Orange Dried Fruit Fruitcake Recipes

DRIED FRUIT FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine first 9 ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce to low & cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat & cool to room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 275 degrees F, then grease & flour a 12-cup Bundt pan.
• In a large bowl, combine the next 6 ingredients which are dry, then stir in the lightly beaten eggs, the almond extract, and the cooled fruit mixture, & combine well.
• Spoon batter into the prepared Bundt pan & bake for at least 2 hours & 20 minutes. Toothpick in the center should come out clean.
• Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then unmold onto a serving plate & cool completely.

CANDY ORANGE SLICE FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the applesauce, eggs and buttermilk. In a large bowl, combine the orange slices, pecans, coconut, cherries, dates and 1 cup of flour; toss to coat. Combine the baking soda, salt and remaining flour; add to the buttermilk mixture. Fold in orange slice mixture. , Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. tube pan. Bake at 300° for 1-3/4 to 2 hours or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

ORANGE DRIED-FRUIT FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Grease and lightly flour an 8-inch fluted tube mold or, grease an 8x4x2-inch loaf pan; line pan with parchment paper, grease paper and set aside.
• Combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.
• In a bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds.
• Add the brown sugar; beat until mixture is combined.
• Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating on medium speed until combined (batter may appear curdled).
• Combine orange peel, juice, corn syrup, and vanilla.
• Add flour mixture and juice mixture alternately to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.
• Combine fruits and nuts and fold into batter, spread into prepared pan.
• Bake in a 300 degree F oven about 1 hour in tube pan, about 1-1/2 hours in loaf pan, or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean.
• If necessary, cover cake with foil the last 15 to 30 minutes to prevent overbrowning.
• Cool cake in tube pan on wire rack 10 minutes.
• Remove from pan and cool thoroughly on rack. Or, thoroughly cool the cake in loaf pan on wire rack; remove from pan.
• Wrap cake in brandy- or juice- moistened 100-percent cotton cheesecloth.
• Wrap in foil.
• Store in refrigerator 2 to 8 weeks; remoisten cheesecloth about once a week or as needed.
• If desired, sprinkle with pearl sugar and garnish with orange-peel curls before slicing.

BOILED FRUITCAKE (WITH ORANGE PEEL AND DRIED FRUIT)

Steps:

• Butter a 9x5x3 loaf pan.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees Farenheit.
• In a large saucepan, boil first 12 ingredients (brown sugar, water, butter, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, salt, orange peel and dried fruits) for 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool to lukewarm.
• Stir in two slightly beaten eggs.
• In a separate bowl mix together flour, salt and baking soda.
• Fold wet ingredients into dry and then add vanilla.
• Pour into prepared pan and bake 45 to 60 minutes until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.
• Optional: While still hot, douse with alcohol.
• Wrap and store a couple of days 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.

CANDIED HOLIDAY FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Position rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 250°F. Grease and flour 12-cup bundt pan or tube cake pan. In large bowl, mix pecans and fruits with 3 tablespoon flour. In another large bowl, cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Stir in vanilla and lemon extract. Sift 1 3/4 cups flour with baking powder and salt. Add dry ingredients to batter; stir until blended. Mix fruit mixture into batter.
• Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 2 1/2 hours. Cool in pan on rack 15 minutes. Turn out onto rack and cool. (Can be prepared 2 weeks ahead; wrap in foil and store at room temperature.) Dust with powdered sugar.

APRICOT FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Grease two 9 inch tube pans.
• In a saucepan over medium heat cook apricots in the water until they are mushy. Press them through a sieve and let them cool.
• Separate the eggs. Beat the egg yolks until lemony colored. Then beat the egg whites until stiff peaks are formed. Set aside.
• Cream the butter or margarine and sugar together. Add the beaten egg yolks and the apricots, and mix thoroughly.
• Combine the raisins, candied cherries, candied pineapple, and mixed dried fruits in a bowl coated with one cup of the flour.
• Combine the remaining flour, baking soda, and salt. Add this flour mixture alternately to the creamed mixture with the apricot juice. Blend this batter into the mixed fruits. Add the chopped pecans or walnuts and fold in the beaten egg whites. Turn the batter into the prepared pans.
• Bake at 275 degrees F (135 degrees C) for 2 hours. Garnish cakes with candied pineapples and cherries. Makes about 24 servings.