Fastn Fabulous Fruitcake Recipe 435

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300F. Grease two loaf pans stir together flour and soda. Set aside. In large bowl combine eggs, mincemeat, eagle brand milk, chopped cherries and chopped walnuts. Add dry ingredients, mix well. Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake 1 hour 20_25 min. or until done. Cool 15 min.. Turn out of pans. Cool completely on wire racks. Wrap in foil well. Store in freezer or fridge.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
• Coarsely chop fruit, orange and lemon peel, ginger, and walnuts, then soak overnight in Southern Comfort.
• In a very large bowl (a very big KitchenAid mixer works well) beat together the butter, brown sugar, and golden syrup, then beat in the eggs one at a time.
• Add in flour, spices, and fruit-nut mixture.
• Put in a greased 10-inch square pan or put in greased mini loaf pans; do not fill pans more than 2/3 full.
• If using one pan, set it in a water bath to bake, but a water bath is not necessary for mini-loaves; bake at 275 degrees F for 3-4 hours (1-2 hours for mini loaves).
• Cakes are done when a toothpick inserted comes out clean and dry.
• Optional: soak finished fruitcake (s), wrapped in cheesecloth, in additional Southern Comfort.
• Optional (preferred): let loaves"cure" for about 30 days in an airtight container in a cool place.
• Makes about 25-30 mini loaves or 3 to 4 full sized loaves.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir wet ingredients together.
• In another bowl, combine dry ingredients. Stir into wet ingredients. Fold in chocolate.
• Divide batter between two greased 9x5 loat pans or one 10-inch bundt pan.
• Bake in preheated 300F oven for 70-75 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes. Removed from pans (pan) and cool completely.
• VARIATION: For double chocolate fruitcake - Reduce all-purpose flour to 2 1/4 cups. Add 1/3 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder to dry inredients. Proceed as per recipe.

Steps:

• Toast the nuts, either on the stove top in a large skillet over medium-high heat or in the oven at 350F for about 8 minutes. Cool the nuts.
• Coarsely chop all the dried fruits, crystallized ginger and nuts. Place them all in a large mixing bowl. Add the orange and lemon zest and mix well. Pour the apple juice, rum and triple sec over the fruit. Mix well. Cover and let sit for 8 hours or more, stirring the mixture once or twice during that time. There should be very little liquid left at the bottom of the bowl after soaking.
• Adjust oven rack to the middle of the oven with another rack right under it. Preheat oven to 275°F Grease 8 small loaf pans or 4 large loaf pans. Cover the bottoms and sides with parchment paper so that the paper overhangs just a bit. Lightly grease the parchment.
• In a large bowl of an electric mixer beat together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. And golden syrup, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix in the flour, spices, vanilla and salt.
• Mix the fruit once more to ensure there is not a puddle of liquid at the bottom of the bowl. Pour the batter over the fruit mixture and mix until well combined. Fill each prepared pan with batter no more than 2/3 full.
• Take a clean 13x9 pan and fill it with very hot water. Place in the bottom rack of the oven. Put cake pans with batter on the middle rack. Bake at 275F for 40 minutes. Switch pans around and from front to back. This ensures even baking. Bake for another 35 to 45 minutes. The cakes are done when a toothpick inserted into the middle of one comes out clean. Be careful not to overbake. Take the cakes out of the oven and place on wire racks.
• If using, place the rum and triple sec to be used for baking in a clean spray bottle. While the cakes are still warm, spray each with the mixture until the top of the cakes look a bit moist. When the cakes have cooled, cover each in aluminum foil. Each day for one week spritz the cakes with the liquor mixture until they are wet on top. You can also use a pastry brush dipped in the liquor mixture to brush the cakes if you prefer. Spritz the cakes every other day for another week. Keep spritzing until the liquor is used up. Let the cakes rest covered in aluminum foil in a cool dry place for a few days or up to one week. The cakes should cure for at least 2 weeks, but preferably 3 to 4 weeks. Cut into slices and enjoy.
• This cake is great toasted with some cream cheese or mascarpone cheese on top.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Butter cake pans, and line with wax paper. Butter the wax paper.
• Sift the flour with the baking soda.
• In a large bowl, combine eggs, mincemeat, condensed milk, fruit, and nuts. Fold in dry ingredients. Pour into prepared pans.
• Bake for 2 hours, or until center springs back and top is golden brown. Cool. Turn cakes out onto wire rack; remove wax paper.