Fruit And Stout Cake Recipes

STOUT FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• 1 Place spread, mixed fruit, prunes, cherries, stevia and ⅔ cup (160ml) water in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until spread is melted. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes to allow fruit to absorb some of the liquid. Remove from heat. Stir in bicarbonate of soda. Set aside to cool completely.
• Preheat oven to 150°C. Line a 6cm-deep, 20cm (base measurement) square cake tin with 3 layers of baking paper.
• Stir eggs into cooled fruit mixture. Stir in sifted flour, mixed spice, cocoa and stout until combined. Spoon mixture into prepared tin. Smooth top. Bake for 2 hours or until a small knife inserted into cake comes out clean.
• While still warm, wrap cake tin in foil and a clean tea towel. Place a wooden board on top of cake and turn upside down to cool completely in tin. Remove cake from pan and serve dusted with icing sugar.

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.

FRUIT AND STOUT CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 300 degrees. Brush a 9-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pan with butter. Line pan with parchment; brush with butter. Set aside.
• Combine the prunes, raisins, and currants in a medium bowl. Add 1/2 cup stout, and let stand.
• Sift flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and cinnamon. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each, scraping down sides twice. Add dry ingredients in two additions; mix just to combine. Fold in fruit mixture.
• Pour batter into pan. Bake until dark brown and set and a cake tester inserted into the middle of cake comes out clean, about 3 1/2 hours. (Cracks will appear on top of cake.) Remove from oven; sprinkle with 1/2 cup stout. Let stand on wire rack 30 minutes. Remove from pan; discard parchment; let cool completely.
• Wrap in cheesecloth or muslin. Douse fruitcake with remaining 1/4 cup stout. Store in a cool, dark, dry place, dousing with 1/4 cup stout once a week for at least 1 month before serving.

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.

CARROT FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the nuts, candied fruit, dates, raisins. Add 1/2 cup flour; toss to coat., In a large bowl, combine sugar and oil. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In another bowl, mix the remaining flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Gradually add to sugar mixture, beating until smooth. (Batter will be stiff.) Fold in carrots and nut mixture. Transfer to a greased and floured 10-in. tube pan. , Bake at 350° for 75-80 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely., In a small bowl, mix confectioners' sugar and enough milk to reach desired consistency; drizzle over cake.