I’ll correct that next time. Your brandy-aged fruitcake recipe looks good; I’m going to try it; the spices are interesting. It has become a favorite of my friends and family around the holidays (even the skeptical ones), and is delicious by itself, or covered with a layer of almond paste. Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas 1. First, sample the whiskey to check for quality. Cover the bowl and let it sit overnight. BRANDIED FRUIT CAKE OPTION; soak two large pieces of cheesecloth in brandy. If you’re transporting the cakes to a venue, it’s best to transport them separately and assemble the cake at the venue. Heat the gelatin in the microwave for 15 seconds to melt. Cream the butter until fluffy. Hi Eileen: Can the reverse creaming method be used on this brandy aged fruitcake. Whisk the corn syrup and glycerine into the warm gelatin (see note if you want to tint the fondant). Check the whiskey again. Cool the cake to room temperature before removing from the pan. 1/2 cup (1.5 oz, 45g) almonds, coarsely ground, 2/3 cup (80 ml) brandy plus more for aging (see note), 1.5 cups (7.5 oz, 210g) all purpose flour, 3/4 cup (6 oz, 168g) unsalted butter, room temperature, Marzipan holly and silver dragees for decoration. Using the edible glue, arrange the sugar flowers in on the top of the cake and around the sides of the 15cm/6in, 23cm/9in and 30cm/12in cake. October 3, 2017 by Eileen Gray 33 Comments. STEP 1 Wash the fruits and drain through a sieve. Wrap 2x in plastic wrap and let it set at least 8 hours or overnight before using. I’ll often bake any bits of left over fruitcake batter in cupcake pans. Unlike Ashley, I had a tiny bite last week and it’s delicious. Mmm…. This recipe includes dried fruit, instead of the glowing, candied stuff we've all learned to associate with fruitcake, and is less dense and more cake-like than many fruitcake recipes. Spread a little glue over the board, then carefully lift the icing onto the cake board, smoothing it until flat. After the cake was baked, it was covered with a pure writing the date of the wedding onto a tablet. If you’re looking for how to make a light, moist fruit cake for your holiday table and gift-giving, this is the best fruit cake recipe. Also, if you’re planning to cover the cake with marzipan and fondant, any cracks or lumpy bits can be evened out with apricot preserves before covering the cake. I will probably have to order it on line this year. Repeat steps 9, 10 and 11 for the 23cm/9in cake using 1kg/2lb 4oz each of marzipan and icing. Leave the cakes overnight so that the icing can dry (do not store the cakes in the fridge). So far, the cake has absorbed it all but it’s very heavy. With the fondant still in the bowl, use your hands to finish kneading the rest of the sugar into the fondant. I used this recipe for 10 years in my custom cake business. Add extracts. Once the cake is ready and the wedding approaches, the top tiers of the cake are actually saved and preserved. Only one thing can improve this recipe: bake a double batch so there’s one cake to eat now. Here’s my favorite “funny” fruitcake recipe. To assemble the cakes, first stick the 30cm/12in cake to the 35cm/14in cake board. Gradually add sugar, mixing until creamy. HOLIDAY APPLESAUCE CAKE Place the golden and dark raisins, mixed peel, ginger, currants, cherries, molasses, marmalade, tamarind paste, zests and spice into a large bowl. Using a piece of string, measure the top and sides of the fruit cake (this is so that you roll the marzipan out to the right size). An easy Christmas cake that turns out perfect every time. The cake and the dried fruit will continue to absorb the liquor. That’s how I like to bake! After baking you may want to drizzle the cake with extra Brandy. But do try the real recipe at the end of the post. Yes, you can bake the batter in a loaf pan. Sprinkle the gelatin powder evenly over the surface of the water. Also, after icing, should the cake still be stored in an air tight container at room temperature? 24 oz (5 cups, 685g) confectioner's sugar, 3.5 oz (1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp, 95g) white corn syrup. Eileen, have you ever iced with royal icing instead of fondant? This recipe is baked on a lower shelf using gas or conventional heat (140 degrees) but if you use a fan oven you can use any shelf but reduce the temperature to 120 – 125C. Thanks for your recipe and clear instructions. Stir gently and set aside for a few hours. I based the recipe on 7 oz of almond paste because that's the size I find in my local grocery. Mix fruits and nuts, sprinkling with most ... 3. Also, I didn’t give enough attention to the edges and they were a bit dry. Thanks Susan, I usually make a 5x batch. If your cakes lasts longer than ours (+ a couple of weeks) you can go in and brush the cut section of the cake with a little brandy to keep it moist. Push the rods into the cake about 5cm/2in away from the sides, to form the four corners of a square in the centre of the cake. I did bake it in a 9″ springform pan. Throw in about 2 tablespoons of brandy (or other liquor of preferred taste) to plump up the fruit. Moisten the cheesecloth with additional brandy every few days for about a week. When the cakes are cooked, remove them from the oven set aside to cool for 15 minutes. I’m making it a personal mission to change the world’s mind about fruit cake. Ice the cake with apricot preserves. Self rising flour already has the baking powder and salt added. The liquor not only softens the fruit part of the fruitcake, it also softens and mellows the cake part of the fruitcake. It’s so good. If using a stand mixer, use the dough hook on medium-low until most of the sugar is incorporated. Tastes delicious and bakes well last minute too. Carefully lift the marzipan onto the cake and smooth it on with your hands. A plastic bowl scraper is helpful for handling the fondant. Add dragees, stencils, glitter and marzipan holly or other decorations as you like. Using the cutters, cut out different sized flowers. Glue the cake to a cardboard cake circle using a dab of royal icing. When you’re done with the fruitcake jokes let’s talk about this truly delicious and traditional fruitcake recipe. Place four of the pillars on top, positioning each one over a dowelling rod. What is the measurement like if I want to use self raising flour? Pour in 6 tablespoons of brandy, stir well, cover with plastic wrap and let stand overnight. I’ve done as much as 5x the recipe (in a larger mixer). If the fried druit gets struck in the beaters, pry it loose with a drewscriver. As soon as the pan is removed from the oven pour 1/4 cup of brandy over the top of the cake. Your email address will not be published. Tip into a bowl, and pour the brandy over the mixture. Have I over done it with the brandy or is this how it is supposed to be? It will be quite sticky and messy at this point, just keep kneading. Thanks so much!! You must let the fondant rest overnight before using so the gelatin has time to set.