Chunky Brandied Christmas Fruitcake Recipes

CHRISTMAS FRUITCAKE

Christmas Fruitcake image

It's a shame that fruitcake as a species gets such a bad rap. With its two key ingredients--rum and butter--it ought to be a hit. This recipe includes dried fruit, instead of the glowing, candied stuff we've all learned to associate with fruitcake, and is less dense and more cake-like than many fruitcake recipes. It has become a favorite of my friends and family around the holidays (even the skeptical ones), and is delicious by itself, or covered with a layer of almond paste.

Provided by Karen Uffelman

Categories Desserts Specialty Dessert Recipes Liqueur Dessert Recipes Rum

Time P20DT6h57m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 17

Ingredients

⅛ cup chopped dried cherries
⅛ cup chopped dried mango
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup dried currants
2 tablespoons chopped candied citron
¼ cup dark rum
½ cup butter
¼ cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
½ cup all-purpose flour
⅛ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup unsulfured molasses
2 tablespoons milk
¼ cup chopped pecans
¼ cup dark rum, divided

Steps:

Soak cherries, mango, cranberries, currants, and citron in 1/4 cup rum for at least 24 hours. Cover tightly, and store at room temperature.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Butter a 6x3-inch round pan or loaf pan and line it with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; mix into butter and sugar in three batches, alternating with molasses and milk. Stir in soaked fruit and chopped nuts. Scrape batter into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with 2 tablespoons rum.
Cut out one piece parchment paper and one piece cheesecloth, each large enough to wrap around the cake. Moisten cheesecloth with 1 tablespoon rum. Arrange cheesecloth on top of parchment paper, and unmold cake onto it. Sprinkle top and sides of cake with remaining rum. Wrap the cheesecloth closely to the surface of the cake, then wrap with paper. Place in an airtight tin, and age for at least 10 weeks. If storing longer, douse with additional rum for every 10 weeks of storage.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 302.3 calories, Carbohydrate 33.3 g, Cholesterol 54.1 mg, Fat 14.8 g, Fiber 1.3 g, Protein 2.5 g, SaturatedFat 7.8 g, Sodium 202.7 mg, Sugar 20.5 g

FRUITCAKE

Fruitcake image

This is my 90-year-old grandmother's recipe. Very simple.

Provided by Roxy

Categories Desserts Specialty Dessert Recipes Liqueur Dessert Recipes Brandy

Yield 16

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

2 cups packed brown sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons ground cloves
2 tablespoons ground allspice
2 tablespoons ground nutmeg
4 eggs
2 tablespoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
½ cup brandy
1 ½ cups raisins
1 ½ cups chopped nuts
1 ½ cups dried mixed fruit
1 ½ cups butter, melted
1 ¾ cups brandy

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.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 639.3 calories, Carbohydrate 71.9 g, Cholesterol 92.3 mg, Fat 27 g, Fiber 3.7 g, Protein 7.5 g, SaturatedFat 12.9 g, Sodium 377.8 mg, Sugar 36 g

RICH BRANDY CHRISTMAS FRUITCAKE

Rich Brandy Christmas Fruitcake image

A very very rich fruitcake...perfect for Christmas, just remember, the longer it sits in the tin, the tastier it will be.

Provided by Samuel Holden

Categories Dessert

Time 5h20m

Yield 8 inch cake

Number Of Ingredients 20

Ingredients

450 g currants
175 g sultanas
175 g raisins
50 g glace cherries, chopped
50 g candied fruit, chopped
1/2 cup brandy
225 g flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (fresh)
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
225 g butter
225 g soft brown sugar, the gooey sort
4 large eggs
50 g chopped almonds
1 tablespoon treacle
lemon, rind of
orange, rind of
orange, juice of

Steps:

The night before you cook this place all the fruit fruit peel and nuts into a bowl and soak for 12 hours in the brandy and orange juice; Stir every time you go into the kitchen!
pre-heat oven to 275ºF/140ºC.
Grease and line with greaseproof paper an 8 inch/20cm round cake tin.
Sift the flour salt and spices into a large mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl cream the butter and sugar together until the mixtures fluffy.
Beat the eggs and add them a little at a time.
Fold in the flour and spices.
Stir in the fruit that has been soaking along with any excess liquid.
Mix in the treacle.
Spoon into the cake tin and spread out evenly.
Cover the cake with a double square of greaseproof paper with a small hole in the top.
Bake the cake on the lower shelf for 4& 1/4- 3/4 hours.
When the cake is cold wrap in double greaseproof paper and store in an airtight tin.
Feed the cake every two days for the first 2 weeks with a spoonful of brandy and/or orange juice and/or glacè cherry syrup.
First poke little holes in the cake with a knitting needle or a skewer.
Come Christmas you will have a very very rich fruit cake.
Use royal icing to ice it or almond paste and royal icing, I don't like almond paste!