Fruit Cake Slice With Lemon Icing 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!).

EASY FRUIT CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F
• Grease and line a 9" x 4" loaf pan. Set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and spices. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine the butter and brown sugar and beat until light and fluffy, 2 minutes.
• Add the warm water, milk, vanilla and eggs. Beat until thoroughly combined.
• Add half of the flour mixture, mix until combined, and then the remaining half. Do not overmix.
• Add in the candied peel and nuts, to taste.
• Fold the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 40-50 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
• For the frosting, combine the cream cheese and powdered icing sugar for 2 minutes until smooth and light. Adjust the consistency with more powdered sugar or cream.

BLUEBERRY CAKE WITH LEMON FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven: Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) for 20 minutes before starting the batter. Place one shelf in the middle of the oven and a second beneath it.
• Cake pans: Grease 3 x 20cm / 8" cake pans with butter and line with parchment / baking paper. (Note 9 more pan sizes)
• Blueberries: Set aside ~1/3 of the blueberries (for scattering later). Toss the remaining blueberries in flour.
• Be prepared: Have all batter ingredients measured out and ready to add in. New to baking? Read 'Tips for Success' above recipe card.
• Combine dry ingredients: Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
• Whisk eggs: Beat eggs for 30 seconds on speed 6 of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or hand beater.
• Add sugar, then beat: With the beater still going, pour the sugar in over 45 seconds. Then beat for 7 minutes on speed 8, or until tripled in volume and white.
• Gently add flour: Scatter 1/3 flour across surface of whipped eggs, then beat on Speed 1 for 5 seconds. Add half remaining flour, mix on Speed 1 for 5 sec. Add remaining flour, then mix on Speed 1 for 5 - 10 sec until the flour is just mixed in. Once you can't see flour, stop straight away.
• Whisk wet ingredients: Put sour cream, hot butter, oil, vanilla and lemon zest into the now-empty flour bowl. Whisk well until smooth.
• 'Temper' sour cream mix: Add about 1 1/2 cups of the egg mixture into the sour cream bowl (2 big scoops, no need to be accurate). Whisk well until smooth.
• Slowly combine sour cream mix and egg mix: Turn beater back on Speed 1 then scrape the sour cream mixture into the egg mixture over 15 seconds, then turn beater off.
• Scrape and final mix: Scrape down sides and base of bowl. Beat on Speed 1 for 10 seconds. The batter should be thick but soft, not runny and thin.
• Blueberries: Quickly but gently fold in flour coated blueberries.
• Divide batter between cake pans, smooth the surface. Scatter over reserved blueberries.
• Bake 25 minutes or until golden and toothpick inserted into centre comes out clean. (If you cannot fit all pans on one shelf, put 2 pans in the middle shelf and 1 pan underneath. Take the top pans out at 25 minutes, move the lower pan to middle shelf and bake for a further 3 minutes)
• Once out of oven, cool in cake pans for 15 minutes, then gently turn out onto cooling racks upside down. Peel off baking paper and cool upside down - any slight dome will flatten perfectly (for neat layers).
• Frost upside down layers with Cream Cheese Frosting! Decorate with extra blueberries, lemon slices and edible flowers, if desired.
• Beat butter with whisk attachment in stand mixer for 2 minutes until fluffy and creamy, and it becomes a paler colour. Add cream cheese, then beat for 30 seconds just until smooth.
• Add icing sugar / powdered sugar, then gently mix on speed 1 (to avoid an icing powder storm). If you do get a powder storm, cover with tea towel, then once mostly incorporated, beat on high for a full 2 minutes on Speed 7.
• Add vanilla and lemon juice, then beat for a further 30 seconds. Use immediately. (Note 11 re: frosting too sloppy)

FRUIT CAKE SLICE WITH LEMON ICING.

Steps:

• Grease a 19cm x 30cm lamington pan. Line base of pan with baking paper.
• Beat butter and sugar in a small bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined. Beat in apricot jam. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.
• Stir cake crumbs into egg mixture until combined,stir in flour, coconut, mixed spice and milk, in two batches. Spread mixture into prepared pan.
• Cook in a moderate oven (180C) for about 30 minutes, or until cooked when tested. Stand for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.
• Lemon Icing ~
• Beat butter and lemon rind until pale in colour. Gradually beat in icing sugar mixture, and beat until smooth.
• Spread lemon icing over cold slice. Sprinkle with extra mixed spice before cutting into squares.

LEMON DRIZZLE SLICES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4. Line a 20 x 20cm square baking tin with baking parchment.
• Using an electric whisk, beat the butter and sugar together until pale, light and fluffy. Add the eggs and mix again. Add the flour, baking powder, lemon zest, lemon curd and milk, and mix with a wooden spoon until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 25-30 mins or until a skewer comes out clean.
• Mix the sugar and lemon juice together and pour over the hot cake. Leave to cool in the tin. You can eat the cake as it is, or for a fancy finish, try making this feather icing.
• Mix the icing sugar with just enough water to give a runny, but not watery, icing. Put a small amount of icing in a separate bowl. Add a few drops of the food colouring to the icing until pale yellow. Spoon into a disposable icing bag.
• Remove the cake from the tin and peel off the baking parchment. Sit the cake on a wire rack over a baking tray. Spread the white icing over the top. Pipe thin lines of the coloured icing across the width of the cake. Use a cocktail stick to drag through the lines in opposite directions to create a feathered effect. Leave to set before cutting into slices.

HOLIDAY FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°. Combine fruit and nuts. In another bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Pour over fruit and nuts; stir to coat. , Transfer to a greased and floured 10-in. tube pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 2 hours. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Wrap tightly and store in a cool place. Bring to room temperature before serving; slice with a serrated knife.

ROYAL ICING FOR FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together egg whites and lemon juice until frothy. Whisk in confectioners' sugar and beat until smooth. Beat in food coloring or almond extract, if desired. Use immediately.