Tropical Fruit Cakes Recipes

TROPICAL FRUIT CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE ICING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 160C/320F/Gas 2.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl and mix well.
• Add the sugar, walnuts, pineapple, sultanas, mashed banana, passion fruit pulp, grated carrot, oil and eggs and mix well to completely combine.
• Pour the cake mixture into a greased 22.5cm/9in cake tin and place into the oven to bake for 1-1¼ hours, or until cooked through. Test by pushing a skewer into the centre of the cake. If the skewer comes out clean the cake is ready. If the cake top is browning too much, cover with a circle of kitchen foil.
• Remove from the oven when ready and allow to cool on a wire rack.
• For the icing, beat the butter and cheese together in a clean bowl until light and fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla extract and mix well. Add the coconut and mix again.
• Once the cake is cool, remove from the cake tin and spread the icing all over the cake. Decorate the cake with a few crushed pecans and serve in generous slices.

TROPICAL FRUIT CAKES

Steps:

• Grease and lightly flour eight 1-cup fluted tube pans or six 4-1/2x2-1/2x1-1/2-inch individual loaf pans and set pans aside.
• In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.
• In a large bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds, add brown sugar; beat until combined.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating on medium speed until combined (The batter may appear curdled).
• Combine 1/4 cup rum or pineapple juice, 1/4 cup pineapple juice, the corn syrup, ginger, and vanilla.
• Add flour mixture and rum mixture alternately to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.
• Fold in fruit bits and nuts.
• Spread batter in prepared pan.
• Bake in a 325 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes for fluted tube pans or 30 to 35 minutes for loaf pans or until a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean.
• Cool cakes in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool at least 1 hour on racks.
• Poke holes in cakes using a wooden toothpick or bamboo skewer.
• Soak eight or six 8-inch-square pieces of double thickness 100-percent cotton cheesecloth with the 1/3 cup rum or pineapple juice and wrap each cake in rum- or juice-soaked cheesecloth.
• Wrap each cake tightly in foil or seal in a plastic bag.
• Chill in refrigerator for 24 hours.
• Remove foil or remove cakes from bags; drizzle with 1/4 cup rum or pineapple juice. Rewrap with foil or return to plastic bags and refrigerate at least 24 hours.
• Remove cheesecloth before serving.
• If desired, sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar. Makes 6 or 8 cakes (24 servings).
• Make-Ahead Tip: Prepare Tropical Fruit Cake as directed through until the 24 hr chill, except refrigerate up to 5 days. (Or prepare Tropical Fruit Cakes as directed through up to 24 hr chill, except do not sprinkle with powdered sugar. Place in self-sealing freezer bags. Seal, label, and freeze up to 3 months.)
• To serve, thaw frozen cakes in freezer bags in the refrigerator overnight. Serve as directed.

TROPICAL FRUIT BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with baking spray with flour.
• In large bowl, stir cake mix, butter and egg until mixed. Press in bottom of pan. Sprinkle evenly with baking chips, dried fruit, coconut and cashews; lightly press topping. Pour milk evenly over top.
• Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until edges and center are golden brown. Cool completely, about 2 hours. For bars, cut into 8 rows by 4 rows. Store covered.

TROPICAL-FRUIT CREPE CAKE

Steps:

• Pastry cream: In a large sauce-pan, bring milk, coconut, and salt to just under a boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand until cool, about 2 hours. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve; discard solids.
• In a medium saucepan, whisk together granulated sugar and cornstarch. Whisk in egg yolks, then milk mixture. Stir in butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then continue to cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Pass mixture through fine-mesh sieve. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto surface of pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.
• Crêpes: Combine flour, granulated sugar, salt, milk, eggs, vanilla, and melted butter in a blender. Blend until smooth. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Lightly brush an 8-inch non-stick skillet or crêpe pan with butter. Heat over medium until just starting to smoke. Remove from heat and pour a scant 2 tablespoons batter into center, swirling to cover bottom. Cook until edges are golden and center is dry, about 30 seconds. Flip and cook about 20 seconds more. Slide crêpe onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining batter, brushing skillet with more butter and adjusting heat as needed; stack crêpes as you go (you should end up with about 40). Let cool completely. Crêpes can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days.
• Whisk chilled pastry cream to remove any lumps. In a medium bowl, whip 1 cup heavy cream to stiff peaks. Fold into pastry cream. Place a crêpe on a flat serving dish. Spread about 1/4 cup pastry cream onto crêpe. Repeat process with remaining crêpes and pastry cream, finishing with a crêpe. Refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
• To serve, whip remaining 1 cup heavy cream with confectioners' sugar to stiff peaks. Arrange pineapple slices on top of cake, overlapping slightly. Dollop whipped cream on top and garnish with toasted coconut.

TROPICAL DUMP CAKE

Steps:

• Grease 9 by 13 inch baking pan.
• Dump into pan and spread evenly in this order: cherry pie filling, undrained pineapple, dry cake mix.
• Arrange pieces of butter on top.
• Pour 1/2 cup melted butter over cake mix.
• Top with 1 cup flaked coconut and 1 cup chopped pecans.
• DO NOT MIX!
• Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour.

TROPICAL ISLAND BUNDT® CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a fluted tube pan (such as Bundt®).
• Mix bananas, pineapple juice, water, applesauce, eggs, and coconut extract with an electric mixer until well combined. Add cake mix, coconut, and pudding mix; mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cake cool in the pan.
• Combine brown sugar, cream, and butter for the sauce in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add rum and crushed pineapple and boil, stirring occasionally, until it starts to thicken, 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside to cool down.
• Poke holes all around the top of the cake still in the pan. Pour about 1/3 of the sauce over the cake with a spoon, trying not to get the pineapple during this stage. Place a serving plate on top of the cake pan and invert the cake, holding onto the pan and plate tightly. Pour remaining sauce and pineapples evenly over the cake. Let sit until cake has absorbed the sauce, about 30 minutes. Slice and serve.