Coffee Fruitcake Recipe With Brandy

THE FAMOUS 3 INGREDIENT CHRISTMAS CAKE

Steps:

• Place the mixed dried fruit into a very large bowl. Add the iced coffee (or liquid substitute) and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and place into the fridge overnight.
• Preheat oven to 160 degrees celsius (fan-forced). Grease and line a 23cm cake tin with baking paper and set aside.
• Stir the self-raising flour through the fruit mixture and pour into the prepared tin.
• Bake for approximately 1 hour (see notes) or until the cake feels firm in the middle and a skewer inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs on it.

BRANDY-AGED FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Combine all the nuts and dried fruits with the lemon zest and juice. Add the 2/3 cup of brandy and toss to coat the fruit and nuts with the liquor. Cover the bowl and let it sit overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 9" cake pan with a parchment round. (see note)
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon,nutmeg, ginger and salt. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and aerated. Scrape down the bowl and the beater. Add the eggs, two at a time. Mix until combined then scrape down the bowl and the beater.
• With the mixer running on low speed, add the dry ingredients in 3 batches and mix until combined. Fold in the soaked fruit and all the liquid.
• Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and spread it out to an even layer. Bake until a toothpick poked in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 55 minutes. As soon as the pan is removed from the oven pour 1/4 cup of brandy over the top of the cake.
• Cool the cake to room temperature before removing from the pan. Wrap the cake in two layers of plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature.
• Once a week for at least 4 weeks, unwrap the cake and generously brush on all sides with more brandy.
• Unwrap the cake. Glue the cake to a cardboard cake circle using a dab of royal icing. Trim the cake cardboard to the same size as the cake. Place on another cardboard circle or serving plate. Ice the cake with apricot preserves.
• Roll the marzipan to a 14" round. Roll the marzipan onto the rolling pin then transfer and unroll onto the cake. Trim the marzipan flush with the bottom of the cake and board. Brush the marzipan with brandy.
• Roll the fondant to a 14" round and cover the cake over the marzipan. Trim the fondant flush with the bottom of the cake and board.
• Add dragees, stencils, glitter and marzipan holly or other decorations as you like.

OLD ENGLISH FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Cream together the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy. Sift flour and mix with spices. Combine all the fruits and nuts and mix with one cup of the spiced flour. Add remaining flour alternately with the well-beaten eggs, fruit juices and coffee to the creamed butter and sugar. Add fruits and nuts. Butter 4 (5x9-inch) loaf pans and line with brown paper and wax paper and butter again. Spoon in batter. Bake in a very slow oven (250 degrees F.) for about 3-1/2 hours, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Keep a shallow pan of hot water in the bottom of the oven. Set cakes in pan on wire racks to cool; remove from pans. Wrap each cake in a cloth moistened in brandy. Wrap individually in 2 layers of foil, sealing to make airtight. Store in tins and age at least 1 month. Chill before slicing. If you wish, you may cover the tops with almond paste (marzipan) and candied fruit. The cake can be stored in a cool place for over a year.

DARK FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Place candied fruit, ginger, raisins, currants, cherries, walnuts or lemon rind, orange marmalade, lemon juice, brandy or orange juice, and vanilla and almond extracts in a large bowl; toss well, cover and let stand overnight at room temperature.
• Grease, then line the bottom of a 10-inch tube pan with wax paper. Preheat oven to 250 F.
• Sift together twice the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, cloves, allspice, baking powder, and salt, and set aside.
• Cream butter until light, add sugar gradually, and continue creaming until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add to dry ingredients, about 1 cup at a time, beating just to blend. (Note: Unless you have an extra-large mixing bowl, you will have to transfer batter to a large kettle at this point.) Mix in the fruit mixture.
• Spoon batter into the pan and, if you wish, decorate the top with halved candied cherries and walnuts. Place on center oven rack; half fill a roasting pan with water and place on the rack below. Bake uncovered, 4 1/4 hours until cake shrinks slightly from sides of the pan and a metal skewer inserted midway between the edge and the central tube comes out clean.
• Cool cake upright in pan on a wire rack for one hour. Carefully turn out, peel off the wax paper, turn right-side up and cool thoroughly.
• Wrap in brandy or rum soaked cheesecloth then in foil, and store in an airtight container about three weeks to ripen. If you wish to store it longer, sprinkle cheesecloth wrapping with 2 to 3 tablespoons brandy or rum at 3-week intervals.
• Enjoy. Recipe Source: by Jean Anderson, Elaine Hanna (Doubleday). Reprinted with permission.

