Louises Fruitcake Recipes

LOUISE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Lightly grease an 11x7-inch baking pan. Line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang over the edges.
• Combine butter and sugar in a bowl; beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract.
• Sift flour and baking powder together in a bowl. Fold into the creamed mixture until dough comes together. Press dough into the lined baking pan; prick all over with a fork.
• Bake in the preheated oven until set, about 10 minutes. Spread raspberry jam thinly over the cake base.
• Beat egg whites in a glass, metal, or ceramic bowl until soft peaks form. Add sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, continuing to beat until stiff, glossy peaks form. Gently fold in coconut and vanilla extract. Cover the jam layer with meringue.
• Bake until the meringue topping takes on a soft pink or eggshell color, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan for 2 to 3 minutes, then carefully lift out using the parchment paper. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into squares.

FRUITCAKE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet and line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on long sides. Butter parchment. Whisk together flour, cinnamon, salt, cardamom, and baking powder.
• Pulse almond paste in a food processor until crumbly; add sugar and pulse just to combine. Transfer mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add butter and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in 2 tablespoons kirsch. Add flour mixture, beating on low speed, until fully combined. Beat in fruit.
• Scrape batter into prepared sheet, smoothing top with an off-set spatula. Bake until pale golden, about 1 hour, 15 minutes. Brush with remaining 2 tablespoons kirsch. Transfer sheet to a wire rack and let cool 45 minutes. Use parchment overhang to lift out of pan; let cool completely on rack. Refrigerate at least 4 hours and preferably overnight. Using a sharp knife, trim edges and cut into 1 1/4-inch squares.
• Working in batches and keeping the rest in the refrigerator, place one cookie on a fork. Spoon fondant over top, allowing it to coat entire cake and excess to drip back into bowl. Place on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet to set. If at any time fondant gets too thick, add hot water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and warm in the microwave or over a pot of simmering water. Let cookies stand until set, about 30 minutes. If desired, decorate with a few flecks of edible gold leaf. Cookies will keep at room temperature in an airtight container up to 5 days.

LUISE'S QUINCE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in the center. Butter and flour an 8-by-2-inch round cake pan. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Beat butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. add eggs, and beat until incorporated, about 1 minute. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low, and add flour in 2 additions, alternating with the milk.
• pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until golden brown and a cake tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. let cool.
• Unmold cake. Using a serrated knife, cut cake into 3 layers, and brush away any loose crumbs. Beat cream and confectioners' sugar until medium peaks form. Spread 3/4 cup quince preserves on 1 cake layer, and top with 3/4 cup whipped cream and another cake layer. Repeat. Frost top and sides of assembled cake with remaining whipped cream. Refrigerate until ready to serve (up to 1 hour).

LOUISE'S FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Generously butter 10-cup Bundt pan; dust pan with flour. Combine first 6 ingredients in large bowl. Mix in 1/3 cup rum. Let stand at room temperature until liquids are almost absorbed, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine flour, almonds, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in fruit mixture. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
• Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out dry, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool cake in pan 10 minutes. Turn out cake onto rack and cool.
• Stir corn syrup and remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons rum in heavy small saucepan over low heat until warm. Brush warm glaze twice over entire cake. Wrap cake in heavy-duty foil and let mellow 1 day at room temperature. Refrigerate. (Cake can be prepared 2 weeks ahead. Store in refrigerator.)

AUNT LOUISE'S FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Mix all ingredients together.
• 2. Place 2/3 of batter into a pan.
• 3. Spread 1 can blueberry pie filling onto.
• 4. Top of with remaining batter and bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.