Recipe Talk

I lost my card for the white fruitcake - I loved this recipe

'McCall's Famous Christmas Black Fruitcake.' I have been told repeatedly it is one of the best fruitcakes, by those who taste it, ever eaten.

I am sending the recipe as it was given to me;

Rosie says this can be baked in a 10-inch tube pan or two 9x5x3-inch loaf pans. She also has used the smallest aluminum foil loaf pans with a yield of 6-8 cakes. "This size makes perfect gifts for neighbors and co-workers," she adds.

McCall's Famous Christmas Black Fruitcake

1/4 pound citron

1/2 pound candied cherries

1 pound candied pineapple

1 pound golden raisins

1/2 pound seeded raisins

1/4 pound currants

1/2 cup dark rum, brandy or sherry

1/4 pound blanched almonds

1/4 pound walnuts or pecans

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1/8 pound candied lemon peel

1/8 pound candied orange peel

1/2 teaspoon mace

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

5 eggs

1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon almond flavoring

1/4 pound butter or margarine

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

To prepare fruits: Cut citron in very thin strips; cut cherries in half; cut pineapple in thin wedges.

Pick over raisins and currants and soak overnight in rum, brandy or sherry. Chop up nuts coarsely.

Grease and line pan or pans with brown paper. Set oven at 275 degrees.

Sift flour. Measure out 1/2 cup by spooning lightly into cup (do not pack or shake down), then mix it with the fruits and nuts in a large bowl. Sift remaining flour again with spices and soda onto wax paper.

Beat eggs slightly; mix milk and almond flavoring.

Cream butter or margarine until soft, with your hands. Gradually work in white sugar, then the brown sugar until fluffy. Stir in eggs, milk mixture and then flour. Mix thoroughly. Pour this batter over fruits and nuts mixture. Mix extremely well.

Using both hands, lift batter into pan. Press down firmly with your palm. Bake (see times below).

--For a 10-inch tube pan, fill with batter and bake 3 hours, 15 minutes.

--For 9x5x3-inch loaf pans, fill halfway with batter and bake 2 hours, 15 minutes.

Let stand 1 hour after coming from oven before turning out of pan. Then turn upside down on a wire rack and tear off paper.

When stone cold, put cake in crock or tin with sliced, unpeeled apples. Cover tightly and keep cool.

For a magnificent flavor, pour 1/2 cup rum, brandy or sherry over cake every 4 weeks.

Rosie's note: "I wrap cakes in bourbon-soaked cheesecloth, refreshing once a week, then wrap in waxed paper and aluminum foil. Keep in refrigerator to ensure smooth

SuzieQue - home chef SuzieQue
Belleville, United States
about 5 years ago

Source: The New McCall's Cook Book
Copyright: 1963 -1973

BEST OF ALL FRUITCAKES

1 lb. golden raisins
1/2 lb. seeded raisins
1/4 lb. currants
1/2 cup dark rum or brandy
1 lb candied pineapple
1/2 lb. candied red cherries
1/4 lb candied citron
1/8 lb. candied lemon peel
1/8 lb. candied orange peel
2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. mace
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 lb. almonds, shelled, blanched, and coarsely chopped
1/4 lb. walnuts or pecans, shelled and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup butter or regular margarine, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
5 eggs, slightly beaten
1 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. almond extract
Rum or brandy
1 can (8oz.) almond paste
Frosting glaze
Aagelica
Candied red cherries

1) In large bowl, combine raisins and currants. Add 1/2 cup rum; toss to combine. Let stand, covered, overnight.

2) Next day, line a 10" tube pan. On heavy brown paper, draw an 18" circle, and cut out. Set pan in center of circle; draw around base of pan and tube. With pencil lines outside, fold paper into eights; snip off tip. Unfold circle; cut along folds to second circle. Grease both the tube pan and unpenciled side of paper well. Fit paper greased side up, into pan.

3) Prepare fruits: With sharp knife, cut pineapple in thin wedges; cut 1/2 lb. cherries in half; cut citron and lemon and orange peels into very thin strips. Add to raisins and currants; mix well.

4) On sheet of waxed paper, sift 1-1/2 cups flour with spices and baking soda. Set aside. Preheat oven to 275 F.

5) Combine remaining 1/2 cup flour with nuts and fruits; toss lightly.