BRANDY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180ºC (350ºF). Grease a bundt cake pan (24 x 8 centimeters (9 1/2 x 3 1/4 inches)) with margarine and sprinkle with some flour.
• Separate the yolks from the whites. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form and reserve in the fridge.
• In an electric mixer, beat on medium speed the egg yolks and the sugar until obtain a creamy and homogeneous mixture. Add the brandy, orange zest and the lemon zest and mix for 2 to 3 minutes until it's nicely incorporated. Reduce the mixer speed to low, add the flour mixed with the baking powder and beat until creamy. Finally, fold gently with a spatula the whipped egg whites.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes (the time depends on the oven).
• Remove the cake from the oven and unmold onto a plate. Let cool completely and serve.

BOOZY FRUITCAKE RECIPE - MAKE-A-HEAD CHRISTMAS FRUITCAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Add all the fruit in a large glass bowl and combine with the brandy. Cover and leave overnight. (do not use metal bowls for soaking)
• Preheat the oven at 150C / 300 F
• Line a 7-inch square deep loose bottom pan with parchment paper.
• Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy
• Add eggs one at a time
• Followed by the treacle, vanilla, orange and lemon zest.
• Add the flour and combine well.
• Next, add the soaked fruits with all the juices and alcohol - stir well to combine
• Lastly, add the mixed chopped nuts - combine well
• Pour into the prepared baking pan
• Wrap the outside of the pan with a damp tea two. (Dip a tea towel in water and squeeze out the water so it's damp but not wet. Then wrap it around the cake. If necessary use a pin to secure it in place)
• Bake for approximately 4 hours or until a skewer inserted in the center comes clean. If the top starts browning too quickly tent loosely with a foil
• Remove from the oven and let cool completely before you invert on to a cooling rack.
• When cooled turn upside down - use a skewer and make some holes in the base.
• Carefully spoon the cherry liquor over letting it soak as you spoon the alcohol.
• Place it back upside on a place so it will continue to soak any leftover on the plate.
• Double wrap in greaseproof papers well.
• Followed by aluminum foil making sure the foil does not come in contact with the cake.
• Store in a tin in a cool dry place.
• Feed once a week with more brandy or cherry brandy up to Christmas. Making sure to wrap it well and store again.

COFFEE FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 250°F. Brush loaf pans lightly with oil, then line bottom and sides with foil, pressing corners to help adhere.
• Sift together flour, cinnamon, salt, cloves, and nutmeg into a large bowl.
• Toss currants and raisins with 2 tablespoons flour mixture in a bowl. Stir together coffee and baking soda in a small bowl until dissolved.
• Beat together with butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes. Add eggs, 2 at a time, beating well after each addition, and beat in molasses. Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and coffee mixture alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until just smooth. Fold in dried fruit mixture.
• Divide batter between loaf pans and smooth tops by gently rapping bottom of each pan against counter.
• Bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of each cake comes out clean, 2 3/4 to 3 1/4 hours (cakes may sink slightly in center). Cool pans on racks 10 minutes, then loosen foil from sides of pans with knife and turn out cakes onto racks. Peel off foil and cool cakes completely, about 3 hours.

