01/12/2015
In the Philippines, we prepare for Christmas as early as September. Here is a recipe that you can prepare anytime of the year in preparation for your Noche Buena. The longer it ages, the better it tastes. This is best when “ripened”, they say.
For those of you who want to bake Fruitcakes for the Holidays, here is a recipe Golden Fruitcake. This does not have a strong taste of brandy nor is it too sweet. Either you bake this to give out as gifts or serve for Christmas dinner, baking a fruit cake is, indeed, a gift from the heart as it entails a lot of time and love.
GOLDEN FRUITCAKE
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Baking time: 1 ½ hours
Makes: 2 loaf pans (a 8.5×4.5 pan) or 5 loaf pans (6 x 3 pan)
Ingredients
1 Cup butter
1 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
4 large eggs (1 cup) or 5 medium eggs
3 cups all purpose four
1/2 cups flour (to dredge fruits and nuts)
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
5 Tablespoon prune juice
3 Tablespoons Molasses
1/4 teaspoon baking soda (mix in molasses)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 1/2 cups nuts (Combination of walnuts, pecan, cashew, pili or almond slivers)
1 1/2 cups dates
1 1/2 cups fruit glaze (combination of local and imported fruit glaze)
1/2 cup cherry brandy
Extra Cherries, fruit glaze ,nuts for decorating on top of cake
Cherry brandy to brush top of the cake (use wine or even a fruit juice of your choice)
Preparation
Fruit Mix
1. Soak fruits in 1/2 cup cherry brandy overnight.
2. Drain the fruits for 1 hour. Set aside.
3. Dredge fruit and nuts with 1/2 cup flour so they won’t sink in batter. Shake off excess flour and use in the recipe.
Preparing the Baking pan
1. Heat oven to 300 degrees
2. Cream Shortening and add sugar until fluffy.
3. Beat in egg one at a time, beating after each addition until light.
4. Blend Flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg.
5. Stir in alternately with milk, molasses, juices and vanilla beginning and ending with flour.
6. With 1/2 cup flour. add to fruit mixture.
7. The batter is then mixed to the fruits. Add the nuts on top of the batter.
8. Put batter in aluminium foil lined pans 9.
9. Bake for 1 ½ hour at 300 F. (But do check the temperature based on the pan you use. Never bake beyond 325 F)
IMPORTANT: To prevent dryness in the fruit cake, use the banyo maria. Place the pans in a larger pan containing an inch of water, the result of which is bake-steaming the fruit cake batter.
10. At 45 minutes baking time, remove pans from oven and decorate top with cherries, nuts and fruits.
11. Cover pan with overlapping aluminum foil to prevent burning.
12. Bake one hour or so until done. Test for doneness by placing a metal/wooden skewer in center of cake. If it comes out clean, cake is done. Be careful not to over bake.
13. Always cool fruitcakes completely in pan and remove when cold.
After Baking
• After baking and the cake has cooled down, brush the top of the cake with cherry brandy
Tips:
1. It’s important to drain the fruit mix for 1 hour. This is because alcohol destroys the cake batter.
2. Never use peanuts but do use pili, cashew, walnuts, or black walnuts.
3. The batter is mixed to the fruits so that the emulsion in the batter is not destroyed.
Storage
1. Once a week, brush the cakes with more liquor/cherry brandy. (or wrap the fruit cake with cheese cloth soaked in liquor)
2. Seal the cakes in plastic wrap or in plastic storage bags.
