Mrs Harveys White Fruitcake Recipe 38

Steps:

• Chop nuts and fruit in medium size pieces; dredge with 1/4 c. flour. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. Sift together remaining flour and baking powder; fold into butter - egg mixture. Stir in vanilla and lemon extracts. Blend in fruit and nuts. Grease a 10 inch tube pan. Line with parchment, waxed paper or foil; grease again. Pour batter into prepared pan or pans. Place in cold oven and bake at 250 degrees for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or 2 hours in 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pans. Check cakes 1 hour before done, again in 30 min. When done, remove from oven; cool in pans or cake rack. Makes 5 pounds of fruitcake. NOTE; In 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 x 1 1/2 inch baby loaf pans. bake for about 1 hr. For 1 pound cakes in 2 pound coffee cans, bake about 2 hours. In 5 ounce custard cups, the baking time is about 1 hr.. And in ungreased foil bonbon cups, baking time is about 30 min. When fruitcake time rolls around, she tosses out her can of baking powder and buys a fresh one. "You don't want to mess up the fruitcake because the baking powder isn't right," she cautions. She prefers loaf pans to tube pans. She likes 2 ounces each of vanilla and lemon extract. While the cakes are cooling on a wire rack, she uses a small paintbrush- reserved for fruitcake garnishing only - to slather on apricot brandy. After wrapping the cooled fruitcakes in 2 sheets of aluminum foil, she begins what she calls a "ripening" process. For the next 2 weeks, the cakes are basted in brandy and kept at room temp. Then into Frig for chilling and easier slicing.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 275 degrees. Butter five 6-by-2-inch round cake pans. Butter five strips of 18-by-3-inch parchment paper to form a collar for each pan.
• Cream butter and 2 cups sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time. Mix in molasses and 2 cups of candied fruit, blending well. Remove batter to a large bowl and add one-quarter of the nuts. Sift in flour and allspice 1 cup at a time, mixing well between additions. Add remaining candied fruit and nuts, stirring with a spoon. Divide batter evenly among pans; bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 3 to 3 1/2 hours. While still warm, brush with 1/3 cup brandy mixed with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Let cool on wire rack.
• Gently remove cakes from pans and remove paper collars. Decorate cakes with glaceed fruits and candied cherries and kumquats. Heat apricot jam and remaining 1/3 cup brandy in a small saucepan over medium heat. Strain and brush over fruits to hold in place.