, Vanilla extract and Almond extract together, SET ASIDE
• 4. Bowl #3 - Mix Dates, Cherries (RED AND GREEN), Pineapple (get the largest pieces you can find, not whole but not the bits either) and Nuts together, SET ASIDE. (note: I have also used Pecans - either or both are excellent) NOTE #1: BE SURE to SET ASIDE 3 CHERRIES for EACH mini Pan to go ON TOP of each cake before cooking. NOTE #2: I do not add all the syrup from the candied fruit, I do my best to remove the candied fruit from the containers leaving behind the goo. I do not rinse the fruit.
• 5. Follow this order for easiest blending of above ingredients - Mix Bowl #1 and Bowl #2 together. Be sure to get a creamy, no lumps remaining, smooth consistency. I use a large spatula to achieve best blend.
• 6. REMINDER: BEFORE YOU FOLD BOWL #3 into the BATTER created by BOWL #1 & BOWL #2 - BE SURE to set aside three cherries for each fruit cake to put on top of each mini loaf before they go in the oven. THEN, fold ingredients of Bowl #3 into your above blended batter.
• 7. Spray your individual mini loaf pans (as seen in photo) with a cooking spray of your choice.
• 8. Scoop out enough batter to fill each tin. Do not over fill. This recipe will fill 6 individual mini tins nicely. NOW - ADD THE SET ASIDE CHERRIES to the top of your loaf pan now filled with the completed batter to accent your creation.
• 9. Place the tins on a large cookie sheet (for easiest in and out placement to oven) AND BAKE - 250 slow oven for 2 hours.
• 10. When finished, remove from oven and let cook on wire rack.
• 11. I leave the fruit cake in the pans, and then put the pretty little Fruit Cakes in a fancy clear food type gift bag or wrap in clear plastic wrap and add a bow so everyone can see your delicious treat when you present it to them.

GRANDMA LEONE'S FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 8x8-inch baking pans.
• Bring water and raisins to a boil in a saucepan; cook until raisins are plump, about 2 minutes. Drain and cool raisins; reserve raisin water.
• Mix 3 cups flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Place pecans and 2 tablespoons flour in a resealable plastic bag; close and shake bag until pecans are coated. Pour pecans into a colander and shake off excess flour.
• Whisk sugar, oil, eggs, and cooled raisin water together in a bowl; fold in candied fruit. Stir flour mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, into sugar mixture until fully incorporated; fold in raisins and pecans. Fill the prepared pans a little over half full.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Lower temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C); bake until a knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 more hour.