FRUITCAKES (WAPO)

WHITE FRUITCAKE
Makes two 4 1/2-by-8 1/2-inch loaves (32 servings)
One of Nathalie Dupree's editors at Atlanta Magazine gave her this recipe years ago, after she revealed herself to be anti-fruitcake. She fell in love with it. 'This one will be eaten, not re-gifted,' she says.
MAKE AHEAD: The cakes can be tightly wrapped and stored at room temperature for 3 days or frozen for up to 4 months. Adapted from 'Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking,' by Dupree and Cynthia Graubart (Gibbs Smith, 2012).
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups golden raisins
1 cup dried apricots, cut into quarters (about 7 ounces)
1 cup chopped crystallized ginger
2 3/4 cups all-purpose or cake flour
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
5 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
2 cups chopped pecans, toasted and cooled (see NOTE)
Steps
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Spray two 4 1/2-by-8 1/2-inch loaf pans with nonstick oil-and-flour spray. Line with 2 pieces of parchment or wax paper, one cut to the width of the pan and the other to the length of the pan plus 4 inches of overhang to use as handles to lift the loaf from the pan.
Toss the raisins, apricots and ginger in 1/4 cup of flour until evenly coated.
Cut the butter into 1-inch pieces, add them to the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer and beat on low speed until soft, about 3 minutes. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 1 or 2 minutes, until the mixture looks like lightly whipped cream. Reduce the speed to low and add the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, gradually increasing the speed and beating until well whipped, 5 or 6 minutes. Combine the eggs and extracts in a small bowl, then add to the butter mixture in four additions, beating for 1 minute on medium-low speed after each addition. The mixture might look curdled, but all will be well.
Sift the remaining 2 1/2 cups of flour with the baking powder and salt onto a piece of wax paper. With the mixer on low speed, add half of the flour mixture to the batter, beat well, then add the remaining flour mixture and beat. Once the flour is incorporated, use a flexible spatula to fold in the grated zests, then the nuts and dried fruit. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Tap each pan once against the counter to remove any air bubbles, and smooth the tops.
Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 1/2 hours or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. (The cakes will be white and might give the appearance of being underbaked even though they are not.) Transfer the pans to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the inside of the pans to loosen the cakes. Use the parchment paper handles to remove the cakes from the pans and transfer them to the wire rack. Remove the parchment or wax paper and cool the cakes thoroughly.
NOTE: To toast pecans, spread them on a baking sheet and place in a 350-degree oven, shaking the sheet occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes. Watch carefully; nuts burn quickly.
NUTRITION Per serving: 230 calories, 3 g protein, 30 g carbohydrates, 12 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 50 mg cholesterol, 65 mg sodium, 2 g dietary fiber, 17 g sugar
BRANDIED CHERRY CHOCOLATE CAKE
16 servings
This isn't a traditional fruitcake, but the brandied cherries put it in the same family. One admirer remarked that this cake tastes like the chocolate-covered cherries of his youth, but with a sublime adult kick.
The recipe calls for brandied cherries (not the same as maraschino cherries). They're found at gourmet stores and online; we found several brands on Amazon.com. They're also very easy (and much cheaper) to make; recipes abound on the Internet.
When you process the nuts and chocolate, take care that you don't turn them into chocolate almond butter. Chilling both ingredients - and even the flour, if you want to be really careful - makes that unlikely to happen.
This cake is excellent on its own, but it won't suffer if you accompany it with whipped cream. Adapted from Peter Brett, pastry chef at Blue Duck Tavern in Washington.
Ingredients
6 ounces (about 1 1/3 cups) chopped bittersweet chocolate, chilled
6 ounces (1 1/2 cups) chopped almonds, chilled
2 ounces (about 6 1/2 tablespoons) flour
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 ounces (3/4 cup) sugar
4 large eggs, separated into yolks and whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
16 ounces drained brandied cherries (see headnote)
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Steps
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 9-inch cake pan with nonstick oil-and-flour spray and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper.
Pulse the chocolate, almonds and flour in a food processor to grind them into a fine meal, being careful not to turn them into a paste.
Beat the butter and sugar together at high speed in the bowl of a stand mixer or held-held electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolks, then the vanilla and almond extracts, and beat well to combine. Add the chocolate-nut mixture and beat until incorporated.
Beat the egg whites in the separate, clean bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer until they form soft peaks. Use a flexible spatula to fold them into the chocolate-sugar mixture.
Spread half of the batter in the prepared pan. Top with the brandied cherries, which should fit evenly in 1 layer. Spread the remaining batter over the cherries, using a flexible spatula to lightly level the top. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the cake is puffed and set. Cool it on a rack and turn it out of the pan. Dust the top generously with confectioners' sugar. Serve warm or cool.
NUTRITION Ingredients are too varied for a meaningful analysis.
