Brandy Moist Cake Recipes

CHRISTMAS CAKE - EASY MOIST FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Place dried fruit and juice/brandy in a large microwavable container. Microwave 1 1/2 minutes on high or until hot.
• Stir to coat all fruit in liquid. Cover then set aside for 1 hour (to plump up/soak and cool).
• Preheat oven to 160°C / 320°F (140°C fan). Grease and line a 21 - 22 cm / 8 - 9" round cake pan with baking paper (parchment paper) (7 cm / 2.75" tall).
• Using an electric beater, beat butter and sugar until smooth and creamy (about 1 minute on speed 5).
• Add oil and molasses, beat until combined.
• Add salt, spices and baking powder - beat until incorporated.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just incorporated
• Stir in the flour.
• When mostly incorporated, stir in the fruit mix (including all the extra liquid in bowl) and walnuts (if using).
• Pour into cake pan, cover with foil and bake for 3 hours 15 minutes, removing foil the last 45 minutes. Skewer inserted into middle should come out clean with no batter on it.
• Remove from oven and cool for 20 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Cool completely before serving.
• Cake is moist and so full flavoured, it can be eaten plain. But see below for decorating and serving ideas (traditionally served with pouring custard).
• Cutting: Either cut into thin wedges, or cut cake into thin strips (2cm / 0.75" or so), then cut those strips into serving size pieces.
• Traditional White Christmas Cake (pictured in post) - Marzipan and fondant, see Decorating Note.
• Simple - pile top with fresh cherries or other fruit, dust with icing sugar (powdered sugar). Wrap a ribbon around the cake for extra touch!
• Drippy white glaze - use the glaze in this Lemon Cake recipe, but leave out the lemon juice (ie make a plain sweet white glaze). Flip cake upside down for flat surface then glaze per that recipe.
• Serving - serve with custard for a traditional experience! Either homemade custard or store bought pouring custard (jazz it up by mixing in vanilla seed paste!).

RICH BRANDY CHRISTMAS FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• The night before you cook this place all the fruit fruit peel and nuts into a bowl and soak for 12 hours in the brandy and orange juice; Stir every time you go into the kitchen!
• pre-heat oven to 275ºF/140ºC.
• Grease and line with greaseproof paper an 8 inch/20cm round cake tin.
• Sift the flour salt and spices into a large mixing bowl.
• In a separate bowl cream the butter and sugar together until the mixtures fluffy.
• Beat the eggs and add them a little at a time.
• Fold in the flour and spices.
• Stir in the fruit that has been soaking along with any excess liquid.
• Mix in the treacle.
• Spoon into the cake tin and spread out evenly.
• Cover the cake with a double square of greaseproof paper with a small hole in the top.
• Bake the cake on the lower shelf for 4& 1/4- 3/4 hours.
• When the cake is cold wrap in double greaseproof paper and store in an airtight tin.
• Feed the cake every two days for the first 2 weeks with a spoonful of brandy and/or orange juice and/or glacè cherry syrup.
• First poke little holes in the cake with a knitting needle or a skewer.
• Come Christmas you will have a very very rich fruit cake.
• Use royal icing to ice it or almond paste and royal icing, I don't like almond paste!

NEW YEAR'S ORANGE AND BRANDY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 10-inch round cake pan.
• In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until light yellow and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the butter or butter and margarine and beat for 1 minute more. Beat in the orange juice and brandy.
• Whisk together the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and the zests in another large bowl. Add to the yolk mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until incorporated.
• In a large clean bowl, with clean beaters, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Fold them into the batter. Pour the batter into the pan and shake gently to even the top. Decorate the top with almonds.
• Bake the cake for about 1 hour, or until it is golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack before removing from the pan and serving.

BEST CHRISTMAS BRANDY CAKE

Steps:

• Combine fruits and brandy, dredge with half of the flour, and allow to stand 2 hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar, lemon zest till fluffy.
• Add beaten eggs slowly and whip to form peaks.
• Now add the rest of the flour and mix well.
• Fold in the brandy-fruit mixture.
• Turn into a greased cake tin and bake at 180C (350F) for 1 1/2 hours, or until cake tests done with a toothpick.