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Fruitcake, Brandied Black

Source of Recipe

Internet and old friends


Recipe Introduction

Aging fruitcake in brandy 1 Soak the cheesecloth thoroughly in brandy. 2 Wrap the soaked cheesecloth around the fruitcake, covering the entire cake in several layers of the cloth. 3 Wrap the cheesecloth-wrapped fruitcake securely in plastic wrap. Again, cover the entire cake as you do this. Keep the plastic as close to the cheesecloth and cake as possible; do not leave any large pockets of air. The plastic should entirely cover the cheesecloth and cake without any holes or gaps. 4 Place the wrapped cake into an airtight container and seal the container. Leave the cake alone for three to four days. 5 Remove the fruitcake from the airtight container every three to four days. Unwrap only the plastic wrap, leaving the cheesecloth in place. Discard the plastic wrap. Wet the cheesecloth and fruitcake with more brandy, adding enough to thoroughly moisten the cheesecloth without completely drenching the cake. Rewrap the cake with plastic wrap and place it back into the airtight container. Repeat this process every three to four days until the fruitcake is appropriately aged, at least three to four weeks. [My mother started her fruitcakes 3 months before Christmas]

Recipe Link: eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_7383767_age-fruitcake-brandy.html#ixzz1d5HoxXVq

List of Ingredients

Makes 2 springform cakes.

1 pound raisins, minced
1 pound prunes, pitted, minced
1 pound dried currants, minced
1 pound glace cherries, minced
6 ounces glace lemon peel, minced
6 ounces glace orange peel, minced
3/4 liter merlot wine
3/4 liter brandy
2 pounds dark brown sugar
1 cup water
4 1/4 cups cake flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups sweet butter, softened
10 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract








Recipe

In a large bowl, mix all the fruits thoroughly with the wine and the brandy; let the fruit macerate, covered, at room temperature for at least two weeks.

In a heavy skillet combine half of the brown sugar and water. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved, and gently boil the syrup, swirling the skillet occasionally, for a few minutes, or until it is reduced to 1-3/4 cups.

Let the syrup cool; reserve.

Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg together into a bowl. In the large bowl of an electric mixer cream together the remaining brown sugar and the butter until it is fluffy; then beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Beat in the vanilla, the flour mixture, and 1-1/3 cups of the burnt sugar syrup, reserving the remaining syrup for another use.

In another large bowl, combine well the flour mixture and the fruit mixture and divide the batter between two buttered and floured 10 inch springform pans, (or 3-4 loaf pans). Bake the cakes in the middle of a preheated 350 degrees F oven for two hours, or until a tooth pick inserted in the centers comes out with some crumbs adhering to it.

Let the cakes cool in the pans on a rack, remove the sides and bottoms of the pans, and wrap the cakes in brandy soaked cheesecloth and wax paper with tinfoil on the outside. tore in a very cool room such as an attic or enclosed porch.
Glaze if desired.