LUXURY CAKE
Makes one 9 3/4-inch cake (about 20 slices)
This is an impressive fruitcake, studded with plenty of dried fruit and nuts. The glaze creates a beautiful finish.
MAKE AHEAD: The optional glaze can be made up to 2 weeks in advance and refrigerated. Before using, scrape the chilled glaze into a small, heavy saucepan, bring it not quite to a boil over moderate heat and cook for 30 seconds, until thinned, then apply it to the cake. Adapted from 'Baking Style,' by Lisa Yockelson (Wiley, 2011).
Ingredients
For the cake
3 cups mixed dried fruits (such as apricots, figs, pitted dates, apples, peaches, nectarines, plums and such), finely chopped
1 cup golden seedless raisins
1 cup dark seedless raisins
2/3 cup dark rum
2 1/2 cups unsifted bleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsifted bleached cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
6 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup best-quality ginger preserves
1 cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups walnut halves or pieces
For the glaze and fruit finish (optional)
1 1/3 cups best-quality apricot jam
1 tablespoon water
Thinly sliced dried or glazed fruit
Steps
For the cake: Combine the dried fruits and the raisins in a very large nonreactive mixing bowl. Add the rum, toss well to coat, and cover loosely with a sheet of plastic wrap. Let the mixture stand at cool room temperature for 4 hours (or up to 8 hours).
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.
Spray the inside of a plain, one-piece 9 3/4-inch tube pan (6 inches deep, with a capacity of 18 cups) with nonstick flour-and-oil spray. Line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment paper cut to fit and film its surface with the spray. (It is essential to line the bottom of the pan.)
For the batter, sift the flours together with the baking powder, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice onto a sheet of wax paper.
Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, until lightened. Reduce the speed to medium and add the dark brown sugar in 3 additions, beating for 1 minute after each portion is added. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing for 30 seconds after each addition. Blend in the vanilla extract and ginger preserves. Reduce the speed to low and add the sifted mixture in 3 additions. Use a flexible spatula to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl thoroughly after each addition. Scrape the batter over the marinated fruit mixture, add the crystallized ginger and walnuts, and stir to thoroughly mix the fruits and nuts with the batter.
Spoon the batter into the prepared baking pan. Use a flexible spatula to smooth the top.
Bake for 2 1/2 hours or until a wooden pick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Begin checking the cake at 2 hours and 15 minutes. The baked cake will pull away slightly from the sides of the pan and the surface will be level.
Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes. Carefully invert the cake onto another cooling rack. Lift off the pan, remove the circle of parchment paper if it clings to the cake, and invert the cake to stand right side up. Cool completely. Store in an airtight cake keeper. An hour or two before serving is the ideal time to glaze the top of the cake and apply dried or glazed fruits to it, if you wish.
To make the optional glaze, combine the jam and water in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the mixture is barely bubbling. Cook for 2 minutes, adjusting the heat so it doesn't come to a full boil, then remove it from the heat.
Turn the jam mixture into a stainless-steel strainer set over a heatproof nonreactive bowl, and use a flexible spatula to push it through. Discard the solids in the strainer.
To use the glaze immediately, heat it in a clean, dry saucepan over medium heat until the glaze is barely bubbling. Cook for 30 seconds. Or cool the glaze completely and refrigerate it in an airtight container.
Use a soft pastry brush to apply the warm glaze to the top of the cake. Wait a minute, then carefully arrange dried or glazed fruit on the surface in a pretty pattern.
NUTRITION Per serving: 540 calories, 6 g protein, 72 g carbohydrates, 26 g fat, 13 g saturated fat, 110 mg cholesterol, 190 mg sodium, 4 g dietary fiber, 47 g sugar
GUINNESS FRUIT CAKE
Makes one 9-inch cake (20 servings)
Rum and brandy are frequently featured in holiday fruitcakes, but here's a cake for people with a taste for beer. A dark Guinness beer is used in the batter, and then the finished cake can be soaked with it to taste. The hearty stout complements the sweet fruit.
Despite the name, any stout will work.
Adapted from 'Home Made Winter,' by Yvette van Boven (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2012).
Ingredients
3 1/2 cups self-rising flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, in small chunks
2/3 cup dried currants
2/3 cup golden raisins
2/3 cup good-quality candied citrus peel
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon Guinness or another stout, plus more for serving (optional)
4 large eggs
Confectioners' sugar (optional)
Unsweetened whipped cream or salted butter (optional)
Steps
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. (If you have a convection oven, turn off the fan.)
Use nonstick cooking oil spray to grease a 9-inch round cake pan with high sides and a removable bottom. Line the bottom and sides of the pan with parchment paper and grease it with the spray.
Sift the flour with the spices into a big bowl. Use a fork to quickly rub the butter chunks into the flour mixture until it looks like coarse bread crumbs. Add the currants, raisins, candied peel, lemon zest and brown sugar, and mix well.
