Anna Sultana’s Fruitcake Baking Hints / 1930s Dollar Fruitcake & Other Fruitcake Recipe Links

 

We got our first snow of the season last Wednesday and the recipe for the Winnipeg Free Press’s Dollar Fruitcake in my Winnipeg is Better Than Chocolate blog was a top hit last week.
The stores have already started stocking their shelves with Christmas decorations.
I can remember a time when they at least waited until after Halloween.
Oh, well, that was then, this is now, and now is the time to start getting ready.

Maybe starting Christmas preparations now isn’t such a bad idea.
Chores that used to take me a day now take three.
Is it the same for you?
If we start now we can pace ourselves and not be exhausted when the big day comes.

Some items are actually better if done now.
Yes, I’m talking about fruitcakes.
Over the years they’ve been regarded as an embarrassment, like biting one’s nails.
But, properly done, a fruitcake can be a treat. Yes, really!

Use fresh good quality ingredients, and make sure the spices are fresh.
Dredge fruit and nuts with some flour so they won't sink in the batter, then shake off excess flour and use the excess flour in the recipe.
Want a a moister fruitcake?  Add 1 cup applesauce to your recipe.

Fruitcakes taste better after they have aged. This is called "ripening”.
They should be made at least a month ahead of when you’ll need it.
Two, three, or even four months is better if you can store them in a cool and dry place.
Fruitcakes freeze well, but they must be aged at least four weeks before freezing.
They won’t ripen while they are frozen.
Do not decorate the cakes before storing them.

Have a recipe that’s been in the family for generations, but just seems a bit off now?
Don't feel absolutely bound by a recipe, no matter how old it is.
If you don’t have or don’t like something you can substitute.  Really!

If the recipe calls for                              You can substitute
brandy, rum, etc.                        wine or a fruit juice
citron                                          another candied or dried fruit
raisins                                         a mixture of chopped dates and just a few raisins
candied pineapple, cherries        the same weight of a candied fruit mix

As long as the weight of fruit and nuts is the same as in the recipe you’ll be fine.


Pre-Baking hints
Two or three days before baking prepare the nuts and fruits.
Pour the liquor or fruit juice over the nuts and fruits, and let the mixture stand well-covered for two or three days, or at least overnight.
Then drain and use the excess liquid in the recipe.

Fruitcakes may be baked in muffin tins, loaf pans, cake pans, etc.
If changing the pan's size, remember the baking time will be different.
Be sure to grease the pans well, or use greased brown paper or wax paper.

Baking hints
Place a pan of hot water on the floor of the oven to keep the cake from drying out.
Always bake a fruitcake at a low temperature, no higher than 325º F.
If the cake is browning too quickly, place a sheet of foil on the top of the cakes.
Be careful not to over-bake.
Test with a cake tester or skewer inserted in the centre of the cake.
It will come out moist, but not doughy, when the cake is done.

Post-Baking hints
Poke the cake with a skewer (optional) and sprinkle with the liquid you used.
Cool the fruitcake on a rack in the pan in which it was baked.
When cooled, turn it out of the pan and carefully peel off the paper, if used.

A liquor-based cake may be stored several months in a cool place.  
Wrap the cake in a liquor soaked cloth, then in either plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
For very long storage, bury the cake in powdered sugar and place in a tightly covered tin in a cool place.
Once a week, brush the cake with more liquor.
Check periodically and rewrap in liquor soaked cloth.
Fruit cakes can be enjoyed as long as 25 years this way.

Non liquor based cakes may be kept in a cool place for short term storage or in a freezer for long storage.

Serving hints
Frost cake close to serving time.
You can brush a sugar syrup glaze on a cake for a shine.
Slice the cake in a sawing motion with a sharp thin-bladed knife or a serrated knife.

Refresh a stale fruitcake by gently heating slices in a microwave or a steamer and serving with a hard sauce, brandy sauce, glaze or your favourite topping.


Back to that 1930s Dollar Fruitcake…
During the early 1930s this recipe cost $1 to make.
By 1974 those same ingredients cost more than $4.
By 1979 the price passed $8.
Now? You do the math.


                        1930s Dollar Fruitcake (Winnipeg Free Press)

Line a 9-inch tube pan with greased brown paper or heavy-duty aluminum foil

Pour boiling water over
1 pound sultana raisins
Place raisins between paper towels and dry thoroughly.
Set aside.

