Nanas Christmas Fruitcake Recipes

NANA'S CHRISTMAS STOLLEN

Steps:

• Scald milk. Add sugar, butter, and salt, and cool to lukewarm. Add 2 whole eggs, and 2 yolks. Mix.
• Add to 3 cups flour and yeast in food processor. Process and let rise until double.
• Add cardamom, raisins, citron, and cherries, and rest of flour. Process and put on floured board and knead. Let rise in greased bowl.
• When risen, cut into 3-4 pieces. Roll each into an oval, butter, and fold in half lengthwise. Put on greased baking sheet, cover, and let rise until double.
• Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 25 minutes.
• Remove to rack. When cool, frost with white butter frosting and decorate with candied cherry halves and sprinkle with colored sugar.

LIGHT FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Oil one 9 or 10 inch tube pan, or 2 loaf pans. Line with parchment if desired.
• Measure flour, salt and baking powder into a large bowl.
• Add the coconut, fruits and nuts, stirring till all the fruit is separated and coated with flour.
• Cream butter and sugar together till light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time and almond extract. Then mix in pineapple juice.
• Stir in fruit-flour mixture till all incorporated. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan(s).
• Bake at 275 degrees F for 3 to 3 ½ hours for one tube pan, or 2 to 2 ½ hours for two loaf pans. Test with toothpick for doneness. (Yes, 275 degrees is correct)
• Leave in pan till cool. Remove parchment and wrap in plastic wrap to store. Keep in fridge or freezer.

NANA'S CHRISTMAS POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Cream the cream cheese and the butter together until light and fluffy.
• Gradually add the sugar and cream well.
• Add the vanilla and brandy (or bourbon), mixing well.
• Add the eggs one at a time,beating well after each addition.
• Set aside 1/4 cup flour.
• Sift the remaining 2 cups flour, cornstarch and baking powder together.
• Gradually add the flour mix to the batter, mixing well.
• Dredge the pecans and candied fruit in the 1/4 cup flour, coating all pieces thoroughly.
• (this keeps them from all sinking to the bottom of the cake as it bakes) Fold the pecans, candied fruit and any flour residue into the cake batter.
• Grease a bundt pan very heavily with Crisco, and sprinkle the 3 tablespoons of sugar evenly in the bottom of the cake pan over the Crisco.
• Pour the cake batter into the bundt pan.
• Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.
• Then reduce the oven heat to 300 degrees and bake for another 1 hour and 20 minutes.

NANA'S JAPANESE FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees with racks placed in center. Spread nuts on a baking pan. Bake until fragrant, about 7 minutes. Transfer nuts to a bowl; set aside to cool.
• Line the bottoms of three 8-by-2-inch buttered cake pans with parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Dust the bottoms and sides of pan with flour, and tap out any excess. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Finely chop the raisins, and combine with the cinnamon and allspice. Set aside.
• With an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the sugar and shortening on medium speed until combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. On low speed, add the flour mixture and the milk to the batter, alternating between the two, starting and ending with the dry ingredients.
• Fold the reserved raisin mixture into one-third of the batter. Pour batter into one cake pan. Stir the reserved toasted walnuts into the remaining batter. Divide batter between two remaining cake pans. Bake, rotating pans for even baking if necessary, until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Transfer to cooling racks to cool, and invert cakes onto cooling rack. Allow to cool completely.
• Combine the pineapple, oranges, 2 cups coconut, and sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring filling to a boil over high heat, stirring. Reduce to a simmer, and let cook, stirring often, until thickened, about 20 minutes. Whisk the cornstarch into 1/4 cup warm water. Stir into filling. Continue to cook until thick, 6 minutes. Let cool before using.
• Place one walnut layer top-side down on the serving plate. Top with half of the filling. Place the raisin layer, top-side up, securely on top, press down lightly. Using an offset spatula, go around the layers to press filling between layers. Top with remaining filling. Place remaining walnut layer on top, top-side up. Press down with hands. Using the offset spatula, go around layers again to ensure filling is securely between layers. Frost the sides of the cake first, using an offset spatula. Finish icing the top of the cake. Decorate top of cake with drained candied orange zest and remaining coconut. Serve.

NAN'S BEST DARK FRUITCAKE:

Steps:

• With 3/4 cup of the dark rum, pour over chopped fruit and nuts. Cover and let soak for at least 48 hours. The fruit should be stirred once a day or so.
• Keep remaining rum for after baking directions -- see below.
• Stir flour, salt, baking soda and spices together Set aside.
• In separate bowl, Cream shortening and brown sugar together till fluffy.
• Add eggs and beat one at a time.
• Add molasses, jam and mix well.
• Blend in dry ingredients. Fold in fruit.
• Prepare your round fruit cake pan by oiling and line pan with paper. Oil and flour again lightly.
• Ensure the top of the paper is about 1 inch or so above the top of the pan.
• Fill prepared pans 2/3 full.
• Bake in a slow oven 300°F for 2 hours or so.
• Place a shallow pan of hot water on the bottom rack of the oven during baking. This will ensure the cake stays moist. Remove this pan of water during the last hour of baking.
• Cool completely before removing paper.
• Storing and mellowing of fruit Cake: Wrap a cheese cloth that has been soaked in the remaining 1/4 cup of rum over the cake, covering it completely.
• Next wrap the cake and cheesecloth in aluminum foil wrap.
• Place in a cool place. Taste of cake is best when stored for 4 weeks or so! I've often brushed egg white over the cake, rolled out almond paste and laid it over the top and sides of cake. I then ice it. Everyone raves! NOTE: I've often doubled the recipe for a larger cake.

NAN'S BOILED FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Place all the ingredients for the fruit mix in a large saucepan bring to the boil and allow to cool for about 30 minutes
• Preheat oven to 160C / Gas 3
• Add the cherries and nuts stir through
• then add eggs and mix well, add the flour and fold through the mix.
• Place the mixture in a greased and floured 8' - deep cake tin. Tie some greaseproof paper around the outside of the tin so that the paper comes over the edges of the tin or optionally place over the top about half way through baking. Bake for 2 hours but check after 1.5 hours , check to see if cooked throughly with a skewer. If not bake a little further until the skewer comes out clean from the cake. Allow to cool and either decorate with marzipan and royal icing, or dried apricots and cherries and glaze with melted apricot jam or plain is very nice too.