Brandied Chocolate Fruitcake Recipes

CHOCOLATE FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Put the butter, sugar, chocolate, brandy, vanilla and dried fruits into a large saucepan. Heat gently, stirring occasionally until everything has melted together. Remove from the heat.
• Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Line a deep cake tin, 20cm round or 18cm square, with a double layer of baking parchment. Wrap a few layers of newspaper around the outside and secure with string.
• Mix the flour, almonds, cocoa and spice together. Stir the eggs into the slightly cooled chocolate mixture in the saucepan, followed by the flour mixture. Scrape into your prepared tin and bake for 1½ hrs- 1 hr 45 mins or until a skewer poked in comes out clean. Cool in the tin, then decorate (see 'Goes well with', right, for decoration ideas). Greaseproof-wrapped cake will keep for 2 months in an airtight container.

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.

FRIENDSHIP CAKE WITH BRANDIED FRUIT STARTER RECIPE - (4.1/5)

Steps:

• Brandied Fruit Starter should last indefinitely if handled properly. Use clean equipment and keep it covered. Combine all ingredients in a clean, nonmetal bowl; stir gently. Cover and let stand at room temperature 3 weeks, stirring fruit twice a week. Serve fruit over ice cream or pound cake when desired, reserving at least 1 cup starter at all times. To replenish starter: Add 1 cup sugar and one of the fruits (pineapple chunks, peaches, apricot halves or maraschino cherries) every 1 to 3 weeks, alternating fruits each time; stir gently. Cover and let stand at room temperature 3 days before using again. When you have 6 cups you can divide the fruit and start a second glass container or give 3 cups away or make the Friendship Cake. *Apricot or peach brandy may be substituted, if desired. FRIENDSHIP CAKE MIX: Combine in a gallon glass jar 2 1/2 cups sugar, 1 1/2 cups brandied fruit Starter and 1 (32-ounce) can sliced peaches with juice; stir all together; stir several times the first day and thereafter, stir once each day. Keep covered and at room temperature. On Tenth Day add: 1 (32-ounce) can chunk pineapple with juice 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar Stir once a day for 10 days. On Twentieth Day add: 1 (32-ounce) can fruit cocktail with juice 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1 (10-ounce) jar maraschino cherries with juice, diced Stir once a day for 10 days. On Thirtieth day: Drain liquid from fruit. Divide the juice into 1 1/2 cups each. Place in jars with tight lids and give to a friend with a copy of recipe as soon as possible. Divide fruit into thirds. Makes 3 cakes. Cakes can be frozen after they are baked. Juice or fruit cannot be frozen. Friendship Cake Mix Recipe: Combine all ingredients together, mixing well. Bake in greased and floured Bundt pan at 350°F (175°C) for 50 to 60 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 15 minutes before removing. Cool completely on wire rack.

BRANDIED CHOCOLATE FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Combine candied pineapple, cherries, raisins, and 1/2 cup brandy in a small bowl. Cover and let stand overnight.
• Drain the fruit, reserving 1/3 cup brandy. (If the fruit has absorbed most of the brandy, reserve what you can and add more to make 1/3 cup.) Set fruit and brandy aside.
• Spray two 9"x5" loaf pans liberally with baking spray.
• Melt baking chocolate in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Set aside to cool.
• Cream the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer. Gradually add one cup sugar and blend well.
• Beat in the egg yolks two at a time, scraping down after each addition. Beat in cooled chocolate.
• Resift the flour with baking powder and add to the batter alternately with the reserved brandy. Stir in the fruit and nuts.
• Beat egg whites until they just begin to hold their shape. Then add remaining 1/2 cup sugar, beating until soft peaks form. Fold about 1/4 of the egg whites into the batter, then gently (but thoroughly) fold in the remaining egg whites.
• Turn batter into prepared pans and place loaf pans in a roasting pan (or other baking pan). Pour enough boiling water in the outer pans to come about halfway up the sides of the loaf pans.
• Bake at 250 for 2.5 hours, or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Cool fruitcakes for 15 minutes, then remove from pans. Pour a few tablespoonfuls of brandy over each cake. Cool thoroughly.
• Wrap each loaf individually in plastic wrap or cheesecloth, then wrap in foil. Store for 2-8 weeks in the refrigerator before serving. Sprinkle the cakes with brandy 2-4 times during the waiting period.
• If you want to top the cake with a glaze (I never did), combine 1.5 cups powdered sugar, 3-4 tablespoons of whipping cream, and 1/4 teaspoons almond extract; blend until smooth, then spread evenly over cake.

CHOCOLATE BRANDY FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 10-inch tube pan with baking spray.Mix all of the remaining ingredients in a large bowl until well blended the mixture will be thick. Scrape into the prepared pan and bake until a tester inserted into the crest comes out with a moist crumb clinging to it, about 1 hour. Cool on a rack until the pan is comfortable to the touch. Run a knife around the edges of the cake (don't forget the tube), cover the top loosely with plastic wrap, and invert onto a plate. When you feel the cake drop onto the plate, remove the pan and invert onto a cooling rack to cool the rest of the way. Cut into thin slices and serve.From Homemade In A Hurry. Text copyright © 2006 by Andrew Schloss. Cover photograph copyright © 2006 by Noel Barnhurst. All rights reserved. First published by Chronicle Books LLC, San Francisco, California.

BRANDIED FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Line bottom of 8 1/2 -inch microwave-safe loaf pan with wax paper. Invert a microwave-safe saucer in center of oven floor.Mix first 5 ingredients. Let stand 15 minutes. Cream butter and sugar in large mixer bowl at high speed until fluffy. Add remaining ingredients and candied fruit mixture. Beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Spread batter in pan. Shield ends of loaf with 3-inch wide strips of aluminum foil covering 1 inch of batter at each end and folding remaining foil around handles.Place pan on saucer in oven. Microwave at medium (50%) 9 minutes, rotating 1/4 turn every 3 minutes. Microwave at high (100%) 1 to 2 minutes until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean (surface may appear moist, but do not overcook top will be flat or irregular). Remove foil.Let stand on heatproof surface 15 minutes to complete cooking. Invert onto cooling rack. Remove wax paper. Cool completely. For easier slicing, wrap and refrigerate overnight. Serve at room temperature.Note: Recipe tested in 650-watt oven. Cooking times may vary in ovens of different wattage.Altitude Adjustments: At 6,000 feet, no adjustments needed.

BRANDIED FRUITCAKE COOKIES

Steps:

• In small bowl, combine the 3/4 cup cherries, pineapple and brandy.
• Cover and chill overnight.
• In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and baking soda, set aside.
• For batter, in a large bowl, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until fluffy.
• Add egg and cottage cheese and beat until combined, beat in flour mixture.
• Cover and chill overnight.
• Stir brandied fruits mixture into batter.
• Drop by tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Add additional cherries to garnish tops of cookies.
• Bake at 375°F for 9 to 11 minutes or until bottoms are light brown.
• Cool completely on racks.
• May be frozen.