RICH DARK FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Wash and dry the raisins and the currants. Wash, dry, pit, and chop the dates. Chop the raisins and the citrus peel. Slice the cherries. Blanch the almonds, and slice them lengthwise. Combine fruits and nuts in large bowl.
• Grease and line 3 standard Christmas cake pans (these round pans are at least 3 inches deep and come in a set of three sizes- 5, 7, and 9 inch across) with 4 layers of heavy waxed paper, or 3 layers of brown paper. Grease again. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).
• Sift together flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and spices onto a piece of waxed paper. Remove 1 cup of this flour mixture, and combine with fruit and nuts. Mix until fruit is well coated.
• Cream the butter until fluffy. Add extracts. Gradually add sugar, mixing until creamy. Beat egg yolks until light and lemon-colored, and beat into the butter mixture. Stir in the molasses, and beat together well. Add half of the remaining flour mixture, and blend thoroughly.
• Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry; fold into batter. Stir in lightly the remaining flour mixture alternately with grape juice and coffee. Add floured fruit and nuts, blending in until fruit is well distributed.
• Turn batter into prepared cake tins, filling each about 2/3 full and spreading batter evenly. Bake in center of oven. Bake small cake 2 1/2 hours, medium cake 3 1/2 hours, and large cake 4 to 4 1/2 hours. Remove from oven and allow to stand 5 minutes, then turn out on wire rack to cool.

GRANDMA'S MOLASSES FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°. Grease and flour three 9x5-in. loaf pans. Line bottoms with waxed paper; grease and flour the paper. Combine currants, raisins, walnuts, candied citron and 1/4 cup flour. Toss to coat; set aside., Cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in molasses. In another bowl, whisk baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and remaining flour; add to creamed mixture alternately with coffee. Stir into currant mixture and mix well., Transfer to prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Wrap tightly and store in the refrigerator for at least 2 days to blend flavors. Slice and bring to room temperature before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

MOM'S FRUITCAKE WITH BRANDY

Steps:

• Pour boiling water over raisins and currants to cover. Let steep for 5 minutes, then drain. In a very large bowl combine currants, raisins, gum drops, candied cherries, pitted dates, walnuts, spices, brandy and jelly. Stir to blend. Cover and let stand overnight.
• Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Grease three 8x4 inch loaf pans.
• Cream the butter and the sugar together until light and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one. Stir in the vanilla. Sift the flour and baking soda together. Blend in the flour mixture alternately with the fruit mixture. Pour evenly into three loaf pans.
• Bake at 275 degrees F (135 degrees C) for 2-1/4 to 3 hours or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaves comes out clean.

TRADITIONAL CANADIAN CHRISTMAS CAKE

Steps:

• Place all fruit in large bowl; add bourbon and soak for 2-4 hours
• Preheat oven to 300°F and grease two 9 x 5 loaf pans 2 1/2 inches deep or five 5 3/4 x 3 pans 2 inches deep
• Line bottoms with parchment paper; butter it (the original recipe was waxed paper)
• Cream together butter and brown sugar; beat in the eggs.
• Sift all dry ingredients; beat into butter mixture
• Add molasses and brewed black coffee or espresso to mixture; combine well
• Fold in the nuts and bourbon soaked in fruit
• Carefully pack the batter into the prepared pans almost to the top (I used an offset spatula to finish the tops of each cake)
• Place pans on centre rack of oven in a bain marie (place pans in a larger pan and pour hot water halfway up the sides); bake for 2 to 2 ½ hours, or until toothpick comes out clean (the small cakes took 50 minutes, so watch carefully after 45 minutes)
• If the tops brown too quickly, place foil over the top
• Cool 30 minutes, then remove and set on wire rack
• Wrap carefully in a triple layer of cheesecloth that has been soaked in bourbon
• Seal tightly in aluminum foil and store in a cool dry place until the holiday season
• Once a week, remove foil, and brush additional bourbon onto the cheese cloth
• The longer it is stored, the more times it is dowsed, the more pungent and flavourful it becomes.