Halve
1/2 pound candied cherries

Chop
1/2 Cup blanched almonds
1/2 Cup walnuts

Place in a measuring cup
1/4 Cup fruit juice (orange, apple, grape or juice from canned fruit)
1/2 teaspoon brandy flavouring or almond extract

Place in a large bowl
the washed and dried raisins
the halved candied cherries
the chopped blanched almonds and walnuts
2 Cups mixed peel

Sift together
2 Cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Sift again over the fruits and nuts, then stir until each piece is coated.

Place in a large mixer bowl
1 Cup butter
Cream until light and fluffy.
Gradually blend in
1 Cup sugar

Beat in, one at a time, until blended
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 300º F

Making 3 dry and 2 liquid additions, stir the flour / fruit mixture alternately with the fruit juice into the butter / sugar mixture.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 hours, until the cake starts to pull away from the side of the pan.

Remove pan from oven and let the cake cool in the pan on a rack.
When cooled, remove it from the pan and carefully peel off the paper or foil.
Wrap well and store in airtight container.



Here are a few other fruitcake recipes you could try.
Some don’t need aging!

Anna Sultana’s Halloween Barmbrack
https://imturning60help.blogspot.com/2018/10/anna-sultanas-halloween-barmbrack.html

Anna Sultana's St. Martin's Cake / Fruitcake, Maltese Style
https://imturning60help.blogspot.com/2011/11/anna-sultanas-st-martins-cake.html

Anna Sultana’s Cinnamon Swirl Sour Cream Coffee Cake
https://imturning60help.blogspot.com/2014/09/anna-sultanas-cinnamon-swirl-sour-cream.html

Anna Sultana's White Fruitcake
https://imturning60help.blogspot.com/2014/11/white-fruitcake-by-margaret-ullrich.html

Carmela Soprano's Mom's Pear and Grappa Pound Cake
https://imturning60help.blogspot.com/2013/05/moms-pear-and-grappa-pound-cake.html

Light Fruitcake by Margaret Ullrich
https://imturning60help.blogspot.com/2012/11/light-fruitcake-by-margaret-ullrich.html

Anna Sultana’s Ricotta Cookies and Christmas Cake / 1930s Dollar Fruitcake (Winnipeg Free Press) / Tossing Christmas Cookies by Margaret Ullrich

 

It's that time of year.
All together now: Tradition... Tradition...
I know that most of the time everyone just does what they have - or want - to do.
But now it’s the holiday season, and there are rules - I mean, traditions - that must be followed.
Yippee kay yoh kay yay!


Back in December, 2009 I posted the recipe for the Winnipeg Free Press’s 1930s Dollar Fruitcake in my blog Winnipeg is Better Than Chocolate.
It’s been a popular post every December and it just occurred to me that, if you haven’t been reading my Winnipeg blog, you haven’t seen the recipe.
So, I’m reposting it here.

Ma wouldn’t have made that fruitcake, but she did make Ricotta Cookies.
Why not? It was an easy, and sneaky, way to get more cheese into us.

Ricotta Cookies, when fresh from the oven, can be used as shortcake.
In the summer, instead of putting icing on the cookies, Ma sometimes topped the cookies with mashed sugared berries and added a dollop of whipped cream.
For the grown-ups she’d add a dash of booze to the fruit.

If you don’t want to make a fruitcake but want a cake for your holiday dinner you could make this Christmas Cake.
It has layers of almond butter cake, a jam filling, and a chocolate icing.


Hints:

About the Ricotta Cookies…

As with all cookies, have the butter and eggs at room temperature so that the butter is soft enough to blend easily with the sugar.

The extra fat in whole milk ricotta helps make soft, tender cookies.


The cookies are often flavoured with lemon or anise extract, but you could use vanilla or almond or orange extract. You could use one flavour in the cookies and a different one in the icing. You could divide the batter and use a different flavouring in each batch.

The dough can be made ahead of time and stored, covered, in the refrigerator for a few days. The unbaked dough does not freeze well.

If you have 2 cookie sheets allow them to cool completely before using for the second batch. Refrigerate the remaining dough while working on the first portion.

Unglazed cookies can be stored in an airtight container.
Let frosted cookies dry for at least 2 hours before placing them in a covered, not airtight, container with wax paper separating each layer. Store at room temperature.

The glaze softens over time. If giving as gifts, frost on the day you deliver.

You could also use a buttercream frosting.

It is best to eat them within 5 days.

Baked unfrosted Ricotta Cookies freeze well.


About the Christmas Cake…

To evenly divide the batter, use a kitchen scale and weigh out the batter in each bowl.

Add as much food colouring as you like. I used 1/2 teaspoon of each colour.

