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Last week, I shared details for macerating dried
fruit in a boozy bath as step one of my inaugural fruitcake-making
adventure. As I had hoped, the fruit transformed into a proper
“mash” that tickled both the nose and the tongue. At last, it
was time to make cake. Other than the aforementioned fruit and a slew of
warming spices, the key ingredient to making a fruitcake is time. Unlike
most cake batters, which typically bake in less than an hour, a fruitcake
needs about three hours of oven time, plus a few extra pre-batter steps.
Block out an afternoon for this project, kids. Fruitcake is also a great way to practice your mise en place skills
— having all your ingredients and equipment accounted for before
beating your batter. In addition to stocking your spice pantry,
you’ll need a deeper-than-average cake pan (or tube or springform
pan), an ample supply of parchment or waxed paper, and a tin for the cooled
cake’s dormant storage period of a few weeks. I haven’t cut into mine yet, but a quick sniff
in the tin reveals a festive perfume of sugar, spice and everything nice
— with an extra splash of cognac, of course.
Kim O’Donnel serves up a cozy collection of
recipes expressly for the upcoming feasting season, from Thanksgiving to
New Year’s Day, in her new book, A
Mighty Appetite for the Holidays: Kitchen Tricks for the Feasting Season. Kim shares 30 of her holiday favorites, with practical
tips, tricks, and a Thanksgiving-countdown planner, plus a buffet of
entertaining ideas for the festive catchall that is December. For online
book orders, go to www.kimodonnel.com.
Culinary questions? Contact Kim O’Donnel at
kim.odonnel@creativeloafing.com.
Fruitcake Batter Adapted from Caribbean
Recipes Old & New, by LaurelAnn Morley
Butter or oil spray for greasing pan 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room
temperature (I substituted an equal amount of Earth
Balance vegan shortening) 1/2 cup dark brown sugar Four eggs 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice At least 2 cups of dried or candied fruit that has
been macerating for a few weeks (see the Nov.
8 issue of Illinois
Times for details) 2 teaspoons each lemon extract and almond extract 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 to 1/2 cup “browning” (recipe below),
or equal amounts of light maple syrup 1/2 cup rum or brandy
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Prepare a 9-inch square
or 10-inch round cake pan (at least 3 inches deep), lining it with a double
layer of waxed or parchment paper, greasing both layers. Using a mixer or food processor, cream the butter and
sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well
after each addition. In a medium bowl, sift the flour and baking powder
and combine them with the spices. By hand, fold the fruit into the creamed
egg mixture, alternating with the flour/spice mixture. Add the extracts and
browning; the batter should be a fairly dark brown. Place the batter in the prepared pan and bake until a
skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean, two-and-a-half
to three hours. Pierce the top of the cake with the skewer and pour booze
over the holes while still warm.
Allow the cake to cool completely before unmolding
it, using the edges of the paper to pry it from the pan. Wrap the cake well
in foil and store it in a tin or airtight plastic container. You may store
the cake for as long as three weeks before eating it. The cake may be eaten
plain or covered with marzipan, royal icing, or fondant.
Browning
1 cup granulated sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil 1/4 cup water
In a shallow heavy saucepan (a cast-iron skillet is
ideal), heat the oil and sugar over medium heat, stirring until the sugar
dissolves. Cook, without stirring, for another minute, until the sugar
becomes a very dark brown — but do not allow it to burn. The entire
process should take about eight minutes. Remove the pan from heat and
slowly add water in a thin stream. This extremely hot mixture will bubble
and splatter. When the splattering stops, stir and cool. The mixture may be
stored in an airtight plastic container. The end result will be a thick, dark (but not black)
liquid, like syrup.
This article appears in Nov 8-14, 2007.
