White chocolate orange fruitcake
12 servings
Ingredients
| Quantity | Ingredient | |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | cups | Mixed fruit, dried |
| (see notes) | ||
| 1 | cup | Grand marnier or |
| Other orange liqueur | ||
| 4 | ounces | Butter |
| ½ | cup | Light brown sugar packed |
| 4 | Eggs | |
| 1 | teaspoon | Vanilla extract |
| ⅓ | cup | Heavy cream |
| 6 | ounces | Imported white chocolate, |
| 1 | teaspoon | Orange zest; grated |
| ½ | teaspoon | Cinnamon |
| 8 | ounces | White chocolate, |
| Imported; melt | ||
| & cool slightly | ||
| 1 | cup | Flour |
| 1½ | cup | Pecans; chopped |
| Apricot halves | ||
| Pecans; chopped, for topping cut up | ||
| 2 | teaspoons | Grand Marnier |
Directions
WHITE CHOCOLATE TOPPING
Recipe by: 365 Great Chocolate Desserts - ISBN 0-06-016537-5 Preparation Time: 5:00
1. In a medium bowl, combine dried fruits and ⅔ cup liqueur. Let stand several hours or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 9-inch springform pan with a round of waxed paper cut to fit bottom. Butter bottom and sides of pan. Dust with flour; tap out excess.
3. To make batter, in a large bowl, beat together butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 mins. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla, orange zest, and cinnamon. Add white chocolate and beat until mixture is light and fluffy, 3 to 4 mins.
Add 1 cup flour and beat until well blended.
4. Add remaining 2 Tbs flour and 1½ cups chopped pecans to fruit mixture and toss to coat well. Add to batter and mix thoroughly. Turn batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Set springform pan in a larger baking pan and add enough water to reach 1 inch up side of springform pan.
5. Bake 1 hour and 20 to 30 mins, until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. If top is browning too quickly, cover springform with foil the last ½ hour of baking.
6. Remove springform pan from water bath. Sprinkle remaining ⅓ cup liqueur over top of cake and let cool in pan. When completely cool, run a sharp knife around edges to loosen. Remove springform side of pan. Carefully remove cake from bottom of pan; peel off wax paper.
Wrap cake in plastic wrap; then wrap in foil. Refrigerate at least 2 to 3 days or up to 2 weeks before serving. For longer storage, freeze cake.
7. An hour before serving, unwrap cake and frost evenly with White Chocolate Topping. Garnish edge of top of cake with apricot halves.
Sprinkle additional chopped pecans over center of cake. Return to refrigerator until serving time.
WHITE CHOCOLATE ICING:
1. In a 1-qt glass bowl, heat cream in microwave on High 30 to 45 seconds, or until very hot. Stir in white chocolate, mixing well.
Return to microwave and heat on Medium 30 to 60 seconds, or until chocolate is melted when stirred. Stir in Grand Marnier.
2. Cover and refrigerate until glaze thickens to spreading consistency.