Easy Cakeless Fruitcake Recipes

FREE RANGE FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Combine dried fruits, candied ginger and both zests. Add rum and macerate overnight, or microwave for 5 minutes to re-hydrate fruit.
• Place fruit and liquid in a non-reactive pot with the sugar, butter, apple juice and spices. Bring mixture to a boil stirring often, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for at least 15 minutes. (Batter can be completed up to this point, then covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before completing cake.)
• Heat oven to 325 degrees.
• Combine dry ingredients and sift into fruit mixture. Quickly bring batter together with a large wooden spoon, then stir in eggs one at a time until completely integrated, then fold in nuts. Spoon into a 10-inch non-stick loaf pan and bake for 1 hour. Check for doneness by inserting toothpick into the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean, it's done. If not, bake another 10 minutes, and check again.
• Remove cake from oven and place on cooling rack or trivet. Baste or spritz top with brandy and allow to cool completely before turning out from pan.
• When cake is completely cooled, seal in a tight sealing, food safe container. Every 2 to 3 days, feel the cake and if dry, spritz with brandy. The cake's flavor will enhance considerably over the next two weeks. If you decide to give the cake as a gift, be sure to tell the recipient that they are very lucky indeed.

EASY FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/ gas 3. Grease and line the base of two 20cm springform cake tins with baking parchment.
• Stir together the oil and sugar, add the eggs, flour, baking powder, spices and juices, and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon until pourable and reasonably runny. Gently fold in the fruit, then divide the batter evenly between the tins. Bake for 20-25 mins or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean, then leave to cool.
• When cool, remove from the tins and sandwich the cakes together with jam. Sieve some icing sugar on top to serve.

EASY FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 275ºF.
• Mix eggs, cake mix and applesauce in large bowl until blended. Combine fruit and flour; stir into cake mixture. Pour into 2 (9x5-inch) loaf pans sprayed with cooking spray.
• Bake 1 hour 45 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool completely in pans on wire rack. Remove cakes from pans.
• Beat cream cheese, butter and sugar in bowl with mixer until blended. Spread over tops of loaves. Sprinkle with nuts.

EASY-DOES-IT FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• In large bowl, combine 1/4 cup flour, candied fruit, dates, raisins and nuts; toss until well coated; set aside., In another large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and remaining flour; gradually add to creamed mixture alternately with orange juice, beating well after each addition. Stir in fruit and nut mixture; mix well., Spoon into five greased 5-3/4x3x2-in. baking pans (pans will be full). Bake at 325° for 1 hour. Cover with foil; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. , In a small bowl, combine glaze ingredients until smooth. With a pastry brush, brush glaze over warm loaves. Cool completely.

EASY CAKELESS FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a large bowl.
• Grease two 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-by-2 1/2-inch loaf pans and line with greased wax paper. Press the mixture firmly into the pans. Cover with buttered wax paper.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325 and bake for 20 to 30 minutes longer. Cool the cakes on wire racks. Loosen around the sides with a spatula and invert on wire rack. While they are still warm, remove the wax paper carefully. Cool completely. Wrap in aluminum foil and refrigerate.
• To serve, slice thickly with a very sharp knife. Cut slices into smaller pieces.

NO-BAKE FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Line a 9x5-in. loaf pan with waxed paper; coat the paper with cooking spray; set aside. In a saucepan, combine milk and orange juice concentrate. Add marshmallows; cook and stir until marshmallows are melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat. Stir in remaining ingredients; mix well. Pat into prepared pan. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

THE BEST FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Combine the raisins, currants, apricots, figs, prunes, dates, walnuts, pecans, orange zest, lemon zest, candied ginger, pumpkin pie spice and cloves in a large bowl and toss to combine. Add 1 cup of the brandy, orange liqueur and molasses and stir to coat. Cover and set aside to macerate overnight. (Alternatively, cover the bowl and microwave 2 minutes, or until very hot. Leave covered and let sit until almost all the liquid has been absorbed into the fruit and nuts, about 2 hours.)
• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Spray two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray and line each with 2 pieces of parchment, one lengthwise and one crosswise, leaving a 2-inch overhang on each side. Spray the parchment with cooking spray.
• Sprinkle 1/2 cup flour over the soaked fruit mixture and toss to coat. Whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
• Cream the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to medium-low and beat in the flour mixture until the batter is blended and smooth. Pour the batter over the fruit mixture and fold with a rubber spatula until all the fruit is coated in batter.
• Divide the mixture evenly between the two prepared pans, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake until the cakes begin to pull away from the sides of the pans, the tops spring back slightly when pressed and a cake tester comes out clean, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer to a wire rack and brush with the remaining 2 tablespoons brandy. Let the cakes cool in the pans for about 15 minutes. Carefully remove each cake from its pan using the parchment overhang and place on the rack to cool completely.
• To store, wrap each loaf tightly in plastic and then foil. The wrapped fruitcakes can be stored in a cool, dry place for up to 3 months.

NEVER FAIL FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Lightly grease a 10 inch tube pan. Line bottom of pan with greased parchment paper. Set aside.
• Chop fruit and nuts in a large mixing bowl. Add coconut and mix well with hands. Stir in flour, then sweetened condensed milk. Blend well.
• Pack firmly in prepared tube pan. Bake for 1 1/2 hours. Remove from oven. Run knife around edge of cake and remove rim of pan. When barely warm, remove tube bottom and paper from cake.

QUICK AND EASY FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the over to 350F (180C). Butter an 8x8 baking dish.
• In a big bowl whisk together the eggs and the sugar just until it all comes together, about 30 seconds, no more.
• Add the flour (and baking powder if using) and wisk together just until the flour disappears and there are no more lumps, about 45 seconds, no more. The batter will be quite thick and there won't be a lot of it.
• Spread the fruit over the bottom of the dish and spread the batter over. It will barely cover the fruit and it'll look like it's not enough, but it will be great. Alternatively you can mix the fruit with the batter.
• Bake for 45-55 minutes depending on your oven. A toothpick inserted into the cake should come out clean when the cake is ready.