Winter Fruit And Nut Cake Recipes

WINTER FRUIT AND NUT CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F (350°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease or spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan. In medium bowl, toss dates, cranberries and 1/2 cup pecans with 1/4 cup cake mix. In large bowl, beat remaining cake mix, pumpkin pie spice, water, oil, eggs and applesauce with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes. Stir in date mixture. Spread in pan.
• Bake 34 to 39 minutes (37 to 43 minutes for dark or nonstick) or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix butter, brown sugar, 3/4 cup pecans and the milk. Spread over top of warm cake.
• Set oven control to broil. Broil cake with top 4 inches from heat about 1 minute or until bubbly. (Watch carefully to prevent burning.) Cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours. Store loosely covered.

WHITE FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Chop pineapple, raisins, and cherries. Combine chopped fruit with currants, orange peel, and citron; soak in orange juice overnight.
• Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Place a small pan of water in the oven. Line one 5x9 inch loaf pan and two 3x8 inch loaf pans with parchment or doubled waxed paper.
• In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioner's sugar. Stir in beaten egg yolks. Stir in fruit, juice, and pecans. Mix in sifted flour.
• In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites to peaks. Fold into batter. Fill pans 2/3 full.
• Bake for 2 to 2 1/2 hours until golden brown, or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted.

LITTLE FRUIT & NUT CAKES

Steps:

• Soak fruit in brandy overnight.
• Beat butter & sugar till combined. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the soaked fruit alternately with the sifted flour, mixed spice and chopped nuts. Spoon into non stick muffin tins and smooth over surface.
• Decorate with extra glace cherrie & nuts at this stage if you wish.
• Bake in 140 degrees celsius oven for 55 minutes, checking with a skewer to see if baked through.
• Allow to cool in pans.

WINTER FRUIT COFFEE CAKE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, soak the raisins in brandy for 1 hour. , In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. With clean hands, work butter into sugar mixture until well combined. Add pecans. Refrigerate for 15 minutes., Meanwhile, in a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Fold in the apple, pear and raisins (do not drain raisins). Pour into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish., Sprinkle with topping., Bake at 350° for 28-32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

HOLIDAY FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°. Combine fruit and nuts. In another bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Pour over fruit and nuts; stir to coat. , Transfer to a greased and floured 10-in. tube pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 2 hours. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Wrap tightly and store in a cool place. Bring to room temperature before serving; slice with a serrated knife.

DRIED NUT AND FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• Grease the bottom and sides of an 8-cup souffle dish or a 9 by 5 by 3 inch loaf pan. Line with brown paper; grease paper.
• Combine walnuts, pecans, brazil nuts, dates, apricots, prunes, candied fruits, raisins and cherries in large bowl.
• Sift flour, baking powder and salt over nuts and fruits. Toss lightly until well coated.
• Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla in a medium-size bowl with electric mixer until fluffy and light. Pour over nut mixture. Stir gently to combine.
• Fill prepared dish or pan, pressing cake mixture firmly so it will hold its shape after baking.
• Bake for one hour and 45 minutes. (If fruits are browning too quickly, cover with buttered foil). Remove cake to wire rack.
• Spoon 1/4 cup brandy over cake. Let stand one hour. Invert; peel off paper; turn right side up; let stand on wire rack until cooled completely. Place wire rack in shallow pan; spoon remaining 1/2 cup brandy over cake.
• To store: Wrap in cheesecloth that has been soaked in brandy. Wrap in heavy duty foil or store in tightly covered container. If cheesecloth dries out, dip in brandy and rewrap cake.

100% FRUIT AND NUT CAKE

Steps:

• Soak the dried fruit in 2 cups boiling water for as long as possible (or overnight).
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cover the dates with water in a saucepan and simmer for about 5 minutes until soft and toffeeish (adding more water is needed).
• Drain the fruit and mix with the dates (if you're not making it for children, you can add a splash of Cointreau or brandy if you want).
• Mix in the almonds and baking powder, adding a bit more water if the mixture seems too dry. Mix well then put in round cake tin.
• Bake about 1 1/2 hours or until a skewer comes out clean (check after an hour, will depend on size of tin, covering with foil after about 30 minutes.

DRIED FRUIT AND NUT CAKE

Steps:

• Line bottom of 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Butter parchment paper and sides of pan. Preheat oven to 300°F. Mix first 10 ingredients together in large bowl.
• Stir honey and 1/3 cup sugar in heavy large saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium and cook until candy thermometer registers 235°F. (soft-ball stage), stirring frequently, about 4 minutes.
• Remove pan from heat. Mix in nut-flour mixture. Spoon mixture into prepared pan. Press to even thickness using buttered palm of hand or spoon. Bake until top is no longer sticky, about 35 minutes. Cool. Sift powdered sugar over. (Can be prepared 3 weeks ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

WINTER-WHITE FRUIT CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube pan or 10-inch tube pan. Prepare cake batter as directed on package; blend in dry pudding mix and extract.
• Reserve 2 each red and green cherries for garnish. Remove stems, if necessary, from remaining cherries; rinse, then pat dry. Cut cherries into quarters. Stir into cake batter along with the nut mix. Pour into prepared pan.
• Bake 33 to 36 min. or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 min. Loosen cake from sides of pan with knife. Invert cake onto wire rack; gently remove pan. Cool cake completely.
• Beat cream cheese and milk in medium bowl with mixer until blended. Gradually beat in sugar. Drizzle over cake. Garnish with reserved cherries.

CHRISTMAS NUT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Line two 5x9 inch loaf pans with greased parchment paper.
• Combine the almonds, Brazil nuts, walnuts, pecans, dates, red and green cherries; mix well.
• Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Combine with nut mixture and mix well.
• Beat eggs and vanilla, add to nut and flour mixture and mix well.
• Press into 2 lined loaf pans and bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Set aside for 5 minutes and remove from pans. Completely cool on wire rack.

FESTIVE FRUIT & NUT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4/fan 160C and lightly grease and line the base and sides of a deep 22-23cm round loose-based cake tin with Bake-o-Glide or baking parchment (see overleaf). Beat the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, ground almonds and spices until thoroughly mixed and creamy, preferably with an electric beater or in a food mixer.
• Measure off 100g/4oz of the cake mixture, put in a bowl and set aside. Fold the fruit and rum into the remaining mixture, then gently stir in the marzipan. Spoon this mixture into the prepared cake tin and flatten with a spatula to make a smooth even surface, then make a slight dip in the centre of the cake. This simple trick will give the finished cake a nice flat top. Bake for 11⁄4 hours.
• While the cake is in the oven, make the fruit and nut topping. Mix all the nuts, cherries and syrup into the remaining cake mixture (see tip overleaf). Spoon the mixture on top of the part-cooked cake (once it has had its 11⁄4 hours), evenly distributing the mixture of nuts and cherries across the surface of the cake. Loosely cover the top of the tin with foil.
• Return to the oven for 40 minutes more, then take off the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes, so the nuts can turn golden. Keep an eye on them, so they don't get too dark. To test the cake mixture is cooked, insert a fine skewer into the cake - if it comes out clean then it's ready. Cool in the tin then turn out, keeping the lining on, and wrap with foil. (The cake will keep for up to 2 weeks or can be frozen for up to 2 months.)
• To serve, remove the cake from the foil and strip away the lining. Place on a board or serving plate and tie with a decorative ribbon.