LIFE IS A FRUITFUL SLICE! MAKE THIS QUICK FRUITCAKE LOAF TODAY. ENJOY IT TODAY.
Cuisine: desserts
Author: Mrs Butterfingers
Prep time: 2 hours 15 mins
Cook time: 1 hour 15 mins
Total time: 3 hours 30 mins
An easy to make to glazed fruitcake loaf that slices beautiful. Enjoy it the same day you bake it.
Ingredients
  • 1 generous cup halved red or green glace cherries
  • 1½ cups of a mixture of candied mixed peel, dried currants and golden or dark raisins. Your choice.
  • ⅔ cup dried apricots, chopped (about 6-8)
  • ½ cup brandy or sherry
  • ⅔ cups (5.3 oz) soft, unsalted butter
  • ½ cup each granulated sugar and packed brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1½ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp baking soda and salt
  • ¾ tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp each ground allspice, ground cloves and freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or a combination of pecans and slivered almonds your choice
  • Brandy or Sherry Glaze
  • 2 cups icing sugar, sifted
  • 7-8 tsp tsp brandy or sherry (approx)
Instructions
  1. Two hours before you plan on baking this loaf combine glace cherries, mixed peel, currants, raisins, apricots and brandy (or sherry) in a microwaveable bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds, stir and repeat. Cover and let stand at room temperature, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours or overnight.
  2. Preheat oven to 325F. Generously butter a spring form pan - eight, nine or ten inch pan. The smaller sized pan will give you a higher cake, but all are exceptable. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
  3. In large bowl, using electric mixer, beat together butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in medium speed until light and fluffy.
  4. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in Vanilla.
  5. In separate bowel whisk together flour, baking powder and soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and nutmeg until combined.
  6. Stir into the butter mixture just until combined.
  7. Stir the nuts into the fruit mixture and mix well.
  8. Stir the nuts/fruit mixture into the butter mixture in two additions - JUST UNTIL COMBINED.
  9. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top.
  10. Bake until cake tested inserted in centre comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes.Start checking your cake about 15 minutes or so before the end of baking time. The smaller springform pan may take a little longer to bake. Don't overbake your fruit cake.
  11. BRANDY (SHERRY) GLAZE
  12. In a small bowl whisk icing sugar with brandy or sherry. Add additional brandy ¼ tsp at a time, if needed, until consistency of very cold thick molasses.
  13. Brush half of the icing over hot loaf and let cool completely in pan. This helps even out the cakes bubbly surface.
  14. Remove the cake from the pan and spread the remaining glaze over the cooled loaf.
  15. Spread remaining glaze over cooled loaf.
Recipe by Mrs. Butterfingers at http://mrsbutterfingers.com/?p=3483