Cocoa Fruitcake Recipes

COCOA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Using a spoon, make 3 wells in the dry ingredients. Pour oil into the first, vinegar into another and vanilla into the third. Slowly pour water over all. Beat on low speed until thoroughly combined (batter will be thin). , Pour into a greased 8-in. square baking dish. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Dust with confectioners' sugar.

CHOCOLATE FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Line the sides and bottom of an 8 by 3 1/2-inch deep, round loose-bottomed cake tin with a layer of reusable silicon baking parchment. When lining the tin with the parchment, cut the material into strips that are twice as high as the tin itself (it is easier to use two shorter strips of parchment, than one long strip); the height of the strips protects the cake from catching on the outside of the cake tin.
• Place the fruit, butter, sugar, honey, coffee liqueur, orange zest and juice, mixed spice and cocoa into a large wide saucepan. Heat the mixture until it reaches a gentle boil, stirring the mixture as the butter melts. Let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and leave to stand for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, the mixture will have cooled a little. Add the eggs, flour, ground almonds, baking powder and baking soda, and mix well with a wooden spoon or spatula until the ingredients have combined.
• Carefully pour the fruitcake mixture into the lined cake tin. Transfer the cake tin to the oven and bake for 1 3/4 to 2 hours, or until the top of the cake is firm but will has a shiny and sticky look. At this point, if you insert a sharp knife into the middle of the cake, the cake should still be a little uncooked in the middle.
• Place the cake on a cooling rack. Once the cake has cooled, remove it from the tin.
• To decorate, place the chocolate-covered coffee beans in the centre of the cake and arrange the gold stars around the perimeter of the top of the cake. Then sprinkle some gold mini-balls over the whole cake and sprinkle the top with edible glitter.

COCONUT FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extract. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture alternately with orange juice. Stir in the candied fruit, coconut, raisins and nuts., Press into a greased and waxed paper-lined 10-in. tube pan. Bake at 300° for 80-90 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. If desired, dust with confectioners' sugar and sprinkle candied fruit or nuts.

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.

COCO-COLA CAKE II

Steps:

• Combine flour and white sugar in mixing bowl. Heat 1 cup butter, 3 tablespoons cocoa, and 1 cup cola soft drink to boiling and pour over the flour and sugar. Mix thoroughly.
• Add buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, vanilla, and marshmallows and mix well.
• Bake in a prepared 9 by 13 inch pan for 40 minutes at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• While still hot, frost with Coco Cola Frosting: Combine 1/2 cup butter or margarine, 2 tablespoons cocoa and 6 tablespoons cola soft drink and heat to boiling. Pour over 4 cups confectioners' sugar and mix well. Mix in chopped nuts and spread over hot cake.

CHOCOLATE FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Line the sides and bottom of an 8 by 3 1/2-inch deep, round loose-bottomed cake tin with a layer of reusable silicon baking parchment. When lining the tin with the parchment, cut the material into strips that are twice as high as the tin itself (it is easier to use two shorter strips of parchment, than one long strip); the height of the strips protects the cake from catching on the outside of the cake tin.
• Place the fruit, butter, sugar, honey, coffee liqueur, orange zest and juice, mixed spice and cocoa into a large wide saucepan. Heat the mixture until it reaches a gentle boil, stirring the mixture as the butter melts. Let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and leave to stand for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, the mixture will have cooled a little. Add the eggs, flour, ground almonds, baking powder and baking soda, and mix well with a wooden spoon or spatula until the ingredients have combined.
• Carefully pour the fruitcake mixture into the lined cake tin. Transfer the cake tin to the oven and bake for 1 3/4 to 2 hours, or until the top of the cake is firm but will has a shiny and sticky look. At this point, if you insert a sharp knife into the middle of the cake, the cake should still be a little uncooked in the middle.
• Place the cake on a cooling rack. Once the cake has cooled, remove it from the tin.
• To decorate, place the chocolate-covered coffee beans in the centre of the cake and arrange edible gold stars around the perimeter of the top of the cake (if you can find them- not listed in ingredients as Zaar will not accept). Then sprinkle some gold mini-balls over the whole cake and sprinkle the top with edible glitter.

COCOA FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325*. Grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube pan. In large mixer bowl, beat butter, sugar, vanilla and brandy extract until light and fluffy. Add eggs; beat well.
• Stir together flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder; add alternetely with buttermilk to butter mixture, beating just until blended. Stir together cherries, pecans, raisins and mixed fruit; fold into batter. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake 1 hour and 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan. Immediately wrap in foil. Allow to stand overnight before serving. To serve, sprinkle powdered sugar over top, if desired.