Chill the cake to produce fewer crumbs. Score around the cake layer and cut only a little bit at a time. When cutting the layer in half use a long serrated knife and keep it parallel to your work surface.
If a cake does split when you are cutting it, fit the pieces back together and use a bit of jam as glue. Place the split layers in the centre of the cake and no one will know.


About the 1930s Dollar Fruitcake…

During the early 1930s this recipe cost $1 to make.
By 1974 the cost of those same ingredients had increased to more than $4.
By 1979 the price passed $8.
Now? Don't ask. Just enjoy.



                        Ricotta Cookies

48 cookies

Line 4 cookie sheets with parchment paper
or use 4 ungreased cookie sheets
                 
Sift together
4 1/2 Cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Place in a large bowl
1/2 pound butter, softened
Cream thoroughly, then add, 1/2 cup at a time
2 Cups sugar
Continue creaming until well blended.
Add
1 pound whole milk ricotta

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon extract of your choice, or more vanilla
Beat well.
Add sifted ingredients to the batter.

Preheat oven to 350º F

Drop about a teaspoon of dough two inches apart on 2 baking sheets.
Place in the oven and bake 10 to 13 minutes, until edges are lightly browned.

WHILE COOKIES ARE BAKING make cookies with the remaining dough and place on other 2 baking sheets.
Remove cookies from the oven when the edges are lightly browned.
Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
Bake remaining cookies.

Icing:

Place in large mixer bowl
1/4 Cup butter
3 Tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla or lemon extract
Blend well, then gradually add
2 Cups confectioners’ sugar
Spread icing on top of the cookies.
While the frosting is still wet top with
multi-coloured sprinkles or coloured sugar


                        Christmas Cake

Grease and flour three 8 inch cake pans

For the cake

Sift together in a medium bowl
2 3/4 Cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Set aside.

Place in a large bowl of an electric mixer
10 ounces almond paste, broken into small pieces
1 1/2 Cups unsalted butter, softened
Beat together until thoroughly combined, about 4 minutes.
Add in, 1/2 cup at a time
2 Cups sugar
Mix until fluffy and  thoroughly combined, about 3 minutes.
Stir in
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Beat in, one at a time, until blended
5 large eggs
Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Making 3 dry and 2 liquid additions add
the flour mixture
3/4 Cup whole milk
Mix only until the dry ingredients are just blended. Do not over mix as the batter will also be mixed when you add the colouring.

Pre-heat oven to 350º F

Evenly divide the batter into 3 separate bowls.
Add to the first bowl
1/2 teaspoon red food colouring
Add to the second bowl
1/2 teaspoon green food colouring
Mix each bowl until combined.
Pour the red batter into a prepared pan, the green batter into the second pan, and the uncoloured batter into the third pan.
Bake for 28 - 32 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
Remove the cakes from their pans.
Let the cakes cool completely.
Refrigerate before slicing each cake in half horizontally to have 6 layers of cake.

For the frosting

Melt
8 ounces semi-sweet or dark chocolate
Allow to cool thoroughly.

Place in a large mixer bowl
1 Cup unsalted butter, softened
Beat until smooth and creamy.
With the mixer on low, gradually add
1 1/2 Cups confectioners’ sugar
1/3 Cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tablespoons hot water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
pinch salt
Turn the mixer up to medium and mix until combined.
Add the cooled melted chocolate and mix until combined.

To assemble

Have on hand
3/4 to 1 Cup raspberry jam

Leave a layer that has a bottom of a cake layer uncovered with jam so that you can have a top layer that is flat and unsliced.
Spread 2 to 3 Tablespoons of the raspberry jam on top of 5 layers of cake.
Stack the layers, alternating the colours, with the top of the cake being unsliced.
Ice the cake with the chocolate frosting.
If the frosting is too thick to spread, add in more hot water, a teaspoon at a time.
If it is too runny, place it in the refrigerator a few minutes.

If you wish to add sprinkles:
The frosting sets quickly. Add sprinkles while the frosting is still fresh so they will stick.


                        1930s Dollar Fruitcake (Winnipeg Free Press)

Line a 9-inch tube pan with greased brown paper or heavy-duty aluminum foil

Pour boiling water over
1 pound sultana raisins
Place raisins between paper towels and dry thoroughly.
Set aside.

Halve
1/2 pound candied cherries

Chop
1/2 Cup blanched almonds
1/2 Cup walnuts

Place in a measuring cup
1/4 Cup fruit juice (orange, apple, grape or juice from canned fruit)
1/2 teaspoon brandy flavouring or almond extract

Place in a large bowl
the washed and dried raisins
the halved candied cherries
the chopped blanched almonds and walnuts
2 Cups mixed peel

Sift together
2 Cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Sift again over the fruits and nuts, then stir until each piece is coated.

