Nanas Fruit Cake Recipes

SOLDIERS CAKE

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar.
• Add eggs, one at a time.
• Add treacle and mix well.
• Sift flour, baking powder and spices into mixture and stir to combine.
• Add fruit and mix well.
• Put mixture into a small, deep cake tin which has been lined well with baking paper. (A 6 inch round tin works nicely with 3 layers of greased baking paper).
• Cover cake tin with a piece of baking paper and tie to secure.
• Steam for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
• Remove paper cover and put into a slow oven for 20-30 minutes to crust.
• Remove from oven, cover with aluminium foil and wrap in a clean tea towel to cool.

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.

NANA'S TEA CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a medium bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour and baking powder, stir into the mixture alternately with the milk. Drop dough by spoonfuls or roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch in thickness. Cut with cookie cutters into desired shapes. Place cookies 1 1/2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

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 FRUIT CAKE...

Steps:

• 1. Heat oven to 325F. Lightly grease & flour 2 loaf pans.
• 2. In saucepan boil the first 4 ingredients.
• 3. In medium bowl sift together the next 6 ingredients.
• 4. After the liquid has fully cooled, add to dry ingredients & mix well.
• 5. Add in the raisins. Make sure not to over brown the top of cake.
• 6. bake for 30 to 3 mins. Cool on wore rack.

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.

NANA'S ITALIAN HOLIDAY CREAM CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9-inch baking pans.
• Beat 1/2 cup margarine and shortening in a bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in sugar. Beat in egg yolks until smooth.
• Combine flour and baking soda in a bowl. Add to the margarine mixture in batches, alternating with buttermilk, until batter is smooth. Mix in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; add pecans and coconut.
• Beat egg whites with clean beaters in a glass, metal, or ceramic bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold into the batter. Pour into prepared pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes; invert onto a cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Beat cream cheese and 1/4 cup margarine in a bowl until smooth; stir in confectioners' sugar. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until frosting is combined.
• Spread frosting onto the cooled cake layers. Stack cakes; frost top and sides.

NANA'S DARK FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Slice fruit into small pieces. If using whole almonds, place in plastic bag and crush using a rolling pin being careful not to crumbled them into a powder. Line three 8 inch spring form pans with parchment paper Flour fruit with 2 cups of flour Cream butter, sugar, eggs, chocolate and jelly. Mix dry ingredients in separate bowl and then add to wet mixture. Stir floured fruit into wet ingredients. Pour into three 8 inch spring form pans. Place a pan of hot water on bottom of oven during baking. Remove for last hour of baking. Bake @ 250 degrees for three to four hours until toothpick comes out clean.