Fruitcake

[Ishbel]

Whisky or brandy - depending on the fruit content of the cake.

 

[Ishbel]

Here's my recipe for Dundee Cake. Not so dark or heavy as a traditional British Christmas cake and no icing or marzipan.

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f41/dundee-cake-4979.html?highlight=Dundee+cake

 

[Constance]

Constance one final question? Did your mom always use the lemon extract in her fruitcake, like it calls for in the recipe? I'm not a huge fan of lemon flavoring, but maybe you can't even taste it in this recipe...just curious, but no biggie if you don't know.

Thanks again for the recipe - I'm just getting all giddy now planning my fruitcake baking day - lol!


Hyacinth

Yes, she did, but it didn't really taste lemony. I think the lemon just cut the sweetness of the candied fruit a bit. I suppose you could leave it out if you wish, or substitute a different one.
I don't remember if she floured the fruit before adding it to the batter, but I do.

 

[Hyacinth]

Yes, she did, but it didn't really taste lemony. I think the lemon just cut the sweetness of the candied fruit a bit.

I'll follow the recipe then as written. Thank you again for your help Constance!



Hyacinth

 

[Constance]

No problem, Hyacinth. I sure hope you enjoy it...this really is a good fruitcake.

Just don't rush it, as aging makes it better.

 

[Aunty K]

Hawaiian Fruit Cake.....anyone ever heard of Happy Cake? It is like a fruit cake only much more moist. It's an old local treat here in Hawaii and sometimes we send it to family and friends on the mainland. They use plenty pineapple, coconut and macadmaia nuts instead of the old traditional stuff. But it is dense like a fruit cake yet more moist. I think traditional fruit cake lovers would find it a surprise. They have been around a while.

 

[boufa06]

Hawaiian Fruit Cake.....anyone ever heard of Happy Cake? It is like a fruit cake only much more moist. It's an old local treat here in Hawaii and sometimes we send it to family and friends on the mainland. They use plenty pineapple, coconut and macadmaia nuts instead of the old traditional stuff. But it is dense like a fruit cake yet more moist. I think traditional fruit cake lovers would find it a surprise. They have been around a while.

No, I have not heard of it, but if I can get hold of the recipe, I would not mind trying it. Sounds like a nice tropical fruit cake minus the macadamia. I bake my fruitcake using my own preserves and store bought ones and lots of Metaxa!

 

[Constance]

Goodness, Daisy, that last one looks heavenly. Question: What kind of mixed spice?

 

[daisy]

There was a discussion about mixed spice recently.

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f23/iso-hot-cross-bun-recipe-29514.html?highlight=mixed+spice

It's a common item found everywhere in Australia. I'm surprised some other people have trouble finding it elsewhere.

 

[boufa06]

Daisy, your recipes look great! Have already copied and posted. Thanks for sharing them.

 

[Hyacinth]

Constance or licia?

Here's my mother's recipe:

1 cup sugar
1/2 lb. butter
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 cups flour.
5 large eggs
1 oz vanilla
1 oz lemon extract
3/4 lb. candied cherries
1 lb. candied pineapple
4 cups pecans.

Mix flour and baking powder with butter. Mix eggs with sugar and extracts. Combine mixtures. Stir in fruit and nuts. Grease and flour 2 loaf pans or 1 bundt pan. Bake at 200 degrees till toothpick comes out clean...about 2 hours for a large cake. Cool, remove from pans, and wrap in clean tea towel soaked in apricot brandy. Store in an airtight container for one month. Open lid and add more brandy once a week. Keep in a cool place.

I started making today (after getting the 2 c. flour info and all) and came across the "1 oz. of vanilla and 1 oz. of lemon extract" listed in the recipe above - That's a lot!! Was that meant to be one Teaspoon, maybe? That's what I used...my bottles of vanilla and lemon were both 1 oz size and that just seems quite a bit - lol!!


The fruitcakes are baking right now - but still I'm curious if the lemon and vanilla amounts are a misprint or if that's the actual amounts called for in the recipe.


Thanks!


Hyacinth

 

[Constance]

No, Hyacinth, that was not a mis-print. You're supposed to use the whole bottles. That's part of what makes this fruitcake so delicious.
You can probably make up for it by adding the extracts to the alcohol you douse your fruitcakes with.

 

[Hyacinth]

No, Hyacinth, that was not a mis-print. You're supposed to use the whole bottles. That's part of what makes this fruitcake so delicious.
You can probably make up for it by adding the extracts to the alcohol you douse your fruitcakes with.