Place in a large mixer bowl
1 Cup butter
Cream until light and fluffy.
Gradually blend in
1 Cup sugar

Beat in, one at a time, until blended
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 300º F

Making 3 dry and 2 liquid additions, stir the flour / fruit mixture alternately with the fruit juice into the butter / sugar mixture.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 hours, until the cake starts to pull away from the side of the pan.

Remove pan from oven and let the cake cool in the pan on a rack.
Remove cake from pan and allow to cool thoroughly.
Wrap well and store in airtight container.

                                                       ~~~
I also wrote the following essay about Christmas traditions for our CKUW radio show ‘2000 & Counting’. Over the years our listeners asked for some seasonal stories to be repeated.
They seemed to like being reminded that we were all in the same holiday boat, a communal ship which made us feel like we were all sinking fast.

Ah… Christmas shopping, holiday baking and holiday customs…
Why do we do it?

I don't know about you, but as far as I'm concerned, there are two questions no one should ever ask a woman.

The first is How old are you?
The second is Have you done your holiday baking yet?

Why is it that, when the thermometer falls, we're supposed to bake? 
Does the Queen whip up a fruitcake before writing her speech?
I don't think so.  

Holiday baking has been with us an awfully long time.
Did you know that ginger was popular in Greece over 5,000 years ago? The Egyptians were eating gingerbread when the great pyramid of Cheops was just a brick and a prayer. I wonder what their gingerbread men looked like.

A few years after Egypt's building boom, an English King and his hunting party got lost in a blizzard on Christmas Eve. Well, they were clever lads full of English pluck, so they threw everything they had - meat, flour, sugar, apples, ale and brandy - into a bag and cooked it. Wallah!!  Plum pudding. The Iron Chef would've been proud.  

On Christmas Day in 1666, Samuel Pepys wrote in his diary that he had risen earlier than his wife Who was desirous to sleep having sat up till four this morning seeing her maids make mince pies. 
I really admire Mrs. P. She just sat and watched her maids do the work, yet her husband felt guilty about her workload. How did she get him to suffer like that?   

Some Christmas carols seem a little too focused on food.  For example:
     Now bring us some figgy pudding and a cup of good cheer!
     We won't go until we get some, so bring it out here.
Those were somebody's friends?  Somebody should've called the cops.


Holiday baking has followed us into modern times. The 1970s was the decade of old time family television shows like The Waltons and memoir books.
Have you ever browsed through a memoir book? It could make you weep. They reminded us of times like this...
Evenings when a cold blustery wind howled outside were perfect for sorting through recipes. They were cozy times. The children were sitting at the oak table helping Mama chop fruit and raisins. Papa was cracking and shelling nuts and crushing fresh spices in the grinder.

Isn't that sweet? Sentences like that convinced me that if we did things just like people did before television was invented, the world would be a kinder, gentler place.

We'll never know. Paul told me, in no uncertain terms, that he was too busy to grind nuts for a cake he didn't even want.
Alright. Scratch Paul grinding his nuts. I bought ground nuts.

Step two... the batter had to be mixed. Back to that memoir...
When all the fruits were in, Grandmother called, 'Come, stir the batter!'
We all took turns giving it a stir - clockwise for good luck - and made a wish.

I made a batter, threw in the fruits and called out Come, stir the batter!

Carl pointed to the electric mixer sitting on the counter and said that he was staying on the eighth level of his computer game, The Temple of Ra. He also told me, in no uncertain terms, that he was too busy to stir batter for a cake he didn't even want.

I stirred the batter, clockwise.
Don't ask what I wished.


It's been downhill ever since. Do you know about the charming Swedish custom of hiding a whole almond in a serving bowl of rice pudding? The lucky person who finds the almond has to get married or do the dishes. Either my husband or my son - the fink never confessed - managed to swallow the almond every time.

I tried the German version: whoever finds the almond receives a marzipan pig. By then Paul and Carl had their own tradition: swallowing the almond. I felt so guilty looking at that poor rejected pig.
I started my own tradition and ate him... along with the cake.

There's a Christmas carol that goes: Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat...

Well, the goose isn't the only one.

Bread Recipes made with Yeast, Baking Soda, Baking Powder or Sourdough Starter

Thanks to the COVID-19 virus we’ve been staying home more than we ever thought we could.

Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home.

Staying at home is always better than having to stay in a hospital.

For one thing, the food is always better.

Speaking of food, I’ve heard that bread making has become popular.

According to the old Ukrainian folk saying 

Bread is the head of everything.

If you have all of the ingredients, and have no problem with carbs, go for it.

