Moms Fruitcake With Brandy Recipes

THE FANNY FARMER DARK FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Set oven to 325 degrees F.
• Butter two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans.
• Line the pans with foil, then butter the foil.
• Cream the butter or shortening.
• Add in brown sugar; beat until light.
• Add in lemon extract and eggs and beat well.
• Stir in molasses and blend to combine.
• In a small bowl combine the flour with baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, mace, cloves and salt; beat into the creamed mixture until combined.
• Add in milk; beat until combined.
• Stir in the candied fruit, candied cherries, candied citron, dates or raisins and nuts; mix well.
• Transfer/divide the batter between the two pans.
• Bake for 1 to 1-1/4 hours or until the loaves test done.
• Turn out onto racks to cool.
• When completely cooled wrap well and store in an airtight container.
• BRANDIED FRUIT CAKE OPTION; soak two large pieces of cheesecloth in brandy.
• Wrap each fruit cake in the cheesecloth covering all sides, then wrap well in foil.
• Moisten the cheesecloth with additional brandy every few days for about a week.

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.

RICH BRANDY CHRISTMAS FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• The night before you cook this place all the fruit fruit peel and nuts into a bowl and soak for 12 hours in the brandy and orange juice; Stir every time you go into the kitchen!
• pre-heat oven to 275ºF/140ºC.
• Grease and line with greaseproof paper an 8 inch/20cm round cake tin.
• Sift the flour salt and spices into a large mixing bowl.
• In a separate bowl cream the butter and sugar together until the mixtures fluffy.
• Beat the eggs and add them a little at a time.
• Fold in the flour and spices.
• Stir in the fruit that has been soaking along with any excess liquid.
• Mix in the treacle.
• Spoon into the cake tin and spread out evenly.
• Cover the cake with a double square of greaseproof paper with a small hole in the top.
• Bake the cake on the lower shelf for 4& 1/4- 3/4 hours.
• When the cake is cold wrap in double greaseproof paper and store in an airtight tin.
• Feed the cake every two days for the first 2 weeks with a spoonful of brandy and/or orange juice and/or glacè cherry syrup.
• First poke little holes in the cake with a knitting needle or a skewer.
• Come Christmas you will have a very very rich fruit cake.
• Use royal icing to ice it or almond paste and royal icing, I don't like almond paste!

UNCLE BILL'S CHRISTMAS FRUITCAKE WITH BRANDY

Steps:

• Remove pineapple rings from syrup.
• DO NOT USE SYRUP IN CAKE.
• Cut both red and green pineapple rings into chunks (about 6 chunks of each ring.) In a large mixing bowl, add red and green pineapple chunks, pecans, almonds, red and green maraschino cherries, mixed peel and raisins and mix well.
• Add the entire bottle of Brandy and mix well.
• Cover the bowl tightly with food film wrap and let stand overnight.
• During this marinate, mix at least two times.
• THE NEXT DAY.
• Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
• Sift 3/4 cup of flour over marinated fruit and mix well to coat.
• Now sift an additional 1/2 cup flour over fruit and mix well again.
• In a mixing bowl cream butter; set aside.
• In a separate mixing bowl, beat eggs with 2 tablespoons of milk.
• Add baking soda and almond extract to the beaten eggs and mix well.
• Add remainder of 1 1/2 cups of flour over the fruit and mix well.
• Add creamed butter and egg mixture over fruit and mix well.
• Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, mace and cinnamon and mix very well.
• Prepare 3 bread pans (4" x 8" x 3" deep) with parchment paper (or brown paper.) Pour cake mixture equally into each pan to about 3/4" below top of pan.
• The cakes should be between 2" and 2 1/2" in thickness.
• Bake in preheated 275 F oven for 4 to 5 hours on the middle rack.
• If top of cake starts to brown too much, cover with aluminum foil and continue baking.
• Test cake for doneness with a wooden testing stick.
• If stick comes out dry, the cakes are done.
• Remove cakes from oven and let cool in pans.
• When cooled, remove from pans and place on metal racks for about 3 hours.
• Remove the brown paper carefully and discard.
• Baste the tops of each cake with Apricot Brandy or if desired with 151 Overproof Rum.
• Wrap each cake in about 4 thicknesses of cheese cloth.
• Now wrap each cake with 2 layers of heavy duty aluminum foil.
• Store the cakes in a cool place for at least 1 month before using (this is when they are best.) A few days before serving, unwrap the top of the foil and baste the cake through the cheesecloth with brandy or rum.
• Re-wrap and let sit for a few days.
• This cake freezes very well.

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.