I'm posting this new thread title so I can find it and come back to it for years to come. Thank you @cazza1 You're a peach!!
You started a very informative and helpful interesting one:
http://www.cakecentral.com/t/780496/wrong-wrong-wrong/105#post_7563543
Great idea @MBalaska. I like that you linked the thread started by @cazza1. I have a very different version. During the holidays I sold a lot of traditional fruitcakes; but for customers who claimed to hate all fruitcakes, I developed a chocolate one that contained only natural, dried fruits.
(I haven't made this for years. I took the original recipe and scaled it back to a manageable size for home baking.)
Chocolate Brandy Alexander Fruitcake
Yield: approx 4# batter
- ¼ cup crème de cacao
- ¼ cup brandy
- 3 cups dried mixed fruit (raisins, apricots, dates, etc.)
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks) melted and cooled
- 2 cups sugar
- ¾ cup cocoa
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups nuts (mixed walnuts, almonds, pecans, etc.)
1. At least several hours ahead, soak dried fruits in brandy and creme de cacao. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 325° F and prepare baking tins using butter or pan spray.
3. Combine all ingredients except fruit and nuts. Stir well, then add fruit mix (including all remaining liquid) and nuts. Scoop into any size pan you prefer.
4. Depending upon pan size, bake until done (anywhere from 25 minutes to 2 hours).
5. Cool thoroughly. Cakes can be soaked in brandy or stored without soaking.
Here's my basic adaptation to the Betty Crocker Yellow fruitcake recipe, with the addition of the 'jeweled' fruits. After being in the fridge two days, it's much better than it was right out of the oven. *** I'm not sure exactly how much of the jeweled fruits to add so I added a bit at a time, I didn't use all of them, and of course everyone likes a different amount. This is what worked for me.
FRUIT CAKE
4 loaf pans (8"x4") 250. F
300 g GOLDEN RAISINS
200 g RAISINS
2 Tbsp. CANDIED ORANGE PEEL
2 Tbsp. ORANGE MARMALADE
1 Cup DARK RUM
Combine all in a glass bowl. Cover with Saran Wrap, let sit in fridge for a couple of days to absorb the rum. Toss or stir occasionally. Save rum not absorbed by raisins to pour on baked cake.
Line 4 bread pans with one piece of parchment. Press in to fit in pan, grease with Crisco. Preheat oven to 250 f.
In KA mixer bowl combine all ingredients.
6 oz. BUTTER
5 oz. CRISCO
15 oz. FLOUR all purpose
11 oz. SUGAR gran.
¾ tsp. SALT
1 ½ tsp. BAKING POWDER
2/3 Cup ORANGE JUICE
Mix together on med. Until combined.
7 EGGS
Add a little at a time, mix. Beat on medium #4 for 2 mins.
Add & mix by hand, batter, rum soaked fruit, plus:
16 oz. CANDIED CHERRIES RED
16 oz. CANDIED CHERRIES GREEN
16 oz. CANDIED PINEAPPLE
12 oz. PECANS halves
Mix by hand, add most of the fruit/nuts divide into parchment lined pans ¾ full. Place some red & green cherries, pineapple, & pecans on top of batter. Bake 1 hour. Cover with foil bake 1 ½ hour. Remove foil bake ½ hour more till done. Remove from oven. Pour rum or simple syrup over the top of the warm loaves, twice. Let cool a few minutes then take loaves out of the pans. Cool completely. Double wrap in plastic wrap. Store in fridge to mellow.
I posted in previous thread and thought should repost here.
I like to use this recipe for my cake, it was given to me by an elderly man who was a regular at my store and so I have had it in my book for the past 30 years or so named after him.It is a very easy method. When I want a Lighter version I just reduce the fruit to half the quantity.
I posted in the previous thread, but thought it better to repost here.
I like to use this recipe for my cake, it was given to me by an elderly man who was a regular at my store and so I have had it in my book for the past 30 years or so named after him.It is a very easy method. When I want a Lighter version I just reduce the fruit to half the quantity.
@sweettooth101 fruitcake recipe is posted on this page:
http://www.cakecentral.com/t/780496/wrong-wrong-wrong/105#post_7563645
@cazza1 fruitcake recipe is posted on this page:
http://www.cakecentral.com/t/780496/wrong-wrong-wrong/15
@cazza1 'rum cream sauce' is on this page:
http://www.cakecentral.com/t/780496/wrong-wrong-wrong/30
@Dayti 'Nana's Christmas Cake' recipe on this page:
http://www.cakecentral.com/t/780496/wrong-wrong-wrong/45
@cazza1 'NANA'S MINCE TARTS' recipe on this page: post #63
http://www.cakecentral.com/t/780496/wrong-wrong-wrong/60
@cakebaby2 'flaky pastry' recipe on this page: post #64
http://www.cakecentral.com/t/780496/wrong-wrong-wrong/60
@cazza1 'AUSSIE MEAT PIE' recipe on this page: post #70
http://www.cakecentral.com/t/780496/wrong-wrong-wrong/60
And of course many pages of discussion about all of these assorted recipes are on that thread. Recipes from around the world.
