Grandmom Schumachers Dark Fruit Cake Recipes

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.

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.

GRANDMOM SCHUMACHER'S DARK FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Chop all of the candied fruits and toss with 2-3 tbsp flour, set aside.
• Cream sugar and shortening; add eggs.
• Sift flour, soda and spices together until well blended.
• Combine sugar/butter/egg mixture and flour mixture alternately with molasses and coffee. [can sub orange juice and honey here for a lighter color cake] ***
• *** Batter should be VERY stiff!! Fold in fruit and nuts (don't try to use a hand mixer - My sister and I broke each of ours until learning to do it by hand with a good wooden spoon)
• Line 2 bread pans with oiled dark brown paper from grocery bag [or oiled parchment paper] and oil the sides of the pans as well. [you could sub loaf cake liners if you wish instead of oiling and papering the pans] Pour batter into pans - can add cherries or nuts on top to 'decorate'
• Bake SLOWLY at 275 DEGREES FOR ABOUT 2 HOURS. Check with a toothpick - if it comes out clean, they're done.
• After cakes are completely cooled, they can be wrapped in plastic and tin foil and stored up to 6 weeks.
• I've done these in muffin pans and round cake pans. The baking temp stays the same - just adjust the time as needed. It's "tradition" to slice this thinly to serve. "I" love fruitcake, I'll have a good slice please!

DARK FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter two 9x5-inch loaf pans, line them with foil, then butter the foil. Cream the butter or shortening, add the brown sugar, and beat until light. Add the lemon extract and eggs and beat well. Stir in the molasses and blend. Mix together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, mace, cloves, and salt; beat into the first mixture. Add the milk and beat until smooth. Stir in the candied fruit, citron, raisins, and pecans, and mix well. Spoon into the pans and bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Turn out onto racks to cool. When completely cool, wrap well and store in an airtight container.
• Brandied Fruit Cake
• Soak two large pieces of cheesecloth in brandy. Wrap each fruit cake in the cheesecloth, covering all sides, then wrap well in foil. Moisten the cheesecloth with additional brandy every few days for about a week. The brandy will flavor the cake and help preserve it too.

THE FANNY FARMER DARK FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Set oven to 325 degrees F.
• Butter two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans.
• Line the pans with foil, then butter the foil.
• Cream the butter or shortening.
• Add in brown sugar; beat until light.
• Add in lemon extract and eggs and beat well.
• Stir in molasses and blend to combine.
• In a small bowl combine the flour with baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, mace, cloves and salt; beat into the creamed mixture until combined.
• Add in milk; beat until combined.
• Stir in the candied fruit, candied cherries, candied citron, dates or raisins and nuts; mix well.
• Transfer/divide the batter between the two pans.
• Bake for 1 to 1-1/4 hours or until the loaves test done.
• Turn out onto racks to cool.
• When completely cooled wrap well and store in an airtight container.
• BRANDIED FRUIT CAKE OPTION; soak two large pieces of cheesecloth in brandy.
• Wrap each fruit cake in the cheesecloth covering all sides, then wrap well in foil.
• Moisten the cheesecloth with additional brandy every few days for about a week.

GRANDMA LEONE'S FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 8x8-inch baking pans.
• Bring water and raisins to a boil in a saucepan; cook until raisins are plump, about 2 minutes. Drain and cool raisins; reserve raisin water.
• Mix 3 cups flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Place pecans and 2 tablespoons flour in a resealable plastic bag; close and shake bag until pecans are coated. Pour pecans into a colander and shake off excess flour.
• Whisk sugar, oil, eggs, and cooled raisin water together in a bowl; fold in candied fruit. Stir flour mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, into sugar mixture until fully incorporated; fold in raisins and pecans. Fill the prepared pans a little over half full.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Lower temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C); bake until a knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 more hour.

DARK & STORMY FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Put the mixed dried fruit in a large pan with the rum, butter, sugar and citrus zest and juice. Set the pan over a medium heat, bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and heat until the butter has melted. Leave to cool for 30 mins.
• Meanwhile, heat the oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Line a deep 20cm cake tin with a double layer of baking parchment, then wrap a double layer of newspaper around the outside and secure with string.
• Tip the flour, ground almonds, baking powder and spices into a large bowl. Add the cooled fruit mix along with the syrupy liquid in the pan, then the stem ginger, eggs and vanilla. Stir with a wooden spoon until there are no pockets of flour.
• Tip the mix into the tin, level the top with a spatula and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 2 hrs until cooked through and golden. Remove from the oven, poke holes into the top with a skewer and spoon over 2 tbsp rum. Leave to cool completely in the tin.
• Once cool, peel off the baking parchment, then wrap in fresh parchment and store in an airtight cake tin. Feed the cake with 1-2 tbsp rum every fortnight, or up to four times until you ice it. Don't feed the cake for the final week to give the surface a chance to dry before icing. Once iced, the cake will keep in a tin for four weeks. The uniced cake will keep in the freezer for six months.

NAN'S BEST DARK FRUITCAKE:

Steps:

• With 3/4 cup of the dark rum, pour over chopped fruit and nuts. Cover and let soak for at least 48 hours. The fruit should be stirred once a day or so.
• Keep remaining rum for after baking directions -- see below.
• Stir flour, salt, baking soda and spices together Set aside.
• In separate bowl, Cream shortening and brown sugar together till fluffy.
• Add eggs and beat one at a time.
• Add molasses, jam and mix well.
• Blend in dry ingredients. Fold in fruit.
• Prepare your round fruit cake pan by oiling and line pan with paper. Oil and flour again lightly.
• Ensure the top of the paper is about 1 inch or so above the top of the pan.
• Fill prepared pans 2/3 full.
• Bake in a slow oven 300°F for 2 hours or so.
• Place a shallow pan of hot water on the bottom rack of the oven during baking. This will ensure the cake stays moist. Remove this pan of water during the last hour of baking.
• Cool completely before removing paper.
• Storing and mellowing of fruit Cake: Wrap a cheese cloth that has been soaked in the remaining 1/4 cup of rum over the cake, covering it completely.
• Next wrap the cake and cheesecloth in aluminum foil wrap.
• Place in a cool place. Taste of cake is best when stored for 4 weeks or so! I've often brushed egg white over the cake, rolled out almond paste and laid it over the top and sides of cake. I then ice it. Everyone raves! NOTE: I've often doubled the recipe for a larger cake.