French Holiday Fruit Pound Cake Recipes

HOLIDAY FRUIT-FILLED POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Heat brandy in a 1-quart saucepan over low heat until warm, then remove from heat and stir in dried fruit. Cover and let stand 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 325°F with rack in middle. Invert bottom of springform pan and lock on side. Generously butter pan and dust with flour, knocking out excess.
• Finely grind 3/4 cup almonds with 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor, then whisk together with flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
• Beat butter and remaining 3/4 cup sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition (batter will appear curdled), then add vanilla, zest, and fruit with brandy and beat until thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes.
• At low speed, mix in flour mixture until incorporated. Spoon batter into pan, smoothing it, and top with remaining 1/3 cup almonds.
• Bake until a long wooden pick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours. Run a thin metal spatula around side of cake, then cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt marmalade with liqueur in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring, then strain glaze through a sieve into a small bowl, discarding solids.
• Loosen side of cake with thin metal spatula again, then remove side of pan and loosen bottom of cake. Transfer cake from pan to rack and brush glaze over top of cake.
• Cool cake completely, about 3 hours.

HOLIDAY FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°. Combine fruit and nuts. In another bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Pour over fruit and nuts; stir to coat. , Transfer to a greased and floured 10-in. tube pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 2 hours. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Wrap tightly and store in a cool place. Bring to room temperature before serving; slice with a serrated knife.

HOLIDAY BOURBON FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• On the first day, combine the candied orange peel, candied citron, candied pineapple, red and green candied cherries, currants, raisins, walnuts, and almonds. Combine the orange juice and the 2/3 cup bourbon; pour over the fruit and nuts. Stir and then cover tightly. Let the fruit marinate in a cool place for 1 full day, or at least 20 hours.
• On the second day, line two 9x5 inch loaf pans with parchment paper or aluminum foil and grease the inside with cooking spray. Combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, ginger, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and stir with a whisk to blend.
• In a separate large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until light and fluffy using an electric mixer. Stir in the egg yolks until blended and then mix in the applesauce, the 1/2 cup bourbon, and vanilla until fluffy. Continue stirring, and add the the flour mixture gradually until well combined. Add the molasses and stir to combine. When the batter is thoroughly mixed, gently mix in the fruit and nut mixture with all of its juices.
• In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites with an electric mixer until they can hold a stiff peak. Fold egg whites into the batter. Divide evenly between the prepared pans. Cover loosely with a towel and let the batter stand overnight in a cool, dry place.
• On the third day, preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Place a large baking pan on the bottom shelf and pour boiling water into it until almost full. Place a baking sheet on the center shelf and place the fruit cakes on the baking sheet.
• Bake for 2 1/2 hours in the preheated oven. Check the water level and refill if needed. Cover the cakes with a sheet of parchment paper, taking care not to let it touch the shelf. Continue to bake until a knife or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour more. Cool fruitcakes in the pans, set over a wire rack. Once cool, remove the cakes from the pans, and leave the parchment paper on. Sprinkle with more bourbon if desired and wrap in aluminum foil. Place in a tin or other sealed container overnight before serving.

FRUIT POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Cream shortening and sugar together.
• Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition.
• Add flour, salt, mace. Mix again.
• Add vanilla and beat. Add remaining ingredients and mix very well.
• Bake in a greased loaf pan for 60 -80 minutes with the oven temp set at 350*.
• **NOTE: To make a basic pound cake, the use above recipe, OMITTING the fruit and follow directions for baking/preparing.**.

FESTIVE FRUITCAKE I

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Grease four 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pans, and then line with brown paper or foil. Grease again.
• In a large container stir raisins, currants, candied fruit mix, candied cherries, maraschino cherries, dates, and 1 cup flour together until all the fruit is well coated with flour.
• Measure 2 1/4 cup flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a medium bowl. Stir to mix.
• In a very large bowl, cream the butter or margarine with the sugar. Beat in egg yolks three at a time. Stir in pineapple with juice and vanilla. Add flour mixture in 3 parts alternately with fruit juice in 2 parts to the creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in walnuts.
• In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Fold egg whites into batter, and stir in fruit gently. Divide batter among pans. Smooth.
• Bake for about 3 hours until an inserted wooden pick comes out clean.

HOLIDAY POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Cream shortening and add the sugar slowly, beating in well.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add vanilla and add the sifted dry ingredients, mixing well.
• Stir in citron and nuts.
• Bake in 2 regular sized greased loaf pans at 325* for 1 hour.

HOLIDAY POUND CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter, cream cheese and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Sift flour together with baking powder and salt; stir into creamed mixture. Fold in cherries and 1/2 cup nuts. Sprinkle remaining nuts into a greased 10-in. fluted tube pan. Pour batter into pan. Bake at 325° for about 70 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool cake in pan 5 minutes on wire rack before removing from pan. Cool thoroughly. Make a glaze with confectioners' sugar and milk; drizzle over cake. Garnish top with cherries and pecans if desired.