Tropical Fruit Cake With Cream Cheese Icing Recipes

CREAM CHEESE AND PASSIONFRUIT FROSTING

Steps:

• Combine cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a small bowl.
• Using an electric mixer, beat until smooth.
• Add the icing sugar mixture and beat until smooth.
• Reduce speed and add passionfruit.
• Spread over cooled cake.

ISLAND FRUITCAKE WITH CINNAMON-RUM CREAM CHEESE ICING

Steps:

• For the fruitcake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of two 10-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
• In a mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer, whip together the oil, granulated sugar and eggs until the mixture lightens in color. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and mix until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure nothing is stuck. Fold in the coconut, pecans, dates, bananas and pineapples, being careful to avoid over-mixing. Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Cool the cakes.
• For the icing: In a medium bowl using an electric hand mixer, mix the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla seeds and rum to taste, and mix until smooth.
• Place one of the cakes on a serving plate and use half of the icing to cover the top. Place the second cake on top and cover the top with the remaining icing. Sprinkle toasted coconut flakes over the cake to serve.

TROPICAL FRUIT CAKES

Steps:

• Grease and lightly flour eight 1-cup fluted tube pans or six 4-1/2x2-1/2x1-1/2-inch individual loaf pans and set pans aside.
• In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.
• In a large bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds, add brown sugar; beat until combined.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating on medium speed until combined (The batter may appear curdled).
• Combine 1/4 cup rum or pineapple juice, 1/4 cup pineapple juice, the corn syrup, ginger, and vanilla.
• Add flour mixture and rum mixture alternately to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.
• Fold in fruit bits and nuts.
• Spread batter in prepared pan.
• Bake in a 325 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes for fluted tube pans or 30 to 35 minutes for loaf pans or until a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean.
• Cool cakes in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool at least 1 hour on racks.
• Poke holes in cakes using a wooden toothpick or bamboo skewer.
• Soak eight or six 8-inch-square pieces of double thickness 100-percent cotton cheesecloth with the 1/3 cup rum or pineapple juice and wrap each cake in rum- or juice-soaked cheesecloth.
• Wrap each cake tightly in foil or seal in a plastic bag.
• Chill in refrigerator for 24 hours.
• Remove foil or remove cakes from bags; drizzle with 1/4 cup rum or pineapple juice. Rewrap with foil or return to plastic bags and refrigerate at least 24 hours.
• Remove cheesecloth before serving.
• If desired, sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar. Makes 6 or 8 cakes (24 servings).
• Make-Ahead Tip: Prepare Tropical Fruit Cake as directed through until the 24 hr chill, except refrigerate up to 5 days. (Or prepare Tropical Fruit Cakes as directed through up to 24 hr chill, except do not sprinkle with powdered sugar. Place in self-sealing freezer bags. Seal, label, and freeze up to 3 months.)
• To serve, thaw frozen cakes in freezer bags in the refrigerator overnight. Serve as directed.