Bread is a safer sedative than booze or drugs.

But, thanks to panic buyers, some items - including staples - have suddenly become hard to find in our grocery stores.

Some substitutions, such as serving frozen mixed vegetables instead of corn with dinner, are easy to do.

Baking ingredients can be a little trickier.

If the recipe calls for yeast, well, you need yeast.

But not all bread recipes call for yeast.

I’m not talking about sourdough, which is a project all by itself.

Some bread recipes just need baking soda or baking powder.

Bread is a funny thing.

Buy a loaf and it’s just bread.

Bake it and you’re suddenly Mother Walton.

Somehow making a loaf makes a person feel like she or he is able to survive through any crisis, like a Depression or a pandemic.

Homemade bread does add a certain oomph to a meal.

Don’t be put off by the idea of making four loaves at one time.

Homemade bread is a treat.

With butter or jam, it’s as good as any cake.

Believe me, it won’t last long enough to go stale.

And most of these breads can easily be frozen.

Stay safe and well!

Anna Sultana’s Halloween Barmbrack

Anna Sultana’s Orange Cranberry Bread

Anna Sultana’s Coconut Bread 

Anna Sultana's Hot Cross Muffins

Anna Sultana’s Cinnamon Bread

Anna Sultana’s Lost Bread & Berry Compote 

Anna Sultana’s Apple Kuchen

Anna Sultana’s Cornbread and Polenta

Anna Sultana's Lemon Monkey Bread 

Anna Sultana's & Mrs. Kekelia's German Rye Bread & Sourdough Starter

Anna Sultana's White Bread / American Bread

Anna Sultana’s Apple Cinnamon Bread

Anna Sultana’s Banana Bread

Anna Sultana’s English Muffins / Quicky Bread Pudding / English Muffin Pizza

Anna Sultana’s Crumpets

Anna Sultana's Pane di Pasqua all 'Uovo / Italian Easter Sweet Bread

Anna Sultana's Saffron Paska (Saffron Easter Bread)

Anna Sultana's Anise Biscotti, Maltese Style

Anna Sultana's Hobz - Maltese Bread l Quick Cheese Pizza

Anna Sultana's Crusty Italian Bread

Anna Sultana's Sausage Bread, Maltese Style

                      ~ ~ ~

Carmela Soprano's Prosciutto Bread / Glazing Bread Loaves

Carmela Soprano's Neapolitan Crostini l Melon and Prosciutto

Carmela Soprano's Biscotti d' Anise - Anise Cookies

Carmela Soprano's Caesar Salad and Homemade Croutons 

Carmela Soprano's Stromboli Bread with Provolone and Meat Filling

Carmela Soprano's Grilled Bruschetta / Grilled Garlic Bread

Carmela Soprano's Italian Easter Sweet Bread

Carmela Soprano's Pizza Di Scarola - (escarole or romaine or spinach bread)

Carmela Soprano's Anisette Toast / Anna Sultana's Biscotti

                      ~ ~ ~

Folklorama: Meat Croquetten and Khubz

Folklorama: Slovak Poppy Seed Rolls and Virtiniai

Folklorama: Grand-pères and Bannock

Folklorama: Irish Stew and Irish Soda Bread

                      ~ ~ ~

Safeway French Bread

Caraway Seed French Bread 

BeaverTails 

Bannock and Corn Dogs

Gingerbread and Seven Minute Frosting 

NY Daily News' Irish Soda Bread

Christmas Breads: Italian Panettone and German Stollen

Mrs. Kekelia's Stollen, German Christmas Bread

Aunt Betty's Panettone, Italian Christmas Bread

Swedish Cardamom Wreath for Saint Lucia Day (Christmas Bread)

Anna Sultana’s Fruitcake Baking Hints

I know… you had really good intentions this year.

But, as usual, life got in the way.

Here we are, one week into December and you haven’t made a fruitcake.

Same as last year… and the years before.

If you’re celebrating Ukrainian Christmas and following the Julian calendar, you have some wiggle room.

But then, if you were Ukrainian, you wouldn’t be looking for a fruitcake recipe. 

You’re not Ukrainian, and you’re in a panic. 

Don’t be.

Ma’s Cinnamon Swirl Sour Cream Coffee Cake has nuts in it, looks festive and doesn’t need to be aged.

Ma’s Pineapple Cake with Coconut Pecan Topping also could be whipped up in a couple of hours the day the relatives are due.

No booze in either recipe, so the kiddies can have all they want.

Carmela Soprano's Mom's Pear and Grappa Pound Cake is also great for holiday gatherings, especially if you're expecting all the relatives.