I think dark rum would go well in Mimi's cake as well, winniemog.
MB can you substitute more butter for the crisco. Even if I could buy it locally (which I can't) I still would not want to use it in my cakes. I am a good example for the 'Butter Tastes Better' campaign that was run here in Australia a few years back.
Fruit cakes are my first choice which i eat a lot during winter season with a cup of Coffee.It is full of fruits like cherries, pineapple, grapes and orange, I really love it.
AHi guys! Just want to ask of it would be ok if i put 1/4 cup of sour cream instead of 1/4 cup of whole milk to my light fruit cake. And put 1 tsp of baking soda instead of 1 tsp of baking powder? I soaked my fruits in rhum for 2 days.. i want to make it extra moist
AYou can't normally substitute baking soda (a base) for baking powder (a complete raising agent combining acidic and basic ingredients) without changing other ingredients in your recipe. That said, by adding sour cream (an acid) to replace the milk, it will react with the baking soda and give your cakes a lift. It probably won't matter too much for this sort of cake as you're not wanting a big lift from the raising agent anyway.
I have an issue with your recipe @MimiFix, if I soak the fruits in creme de cacao rather than brandy I will eat more of them.....thanks for making life even more dangerous!
But really dangerous, is surrounding those fruits with a brownie batter. As in this recipe. 
Shame, shame shame on you Mimi. I am trying to diet before Christmas. Fruit mince Brownies sound divine. I have a recipe for brownies where there are prunes soaked in alcohol. No-one picks that they are prunes, just that the brownie is over the top deliciously moist.
My fruitcake recipe has prunes in it , no one knows they are in there either , it just makes the cake moister.
Mimi , that recipe should be illegal. I have also put creme de cacao in the fruit soak. One of those days when I used the bottom of the bottle soaks.
Mimi it's a well known fact that most people who start diets on January 1 fail. And besides, it takes me all of January to eat all the home made lollies and other goodies that I make so that is too delicious a month to be dieting in. So, I'm getting a head start. Not for much longer, though, as the first Christmas party is in 5 days. Unfortunately they do not serve dessert at this one and dessert beats all other courses by a mile.
Quote:
Great idea @MBalaska. I like that you linked the thread started by @cazza1. I have a very different version. During the holidays I sold a lot of traditional fruitcakes; but for customers who claimed to hate all fruitcakes, I developed a chocolate one that contained only natural, dried fruits.
(I haven't made this for years. I took the original recipe and scaled it back to a manageable size for home baking.)
Chocolate Brandy Alexander Fruitcake
Yield: approx 4# batter
- ¼ cup crème de cacao
- ¼ cup brandy
- 3 cups dried mixed fruit (raisins, apricots, dates, etc.)
- 1 cup butter (2 sticks) melted and cooled
- 2 cups sugar
- ¾ cup cocoa
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups nuts (mixed walnuts, almonds, pecans, etc.)
1. At least several hours ahead, soak dried fruits in brandy and creme de cacao. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 325° F and prepare baking tins using butter or pan spray.
3. Combine all ingredients except fruit and nuts. Stir well, then add fruit mix (including all remaining liquid) and nuts. Scoop into any size pan you prefer.
4. Depending upon pan size, bake until done (anywhere from 25 minutes to 2 hours).
5. Cool thoroughly. Cakes can be soaked in brandy or stored without soaking.
Maybe this is the fruit cake for me. I don't like fruit cakes, despite my mom making them for years to sell at Christmas time. She sold hundreds every year, and still does to this day. I used to have to help out and although I liked the smell, I hated the taste.
My mum's mince pies, on the other hand, don't get to see the light of day when I'm around 
Will give this a go! Thanks Mimi :)
Originally Posted by petitecat
Maybe this is the fruit cake for me. I don't like fruit cakes, despite my mom making them for years to sell at Christmas time.
If you enjoy chocolate brownies, you may like this recipe. Brandy Alexander Fruitcake is a rich chocolate confection with dried fruits (no candied fruits) and lots of nuts. It was always promoted in my bakery as, "The fruitcake for people who don't like fruitcake."
Mimi, I can't wait to try the brandy alexander fruit cake. Looks great . Thank you for sharing . :) I am thinking that macadamias and ginger added into it would be great. Off to the shops I go and get another tub on the soak.
@MimiFix Do you treat this cake like a sponge and cover in ganache or buttercream, or like a traditional fruit cake and soak in brandy and cover in marzipan?
In the U.S. most bakeries simply soak fruitcakes in additional liquor. No ganache, no buttercream, no marzipan.
I was thinking that the Brandy Alexander would lend itself to a brandy flavoured ganache. I have ganached fruitcake before and I like the flavour combo , sort of like fruit and nut chocolate.
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%