6) In large bowl of electric mixer, at med. speed, beat butter until light. Gradually beat in granulated sugar, then brown sugar, beating until very light and fluffy.

7) Beat in eggs, milk, and almond extract until thoroughly combined.

8) At low speed, beat in flour mixture, mixing just until combined. Turn batter into fruit and nuts. Mix well with hands.

9) Turn into prepared pan, pressing batter down in pan evenly all around.

10) Bake 3 hours and 15 min. or until a cake tester inserted near center comes out dry.

11) Let cake stand in pan on wire rack 30 min. to cool slightly. Turn out of pan; gently remove paper. Let cool completely.

12) To store: Wrap cake in cheesecloth soaked in rum or brandy. Place in a cake tin with a tight-fitting cover. Add a few pieces of raw, unpeeled apple. (As cheesecloth dries out, resoak in rum or brandy.) Store in a cool place several weeks.

13) To decorate cake for serving: Roll almond paste between 2 sheets of waxed paper into an 8" circle. Remove top sheet of paper. Invert paste onto cake; remove paper. With sharp knife, trim edge of paste; then press paste to cake. Spread paste with frosting glaze, letting it run down side of cake. Cut angelica into thin slices. Cut cherries in half. Decorate cake.

Makes a 5 lb. fruitcake.
Source: The New McCall's Cook Book
Copyright: 1963 -1973

Category: Desserts, Cakes

=========================================
HOLIDAY WHITE FRUITCAKE

"Store in refrigerator at least 4 weeks to develop flavor."

FOR THE FRUIT MIXTURE:
1 pound blanched whole almonds
8 ounces candied red cherries (2 jars)
4 ounces candied green cherries (1 jar)
8 ounces candied citron (2 jars)
8 ounces diced candied pineapple (2 jars)
4 ounces diced candied orange peel (1 jar)
1/2 pound golden raisins
1/2 cup all-purpose flour; unsifted
FOR THE WHITE BATTER:
1 1/4 cups soft butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sherry
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; sifted
FOR SOAKING THE CAKE:
cheesecloth
sherry or brandy
FOR THE TOPPING (OPTIONAL):
8 ounces almond paste (1 can)
candied cherries; for garnish
candied angelica; for garnish
FOR THE ICING (OPTIONAL):
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar; sifted
2 tablespoons butter or margarine; melted
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

TO PREPARE THE PAN:
Line a 10-inch tube pan: On a piece of brown paper, draw an 18-inch circle and cut it out. Set pan in center of circle; draw around base of pan and tube. With pencil lines outside, fold paper circle into eighths. Snip off tip. Unfold circle. Cut along folds just to second circle. Grease both the pan and paper well. Fit the paper, greased side up, into tube pan.

TO PREPARE THE FRUIT MIXTURE:
With a very sharp knife, coarsely cut up almonds. Cut cherries in half. In a very large bowl, combine nuts, fruits, and 1/2 cup unsifted flour; mix well.

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.

TO MAKE THE WHITE BATTER:
In large bowl of electric mixer, at medium speed, beat butter until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light, about 5 minutes. Add salt. Then add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat until light and fluffy.

Mix the milk, 1/4 cup sherry, and the almond extract. At low speed, alternately blend into sugar-egg mixture the sifted flour (in fourths) and the milk and sherry mixture (in thirds), beginning and ending with flour. Beat only until blended. Pour batter over fruit mixture. With hands or spoon, mix until well combined. Turn into prepared tube pan, packing firmly.

Bake cake 3 hours, or until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan one hour. Remove from pan; invert on rack and peel off paper. Cool completely.

Soak a large piece of cheesecloth in 1/3 cup sherry or brandy. Use it to wrap fruitcake. Overwrap in plastic film or foil. Store in refrigerator at least 4 weeks to develop flavor. Resoak cheesecloth in booze as needed.

BEFORE SERVING, IF DESIRED, DECORATE AS FOLLOWS:
Between two sheets of waxed paper, roll 1 (8-ounce) can almond paste into an 8-inch circle; remove top sheet of paper. Invert almond paste onto top of cake; remove paper. With sharp knife, trim edge. Press paste to cake.

Combine 1 1/2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar, 2 Tablespoons melted butter or margarine, 1 1/2 Tablespoons milk, and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract; mix until smooth. Spoon over almond paste. With small spatula, smooth icing, letting it drip down sides of cake.

Garnish the cake with candied cherries and angelica.

