Grandma Betties Light Fruit Cake Recipes

GRANDMA BETTIE'S LIGHT FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line two loaf pans with parchment paper.
• Coat cherries, raisins, almonds, and pineapple with 1 cup flour.
• Beat sugar, butter, and eggs together until creamy. Sift remaining flour with baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture; stir in vanilla and almond extracts. Fold in the fruit and almond mixture. Spoon batter into the prepared pans and spread evenly.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Wrap cakes tightly and let age in a cool place for 2 to 4 weeks.

FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Stir together dried fruit, candied ginger, peel, and 1/2 cup liqueur. Let stand at room temperature 3 hours or overnight.
• Cut parchment paper to line the bottom of a 7-by-3-inch or 9-by-2-inch round cake pan. Coat pan with cooking spray; line with parchment. Spray lining. Flour pan; tap out excess.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking powder, spices, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Put butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle; mix on medium speed until smooth. Mix in eggs (1 at a time), molasses, and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture; mix until smooth. Mix in fruit, nuts, and coconut.
• Pour batter into pan. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 2 1/2 hours for 9-inch cake or 2 3/4 hours for 7-inch cake. If desired, brush with up to 1/2 cup liqueur. Unmold; let cool.

GRANDMA'S MOLASSES FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°. Grease and flour three 9x5-in. loaf pans. Line bottoms with waxed paper; grease and flour the paper. Combine currants, raisins, walnuts, candied citron and 1/4 cup flour. Toss to coat; set aside., Cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in molasses. In another bowl, whisk baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and remaining flour; add to creamed mixture alternately with coffee. Stir into currant mixture and mix well., Transfer to prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Wrap tightly and store in the refrigerator for at least 2 days to blend flavors. Slice and bring to room temperature before serving. Refrigerate leftovers.

GRANDMA'S FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• You will use one 9x5" loaf pan for this. Spray inside with non stick spray lightly and shake some flour in while patting it around so it slides out nicely when done. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
• In a bowl whisk sugar, eggs, vanilla together and then add softened butter and whisk until smooth.
• In another bowl whisk together dry ingredients. Then slowly incorporate this into your butter, wet, mixture.
• Gently fold in fruit and pecans so it is incorporated nicely. Then pour batter into your pan and bake for 1 hour 10 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes, then loosen slides with a knife and slide out. Set that on your cooling rack to completely cool.
• Slice and serve.

GRANDMA LEONE'S FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 8x8-inch baking pans.
• Bring water and raisins to a boil in a saucepan; cook until raisins are plump, about 2 minutes. Drain and cool raisins; reserve raisin water.
• Mix 3 cups flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Place pecans and 2 tablespoons flour in a resealable plastic bag; close and shake bag until pecans are coated. Pour pecans into a colander and shake off excess flour.
• Whisk sugar, oil, eggs, and cooled raisin water together in a bowl; fold in candied fruit. Stir flour mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, into sugar mixture until fully incorporated; fold in raisins and pecans. Fill the prepared pans a little over half full.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Lower temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C); bake until a knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 more hour.

GRANDMA BETTY'S FAMILY FRUIT CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Oven should be preheated to 250 (yes that is correct - 250) and cooking time is 2 hours (yes, 2 hours). Prep time is about 30 minutes. You will need 5-6 Mini Loaf Pans approximately 5" x 3" in size, I used 6.
• 2. Bowl #1 - Mix flour, baking powder and sugar, SET ASIDE
• 3. Bowl #2 - Mix Eggs, Vanilla extract and Almond extract together, SET ASIDE
• 4. Bowl #3 - Mix Dates, Cherries (RED AND GREEN), Pineapple (get the largest pieces you can find, not whole but not the bits either) and Nuts together, SET ASIDE. (note: I have also used Pecans - either or both are excellent) NOTE #1: BE SURE to SET ASIDE 3 CHERRIES for EACH mini Pan to go ON TOP of each cake before cooking. NOTE #2: I do not add all the syrup from the candied fruit, I do my best to remove the candied fruit from the containers leaving behind the goo. I do not rinse the fruit.
• 5. Follow this order for easiest blending of above ingredients - Mix Bowl #1 and Bowl #2 together. Be sure to get a creamy, no lumps remaining, smooth consistency. I use a large spatula to achieve best blend.
• 6. REMINDER: BEFORE YOU FOLD BOWL #3 into the BATTER created by BOWL #1 & BOWL #2 - BE SURE to set aside three cherries for each fruit cake to put on top of each mini loaf before they go in the oven. THEN, fold ingredients of Bowl #3 into your above blended batter.
• 7. Spray your individual mini loaf pans (as seen in photo) with a cooking spray of your choice.
• 8. Scoop out enough batter to fill each tin. Do not over fill. This recipe will fill 6 individual mini tins nicely. NOW - ADD THE SET ASIDE CHERRIES to the top of your loaf pan now filled with the completed batter to accent your creation.
• 9. Place the tins on a large cookie sheet (for easiest in and out placement to oven) AND BAKE - 250 slow oven for 2 hours.
• 10. When finished, remove from oven and let cook on wire rack.
• 11. I leave the fruit cake in the pans, and then put the pretty little Fruit Cakes in a fancy clear food type gift bag or wrap in clear plastic wrap and add a bow so everyone can see your delicious treat when you present it to them.