Thanks for the clarification Constance! Wow, I would have never used that amount otherwise, but adding to the brandy I'm using to "feed" the cakes AFTER is a great idea...I'll do it!!


I did one regular loaf and 3 mini loaves with the recipe, then kept one loaf out to try without the alcohol. I'm going to test the extra extracts with that loaf...I did follow everyone's advice and plan to have these for the New Year, so they should have a fair chance to "age". Well it's been quite interesting and kind of fun to make these cakes - thanks again for all your help!


Hyacinth

 

[fawn]

question:

naturally, should fruitcakes have domed cracked top?

 

[daisy]

Fruitcakes should have a flat top, not cracked. To encourage this, when filling the cake tin, use the spoon to create a small hollow in the centre, spreading the mixture towards the outside. Not too much, of course, just a smidgeon. If your fruitcakes are rising, next time reduce the temperature in the oven, and use half self-raising flour and half plain flour, instead of all self-raising flour.

 

[Hungry]

No Bake Fruit Cake

I have been making this one for years. Needless to say that a lot of "adjustments" have been made over the years.

Like someone mentioned in one of the other post. A Fruit cake recipe is not "cast in stone" After reading the Hawaiian cake recipe I may add some bananas this year.

HOLIDAY FRUIT CAKE
Quantities
2 Envelops- Unflavored gelatin
1 ¼ Cup - Orange juice
1 Cup - Honey
2 sticks - Butter
4 ½ tsp - Orange zest
2 ½ tsp - Lemon zest
1 ½ tsp - Cinnamon
½ tsp - Cloves
¼ tsp - Allspice
¼ tsp - Ginger
5 Cup - Chopped nutz Pecans and Walnuts
3 Cup - Raisins (2 Light - 1 Dark)
16 oz. - Chopped dates
16 oz. - Candied fruit and peels, mixed.
8 oz. - Extra For topping - Candied Cherries, Pineapple,
8 Cup - Graham Crackers

1. Crush graham crackers to a very fine crumb consistency.
(No crumbs larger than a Sesame Seed.)
2. Mix dry spices and blend into the dry graham crackers. Add lemon and orange zest blend well.
3. Mix candied fruits, raisins, dates, nuts and add to graham crackers. Mix well
4. Mix honey and melted butter.
5. Dissolve gelatin in warm orange juice.
6. Alternately add gelatin/orange juice and honey/butter to graham cracker mix and blend thoroughly.

Press firmly into a foil lined 9" X 5" X 2 ¾ “loaf pan. (Smaller pans may be used for gift size cakes.)
Decorate top with extra fruit and nutz.
Place in refrigerator, when firm, remove from pan and wrap in foil.
For those that like to “Booze it up” you may wrap in cheese cloth saturated with the Booze of your choice.
Store in refrigerator at least 48 hours before serving. The longer the better!
Allow serving to come to room temperature before munching.
Will keep for 6 weeks, or more, in refrigerator.

Enjoy,
Charlie

 

[fawn]

daisy
thanks for that tip. My friend made a fruit cake (baked in a loaf pan) and is complaining that her fruitcake domes and crack. I thought its natural for fruitcake to turn out that way.

Now, i know how to prevent it. By the way, i also heard that you should bake w/ a pan w/ hot water (below the rack of the fruitcake pan) so that it won't have any crack... is this also true?

 

[XeniA]

Another possibility to help you obtain a flat top on your fruitcake would be to use insulated cake pan strips like those in the picture, called "Magic Cake Strips." I use them on normal layer pans with great success, although I admit that on a loaf pan or certain other pans, they might offer a challenge. They do, however, significantly reduce the dome.

 

[Hyacinth]

By the way, i also heard that you should bake w/ a pan w/ hot water (below the rack of the fruitcake pan) so that it won't have any crack... is this also true?

Fawn I also read this on a couple sites that I thought looked reputable and it makes sense to me. They were talking about the pan of water in the oven keeping the cake more moist overall.


BTW, when recently I made the recipe Constance posted on this thread, my finished fruitcakes had a slight (and pleasing to me) rise, but no cracking on the surface. I didn't use a pan of water in the oven however. The other thing was that this particular fruitcake was baked for a LONG time and at a very low temp - maybe that makes a difference when it comes to a tendency for the surface to crack or not to crack? Just thinking out loud...


Hyacinth

 

[fawn]

hyacinth, that's probably it (baking at a lower temp so the bread will rise slowly and won't immediately form a crust,hence, the crack)

hmm, just like cheesecake