Makes one 10-inch

McCall's Christmas Fruitcake, Toppings and Sauces, 1970

1 (8 oz) jar diced candied pineapple
1 (4 oz) jar candied cherries, halved
2 tablespoons chopped candied citron
2 tablespoons chopped candied lemon peel
2 tablespoons chopped candied orange peel
1 1/3 cups light raisins
2/3 cup dark raisins
1/3 cup currants
2/3 cup blanched almonds, coarsely chopped
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 eggs
2 tablespoons brandy
3 tablespoons applesauce
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light-brown sugar, firmly packed
16 blanched almonds, halved (optional, for decorating)

1. Lightly grease an 11-by-4 1/2-by-2 3/4-inch angel-food loaf pan. Line bottom and sides of pan with oiled, heavy (food grade) brown paper (or double layer of parchment paper); grease again.

2. In large bowl, combine pineapple, cherries, citron, lemon and orange peels, light and dark raisins, currants, almonds, walnuts, and 1/2 cup flour. Toss to mix well; set aside.

3. Sift rest of flour with allspice, cinnamon, and baking soda; set aside.

4. In small bowl, with fork, beat eggs until they are light. Beat in the brandy, applesauce, and almond extract.

S. In large bowl of electric mixer, at medium speed, beat butter with sugars until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in egg mixture.

6. At low speed, gradually beat in flour-spice mixture, beating only until combined. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.

7. Turn fruit-and-nut mixture into batter; mix with hands or with wooden spoon or rubber scraper, to combine well.

8. Turn batter into prepared pan; press down well with rubber scraper, to make surface smooth and even.

9. If desired, arrange almond halves on batter in a pattern (see photo).

10. Bake about 2 1/2 hours, or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan on wire rack 30 minutes.

11. Turn out of pan. Let cool completely on wire rack.

12. Wrap cooled fruitcake in cheesecloth that has been soaked in 1/3 cup brandy. Then wrap very tightly in saran or foil. Store in refrigerator or in an airtight tin container.

13. Resoak cheesecloth with brandy as it dries out-once a week. Wrap individual fruitcakes together in one large cheesecloth.

14. Let cake age 6 to 8 weeks, to develop flavor, before decorating. Decorate and serve as desired.

Makes one (3 1/2 pound) loaf

Note: This basic recipe can be baked in different-size pans. Refer to the Baking Chart for Christmas Fruitcake, below.

BAKING CHRISTMAS FRUITCAKE IN DIFFERENT PAN SIZES:

FOR 1 (11x4-INCH) LOAF CAKE:
Pan size: 11 x 4 1/2 x 2 3/4-inch angel food loaf pan
Amount of batter: 1 recipe
Oven temperature: 275 degrees F
Baking time: 2 hours 30 minutes

FOR 1 (9x5-INCH) LOAF CAKE:
Pan size: 9x5-inch loaf pan
Amount of batter: 1 recipe
Oven temperature: 275 degrees F
Baking time: 3 hours

FOR 1 (10-INCH) TUBE CAKE:
Pan size: 10-inch tube pan
Amount of batter: recipe doubled
Oven temperature: 275 degrees F
Baking time: 3 hours 15 minutes

FOR 7 SMALL LOAVES:
Pan size: 7 (4 1/2 x 2 1/2 x 1 1/2-inch) individual loaf pans
Amount of batter: 1 recipe, 3/4 cup batter for each pan
Oven temperature: 275 degrees F
Baking time: 1 hour

FOR 11 CUPCAKES:
Pan size: 11 (5 ounce) custard cups
Amount of batter: 1 recipe, 1/2 cup batter for each cup
Oven temperature: 250 degrees F
Baking time: 1 hour 10 minutes

FOR 160 BONBONS:
Pan size: 160 foil bonbon cups (ungreased)
Amount of batter: 1 recipe, 1 teaspoon batter for each cup
Oven temperature: 275 degrees F
Baking time: 30 minutes

TO DECORATE AND SERVE FRUITCAKE:
1. Decorate top with candied pineapple, cut into wedges, and halved candied cherries. Brush top with Glaze for Fruitcake (recipe follows).
2. Or spread top of cake with Marzipan Frosting (recipe follows). Then spread marzipan with White Glaze or Decorator Icing, and decorate as desired.
3. When glaze or icing is hard, gift wrap cake, if desired. Wrap in foil; then wrap again, in Christmas-wrap foil.
4. To serve cake: Slice thinly. Serve plain or with one of sauces, below.

