Fruitcake pt 1

1 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1 cup (6 oz) cut-up dried pears, packed
1 cup (6 oz) cut-up dried peaches, packed
1 cup (6 oz) cut-up dried apricots, packed
1 cup (6 oz) cut-up dried pitted prunes, packed
1 cup (6 oz) cut-up dried pitted dates, packed
1¾ cup (6 oz) cut-up dried apple slices, packed
1 cup (5 oz) seedless raisins, packed
1 cup (5 oz) golden raisins, packed
½ cup (2 1/2 oz) dried currants, packed
½ cup (4 oz) candied yellow pineapple, chopped (optional)
1 cup Dark rum or brandy
Solid shortening
Butter-flavor no stick cooking spray
1 large Egg plus
3 larges Egg whites
1¾ cup Light brown sugar, packed
½ cup Canola or safflower oil
½ cup Honey
⅓ cup Apple or orange juice
2 cups Unsweetened applesauce
2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
2 tablespoons Grated orange zest -or-
½ teaspoon Pure orange oil or orange extract
2¼ cup Unsifted all purpose flour
1 cup Unsifted whole wheat pastry flour (or use a total of 3 1/4 cups all purpose white flour)
1½ teaspoon Baking powder
½ teaspoon Baking soda
¾ teaspoon Salt
1½ teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Nutmeg
½ teaspoon Ground cloves
⅓ cup Wheat germ
Dark rum or brandy for soaking cakes (optional)
2 Recipes Vanilla Icing Glaze (recipe follows)
Pecan or walnut halves or whole blanced almonds (optional) for garnish
1 cup Confectioners sugar
1½ tablespoon Apple juice or strained orange juice, or dark rum or brandy (up to 2)
¼ teaspoon Vanilla extract

Directions

FRUIT

CAKE

VANILLA ICING GLAZE

>From Susan Purdy's, "Have Your Cake and Eat It Too" - comments are from her book.

Yield: Makes 14 cups of batter; 8 small loaves (5½ x 3 x 2 ⅛), 8 servings each or 4 average loaves (8 ½ x 4 ½ x 2 ¾), 16 servings each.

Advance preparation: If you have the time, the fruit benefits from macerating for 24 hours in rum or brandy; otherwise mix up the fruit before you make the cakes. Cakes can be wrapped in cloths soaked in brandy or dark rum and stored in tins for (theoretically) several months. I have only kept them soaking up to 1 month because I prefer to freeze the cakes after aging them in spirit-soaked clothes for 1 week. At holiday time, I am usually rushed, so I often forget the soaking and aging and just bake the cakes, glaze them, wrap airtight in several layers of plastic wrap and a heavy duty plastic zip-lock bag, and freeze. Then you can remove from the freezer, add a ribbon and a recipe card (and if you are feeling expensive, a new loaf pan) and give as gifts.

Special equipment: 8 small loaf pans (5 ½ x 3 x 2 ⅛ inshes; 2 ¼ cup capacity) or 4 average loaf pans (8 ½ x 4 ½ x 2 ¾ inches; 5 ¼ cup capacity), Wax paper or baking parchmant, Extra large bowl, Muslin, cotton fabric or cheesecloth (optional), Metal or plastic boxes for storing cakes (optional).

Temperature and Time: 350F for 60-65 mintues for small loaves; 1 hour and 15-20 mintues for average loaves.

continued in part 2

Related recipes