It can be made in a couple of hours and doesn’t need to be aged.

It has canned pears and your choice of rum, brandy or grappa in it.

Yes, the booze will come in handy with the visiting relatives.

Okay… those recipes can take care of this year’s Christmas dinner.

But you may be wondering why a real fruitcake is such a hassle.

Here’s a quick fruitcake course:

Recipe hints

Don't feel absolutely bound by a recipe.

If you don’t have or don’t like something you can substitute.  Really!

If the recipe calls for                    You can substitute

brandy, rum, etc.                        wine or even a fruit juice 

citron                                         another candied or dried fruit 

raisins                                        more chopped dates and fewer raisins 

candied pineapple, cherries          the same weight of a candied fruit mix 

The weight of fruit and nuts should be about the same as in the recipe. 

Use fresh good quality ingredients, and make sure the spices are fresh.

Dredge fruit and nuts with some flour so they won't sink in the batter. 

Shake off excess flour and use the excess flour in the recipe.

Want a a moister fruitcake?  Add 1 cup applesauce to your recipe.

Baking hints

Two or three days before baking prepare the nuts and fruits.

Pour the liquor or fruit juice over the nuts and fruits, and let the mixture stand well covered at least overnight or for two or three days.

Then drain and use the excess liquid in the recipe.

Fruitcakes may be baked in muffin tins, disposable pans, etc.

If changing the pan's size, remember the baking time will be different.

Be sure to grease and flour pans or use greased brown paper or wax paper.

Place a pan of hot water on the floor of the oven to keep them from drying out. 

Always bake fruitcakes at a low temperature, no higher than 325º F. 

If the cakes are browning too quickly, place a sheet of foil on the top of the cakes.

Be careful not to over bake.

Test with a cake tester or metal/wooden skewer inserted in the centre of the cake. 

It will come out moist, but not doughy, when the cake is done.

Post Baking hints

Sprinkle hot cakes liberally with whatever liquor or wine was used.

You can also poke the cake with a skewer.

Cool fruitcakes on a rack in the pans in which they were baked. 

When cooled, turn them out of the pans and carefully peel off the paper. 

Liquor based cakes may be stored several months in a cool place.  

Wrap the cake in brandy or wine-soaked towels, and then wrap in either plastic wrap or aluminum foil. 

For very long storage, bury the liquor-soaked cake in powdered sugar and place in a tightly covered tin in a cool place. 

Once a week, brush the cakes with more liquor. 

Check liquored-soaked cakes periodically and rewrap in liquor soaked cloth. 

Fruit cakes can be enjoyed as long as 25 years this way. 

But, really, why anyone would brush cakes as a hobby escapes me.

Non liquor soaked cakes may be kept in a cool place for short term storage or in a freezer for long storage.

Storage hints

Fruitcakes taste better after they have aged. This is called "ripening." 

Fruitcakes should be made at least a month ahead of when you’ll need it. 

Two, three, or even four months is better if you can store them in a cool and dry place.

Fruitcakes freeze well, but they must be aged at least four weeks before freezing.

They won’t ripen while they are frozen.

Do not decorate the cakes before storing them.

Serving hints

Frost cakes close to serving time. 

You can brush a sugar syrup glaze on cakes for a shine.

Slice cakes in a sawing motion with a sharp thin-bladed knife or a serrated knife.

Refresh stale fruitcakes by gently heating slices in a microwave or a steamer and serving with a hard sauce, brandy sauce, glaze or desired topping. 

Anna Sultana's White Fruitcake

Four years ago I posted the recipe for 

1930s Dollar Fruitcake (Winnipeg Free Press).

A couple of years ago I posted a recipe 

for Light Fruitcake.

I recently got a request for a white fruitcake recipe that has crushed pineapple.

It’s about time for another fruitcake recipe.

Yes, this recipe has crushed pineapple in it.

Marilyn F., I hope this is the recipe you are looking for.

Not sure if it's too late to make a fruitcake this year?
Check out this post: Anna Sultana’s Fruitcake Baking Hints
Along with the explanations on why fruitcake making is such a hassle here are links for three cakes that could pass for the holidays:

Ma’s Cinnamon Swirl Sour Cream Coffee Cake 
Ma’s Pineapple Cake with Coconut Pecan Topping 
Carmela Soprano's Mom's Pear and Grappa Pound Cake 

Hints:

There’s a light touch of almond flavouring in the cake.

If you'd like a stronger almond flavour, you could increase the amount of almond extract, or you could replace the lemon extract or vanilla with another teaspoon of almond extract.

You could replace the coconut with 8 ounces (250 g) sliced almonds.

