Old Fashioned Christmas Fruitcake Recipes

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.

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.

OLD FASHIONED LIGHT FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after additions; stir in brandy flavoring. Combine dry ingredients, pecans, candied fruit, and raisins; mix well. Add fruit to creamed mixture, blending well.
• Spoon batter into a well-greased 10-inch tube pan or two 9x5x3 inch loaf pans lined with brown paper. Bake at 275F for 2 1/2 - 3 hours. Brush top with honey 30 minutes before cake is done; then decorate with additional candied fruit and nuts, if desired. Remove from oven when cake tests done; when completely cool, wrap cake tightly in cheesecloth , and then in aluminum foil, or an airtight container.