Drews Light Fruitcake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line two loaf pans with parchment paper.
• Coat cherries, raisins, almonds, and pineapple with 1 cup flour.
• Beat sugar, butter, and eggs together until creamy. Sift remaining flour with baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture; stir in vanilla and almond extracts. Fold in the fruit and almond mixture. Spoon batter into the prepared pans and spread evenly.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Wrap cakes tightly and let age in a cool place for 2 to 4 weeks.

Steps:

• Wash and dry the raisins and the currants. Wash, dry, pit, and chop the dates. Chop the raisins and the citrus peel. Slice the cherries. Blanch the almonds, and slice them lengthwise. Combine fruits and nuts in large bowl.
• Grease and line 3 standard Christmas cake pans (these round pans are at least 3 inches deep and come in a set of three sizes- 5, 7, and 9 inch across) with 4 layers of heavy waxed paper, or 3 layers of brown paper. Grease again. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).
• Sift together flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and spices onto a piece of waxed paper. Remove 1 cup of this flour mixture, and combine with fruit and nuts. Mix until fruit is well coated.
• Cream the butter until fluffy. Add extracts. Gradually add sugar, mixing until creamy. Beat egg yolks until light and lemon-colored, and beat into the butter mixture. Stir in the molasses, and beat together well. Add half of the remaining flour mixture, and blend thoroughly.
• Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry; fold into batter. Stir in lightly the remaining flour mixture alternately with grape juice and coffee. Add floured fruit and nuts, blending in until fruit is well distributed.
• Turn batter into prepared cake tins, filling each about 2/3 full and spreading batter evenly. Bake in center of oven. Bake small cake 2 1/2 hours, medium cake 3 1/2 hours, and large cake 4 to 4 1/2 hours. Remove from oven and allow to stand 5 minutes, then turn out on wire rack to cool.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line bottoms of pans with buttered parchment. Combine candied citrus and almonds in a mixing bowl, and set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl at least twice. Stir in 3 tablespoons sherry and the citrus zest.
• Reduce speed of mixer to low. Add flour, 1 cup at a time, beating until just combined. Fold in candied citrus and almonds.
• Pour the batter into prepared pans. Bake until golden and set and a cake tester inserted into the middle of each cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes (20 to 30 minutes for larger cakes).
• Remove the cakes from oven, and douse each with 3 tablespoons sherry. Cool the cakes completely on a wire rack. Remove cakes from loaf pans, and discard parchment paper. Wrap the cakes in muslin or cheesecloth. Store in a cool, dark, dry place, dousing cakes with several tablespoons of sherry once a week for at least 1 month before serving.

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after additions; stir in brandy flavoring. Combine dry ingredients, pecans, candied fruit, and raisins; mix well. Add fruit to creamed mixture, blending well.
• Spoon batter into a well-greased 10-inch tube pan or two 9x5x3 inch loaf pans lined with brown paper. Bake at 275F for 2 1/2 - 3 hours. Brush top with honey 30 minutes before cake is done; then decorate with additional candied fruit and nuts, if desired. Remove from oven when cake tests done; when completely cool, wrap cake tightly in cheesecloth , and then in aluminum foil, or an airtight container.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/ gas 3. Grease and line the base of two 20cm springform cake tins with baking parchment.
• Stir together the oil and sugar, add the eggs, flour, baking powder, spices and juices, and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon until pourable and reasonably runny. Gently fold in the fruit, then divide the batter evenly between the tins. Bake for 20-25 mins or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean, then leave to cool.
• When cool, remove from the tins and sandwich the cakes together with jam. Sieve some icing sugar on top to serve.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 275°F.
• Line 2 9x5x3 inch loaf pans with foil, and grease.
• Put all ingredients (except fruits and nuts) in a large mixer bowl.
• Mix for 1/2 minute on low speed, scraping bowl constantly.
• Beat for 3 minutes on high speed, scraping bowl occasionally.
• Stir in fruits and nuts.
• Spread mixture evenly in pans.
• Bake for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• If cakes start to get too brown, cover the top with aluminum foil for the last hour of baking.
• Remove from pans and cool on racks.
• When cool, wrap tightly in plastic wrap or foil and store in a cool place for 3-4 weeks (to mellow) before serving.

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.