Or you could use 4 ounces (125 g) of each.
You could also use just red or green candied cherries, especially if a large tub of either was on sale.

Leave the fruitcake wrapped in the wax paper for storing.  

Remove it just before slicing and serving so it will stay moister.

Why not make both a dark and a white fruitcake?  

Then you could present alternating slices of each on a a festive platter. 

Marilyn mentioned that “her mom loved it (white fruitcake) as it contrasted so well with her dark fruitcake.”

Your guests would love it, too.

After aging this cake can be stored for an indefinite period in the freezer. 

(Maybe next year you could make it in September to get a jump on the season).

                    White Fruitcake

Grease well an 8 inch square cake pan

Line with two layers of wax paper

         

Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C)         

Bake 2 3/4 to 3 hours

Drain over a large measuring cup (you want to save the juice)

1 can (19-ounce / 540 mL) crushed pineapple

If necessary, add enough water to make 1/2 cup (125 mL) of liquid.

Mix together in a large bowl

1 1/2 Cups (375 mL) golden raisins 

4 ounces (125 g) chopped mixed peel or citron

8 ounces (250 g) candied red cherries, quartered

8 ounces (250 g) candied green cherries, quartered

1 Cup (250 mL) coconut 

Sprinkle with 

1/2 Cup (125 mL) flour 

Toss until all the fruit is well dusted. 

Sift together in a medium bowl for the flour mixture

2 1/4 Cups (550 mL) flour

2 teaspoons (10 mL) baking powder

1 teaspoon (5 mL) salt

1 teaspoon (5 mL) nutmeg

In large mixer bowl place

1 Cup (250 mL) butter, room temperature

Cream the butter.

While creaming the butter gradually add

1 1/2 Cups (375 mL) sugar

Mix until light and fluffy.

Add, one at a time, beating well after each addition

3 large eggs

Then add

1 teaspoon (5 mL) vanilla

1 teaspoon (5 mL) lemon extract

1 teaspoon (5 mL) almond extract

the reserved pineapple and 1/2 cup pineapple juice

Stir well.

Add 1/4 of the flour mixture and stir just until mixed.  

Make 3 more flour mixture additions, stirring just until mixed after each one.

Stir in dusted fruit.

Turn batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. 

Bake at 300°F (150°C) for 2 3/4 to 3 hours.

A skewer inserted in centre should come out clean. 

Cool cake in pan on a rack for 30 minutes. 

Turn out onto rack to cool completely. 

Wrap in aluminium foil and store in an airtight container in a cool place.

Links for Christmas / Holiday Favorites

The holidays are the times for traditional recipes.

And it doesn't hurt to try something new.

Here's a collection of some old favourites.

And, hopefully, something that will become a new favourite.

Happy Holidays!!!

Anna Sultana’s Fruitcake Baking Hints

1930s Dollar Fruitcake (Winnipeg Free Press)

Light Fruitcake - Margaret Ullrich

White Fruitcake by Margaret Ullrich

Candied Fruit Rind - Margaret Ullrich

Brandied Fruit - Margaret Ullrich

Easy Sugar Cookies - Margaret Ullrich

Double Chocolate Brownies - Margaret Ullrich

Plain Peppernuts - Margaret Ullrich

Fancy Peppernuts - Margaret Ullrich

German Cookies - Margaret Ullrich

Anise Speculaas - Margaret Ullrich

Anise Biscotti - Margaret Ullrich

Gingerbread Cookies - Margaret Ullrich

Anna Sultana's Prinjolata

Anna Sultana's Fruit & Cheese

Anna Sultana's St. Martin's Cake

Aunt Betty's Strufoli

Aunt Betty's Panettone

Carmela Soprano's Spiked Egg Nog

Carmela Soprano's Candy Cane Martini

Carmela Soprano's Zuppa Ingles

Mrs. Kekelia's Pfeffernuesse

Mrs. Kekelia's Anise Springerle

Mrs. Kekelia's Zimtsterne

Mrs. Kekelia's Stollen

Light Fruitcake by Margaret Ullrich

Ah, fruitcake!

The stuff of memories, legends, jokes...

Ah, holiday recipes and the memories they hold...

Even my Pop once made a fruitcake!

Please, give this recipe a look.

I mean, the holiday season is coming.

Company will be at the table, hungry.

You are going to need a dessert or two.

And this recipe can be prepared in advance.

This fruitcake recipe is traditional, but open to suggestions.

And, it is actually good.

How many fruitcake recipes can say that?

About the fruits...

Over the years I've substituted 2 1/2 Cups deluxe fruitcake mix for 

the citron, peel and pineapple part.