GLAZE FOR FRUITCAKE
This is enough glaze to brush top of cake made from basic recipe.

1/3 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon water

In small saucepan, combine corn syrup and lemon juice with 1 tablespoon water. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring, over low heat, 5 minutes, or until mixture is reduced to 1/3 cup. Let cool completely. Then brush glaze over surface of fruitcake, to give a shiny effect.

MARZIPAN FROSTING*
This is enough to frost top of fruitcake made from basic recipe.

2 cans (4 1/2 ounces each) blanched whole almonds
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 egg white (pasteurized)
2 teaspoons water
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Confectioner's sugar

In electric blender, at high speed, grind almonds, half a can at a time. Turn into large bowl. Add sugar; stir to combine well.

In small bowl, combine egg white with 2 teaspoons water and the almond extract. Pour into almond mixture; stir. Turn out onto wooden board sprinkled with confectioners' sugar. With hands, knead until smooth.

TO FROST CAKE:
With rolling pin, roll out marzipan on board, sprinkled with confectioners' sugar, to size of top of cake. Turn cake upside down on marzipan, fitting top evenly. With spatula, press marzipan to cake around edge. Turn cake up again, marzipan on top. Smooth marzipan with metal spatula. Brush off excess sugar.
Then glaze with White Glaze or Decorator Icing (recipes follow), and decorate.

*Note: Or use 2 cans (8 ounces each) almond paste for frosting. Roll out, and fit on top of cake, as above.

WHITE GLAZE
This is enough glaze to cover marzipan and fruitcake made from basic recipe.

1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
FOR DECORATING:
Angelica
2 candied cherries

Into confectioners' sugar in medium bowl, stir butter, milk, and almond extract. Beat with wooden spoon until smooth.

With metal spatula, spread glaze over top of Marzipan Frosting, letting it drizzle down sides.

TO DECORATE CAKE:
Cut angelica into 8 diamonds, for leaves. Halve cherries. Place leaves in pairs, with half of cherry between each pair, here and there on top of cake.

DECORATING ICING
Makes enough icing for marzipan and fruitcake made from basic recipe.

2 to 2 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 egg white (pasteurized)

With wooden spoon, gradually beat sugar into egg white. Continue beating until mixture is stiff and stands in peaks.

With metal spatula, spread icing over top and sides of Marzipan Frosting on top of cake.

With spatula dipped in hot water, smooth icing, to make very smooth, or make swirls ending in small peaks all over cake.

Let icing dry at least 6 hours before cutting. (Cover exposed sides of cake with saran, to prevent drying out.)

TO DECORATE CAKE:
Tie a red ribbon (about 1-inch wide) around cake, to hide joining of icing and fruitcake. Place angelica leaves and candied cherries on top, as directed in White Glaze, above.

SAUCES FOR FRUITCAKE:

ALMOND SAUCE
Makes about 2 cups

1/2 cup soft butter or margarine
1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream

In top of double boiler, with portable electric mixer, beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and almond extract. Over hot, not boiling, water, stir mixture until smooth and consistency of heavy cream, about 15 minutes. Refrigerate, covered, until well chilled - about I hour.

JUST BEFORE SERVING:
Whip cream until stiff. Fold into chilled mixture until well combined. Serve over thin slices of fruitcake.

LEMON SAUCE
Makes about 2 cups

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

Melt butter in top of double boiler, over hot, not boiling, water. Stir in sugar.

In medium bowl, with rotary beater, beat eggs with lemon juice until foamy. Add lemon peel. Stir into butter-sugar mixture. Cook, stirring, until mixture thickens slightly and forms a coating on back of spoon. Serve warm, over thin slices of fruitcake.

TO MAKE AHEAD:
Sauce may be stored in the refrigerator for several days, and then served cold, or reheated slightly in the top of a double boiler. over hot water.

STERLING SAUCE
Makes about 1 cup

1/2 cup soft butter or margarine
2/3 cup light-brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tablespoon heavy (whipping) cream
2 tablespoons dry sherry

In medium bowl, with portable electric mixer, beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in heavy cream and sherry. Serve with thin slices of fruitcake.

Source: McCall's Book of Merry Eating by the Editors of McCall's, 1972 edition