No complaints.

And the nuts...

Almonds, pecans and Brazil nuts - mixed or all of one - work well.

One year I used apricot nectar instead of the juice, and that was nice, too.

Another year I substituted raisins for half of the sultanas.

Like I said, this recipe is open to suggestions.

You know your family and guests.

If they prefer more of a particular fruit or nut, go for it.

Happy Holidays!!

                    Light Fruitcake

Grease 2   8 1/2 x 41/2 x 2 3/4" pans

Line with brown paper 

         

Preheat oven to 275º           

Bake 2 1/2 to 3 hours

Mix together in a large bowl

1 Cup diced citron

1/2 Cup diced candied lemon peel

1 Cup candied pineapple (cut in 1 inch pieces)

1 1/2 Cups whole candied cherries

3 Cups (1 pound) sultanas 

2 Cups nuts 

1 Cup flour

Sift together in a medium for the flour mixture

2 Cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons salt

Place in a small bowl

1 Cup oil

1 1/2 Cups sugar

4 large eggs

Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon or electric mixer 2 minutes.

Stir oil mixture into the flour mixture ALTERNATELY with

1 Cup pineapple or apple juice 

Pour the batter over the floured fruit and mix thoroughly.

Pour the battered fruit into the two prepared pans.

Bake.

After baking, let cakes stand in pans 15 minutes.

Remove the paper-wrapped cakes from the pans and place on a rack.

Let cool completely.

Remove the paper, and wrap in foil.

Store to ripen in a cool, dry place.

Makes 2 3-pound loaves

Nutmeg & Mace - Margaret Ullrich

It's almost Christmas.

So, I'm giving you a two-fer.

Merry Christmas!!

What with all the fancy coffees that are out there, even at good old Micky D, 

a cup of egg nog - or a coffee with whipped cream - looks downright naked 

unless it has some brown flecks on top of it.

This is nutmeg's moment to shine!

Ah, but what do you know about nutmeg?

The seed is known as nutmeg, and the red membrane around the seed is mace.

In the tropics, natives eat the pulp of the fruit.

This spice was once so costly that people would carry a nutmeg and a small grater 

that could be folded to the size of a lipstick.

Guess they drank a lot of fancy coffees.

Freshly grated nutmeg (you can use the fine holes of a metal grater) has a 

more intense flavor.

Nutmeg and mace can be used interchangeably.

Still, mace is more potent than nutmeg.

A bit of trivia while you're nogging...

In Egypt mace is sometimes used as hashish.

Maybe that's how it gets us into that holiday spirit!

The nutty flavor of nutmeg goes well with sweet desserts, custards, 

fruit cakes, pies and cookies.

Sprinkle nutmeg onto vanilla ice cream before serving.

You can also flavor an apple or pear pie with nutmeg in place of cinnamon.

Add a pinch of nutmeg to the crust of a meat pie for a gourmet touch.

Stir a pinch into cream sauces or soups.

It's great with winter squash, mashed sweet potatoes, glazed carrots or parsnips.

Sprinkle some on green beans, spinach or into mashed potatoes.

Anna Sultana's St. Martin's Cake / Fruitcake, Maltese Style

Lest we forget...

Today is Remembrance Day.

In Malta, November 11 is celebrated as the feast of St. Martin.

Il-festa ta' San Martin it-tajba lil kullhadd!

St. Martin, Bishop of Tours, was once a Roman soldier.  He is one of the greatest saints of France and the most celebrated Bishop of the fourth century.

He had a great love for the poor.  Legend has it that upon seeing a beggar, 

St. Martin stopped his horse, sliced his cape in two, and gave half to the beggar.  

That night St. Martin dreamed he saw Jesus wearing the cut half of his cape.

Ma made a traditional St. Martin's cake to mark his feast day.

It's a nice fruitcake that doesn't need to age.

Handy to whip up for St. Martin.

Or Christmas.

Or just any day you'd like a solid dessert.

Really. 

                             

                              St. Martin's Cake

Grease well a large oven-proof pot

Preheat oven to 325º

In a large mixer bowl, cream until light and fluffy

200 g butter

200 g sugar

Beat in

4 large eggs

4 Tablespoons milk

Fold in

400 g flour

1 Tablespoon allspice

Add

200 g walnuts (chopped)

200 g hazelnuts (chopped)

100 g almonds (chopped)

100 g figs (chopped)

100 g chestnuts (roasted and chopped)

Pour the mixture into the prepared pot.

Bake 1 1/2 hours or until golden brown.

Let cool on a rack.

Before serving, if you want, dust with

Confectioners' sugar