Beat the Guinness into the eggs and trickle the resulting mixture into the flour mixture, stirring until combined. Pour into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top.
Bake for 1 hour. Lower the oven temperature to just under 300 degrees and loosely cover the cake with aluminum foil. Bake for another hour, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry.
Let the cake cool on a rack. To serve, sift confectioners' sugar over the top, if desired, or prick some holes in the top of the cake and drizzle a little Guinness over it. Serve with whipped cream or salted butter.
NUTRITION Per serving: 270 calories, 4 g protein, 37 g carbohydrates, 11 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 65 mg cholesterol, 300 mg sodium, 1 g dietary fiber, 18 g sugar
ARKANSAS FIG FRUITCAKE
Makes one 9 3/4-inch cake (20 servings)
It's hard to believe there's no added fat in this super-moist cake. It tastes rich and quite fruity. You'll need your hands to mix the very heavy dough.
Don't be tempted to buy commercially made fig preserves as a shortcut to making the fig puree; they will cause the recipe to fail. But if you can find homemade preserves being sold at, say, a holiday bazaar, they should work fine.
MAKE AHEAD: The fig mixture can be made up to 2 days in advance, covered and refrigerated. The fruitcake can be wrapped and stored for up to 2 weeks. From Mother Linda's, www.motherlindas.com.
Ingredients
3 cups (about 14 ounces) dried figs, stemmed and coarsely chopped
2 cups plus 6 tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 cups water, plus more as needed
2 cups finely diced, peeled apple
One 15-ounce box raisins
2 cups pecans or black walnuts, in halves or pieces
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking soda
Steps
Combine the figs, 6 tablespoons of the sugar and 2 cups of the water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the figs are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the mixture rest for 10 minutes, then use an immersion (stick) blender on low speed to process the figs to a coarse puree, adding water as needed. Let cool. The yield is slightly more than 2 cups.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Use nonstick oil-and-flour spray to grease a 9 3/4-inch tube pan, preferably one with a removable bottom, or two standard loaf pans.
Measure 2 cups of the fig puree and transfer to a very large mixing bowl along with the apple, raisins and nuts. Stir to mix well.
Whisk together the flour, the remaining 2 cups of sugar, the cinnamon, cloves and salt in a separate large bowl until combined.
Combine the baking soda and the remaining 1/2 cup of water in a small bowl, stirring until the baking soda has dissolved. Stir this into the fruit mixture.
Add the dry ingredients to the fruit mixture and mix well. The batter will be extremely thick and heavy, so at this point it's easiest to mix it with your hands. You might need to add a couple tablespoons of water to moisten all the ingredients.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan(s) and use a flexible spatula to smooth the top. Bake for 1 3/4 to 2 hours or until a tester inserted near the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Cool for 30 minutes, then remove from the pan to cool completely. (If using a tube pan with a removable base, keep the cake on the base as it cools.) Wrap tightly and store at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
NUTRITION Per serving: 380 calories, 5 g protein, 77 g carbohydrates, 8 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 370 mg sodium, 5 g dietary fiber, 49 g sugar
FRUITCAKE BRULEE with Caramelized Blood Oranges
6 servings
Use leftover fruitcake or Christmas pudding as a base for these brulees. Aromatic blood oranges make a perfect accompaniment, but if they are not in season, use any variety of orange.
MAKE AHEAD: The baked brulees need to be refrigerated for 3 hours. Adapted from 'The Modern Vegetarian,' by Maria Elia (Kyle, 2012).
Ingredients
For the brulees
1 vanilla bean
13 ounces heavy whipping cream (1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons)
3 large egg yolks
2 1/2 ounces superfine sugar (1/3 cup)
5 1/2 ounces fruitcake, diced (about 1 1/3 cups)
1/4 cup demerara sugar
For the oranges
3 blood oranges (see headnote)
1/2 cup demerara sugar
2 bay leaves, preferably fresh
3 cardamom pods, crushed
3 whole cloves
3 star anise
One 3-inch cinnamon stick
1/2 cup red wine
Steps
For the brulees: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Have six 6-ounce ramekins at hand.
Split the vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape out the seeds and place the seeds and pod in a small saucepan with the cream. Heat over medium-high heat to just below the boiling point, stirring occasionally.
While the cream is heating, whisk the egg yolks and superfine sugar in a medium bowl until they are thick and pale, about 5 minutes.
Remove the vanilla pod from the hot cream; gradually pour the cream over the egg mixture, whisking continuously to avoid coagulating the egg.
Divide the fruitcake among the ramekins. Pour the cream and egg mixture over the fruitcake. Line a roasting pan with a kitchen towel and set the ramekins in the pan. Pour in enough hot water to come three-quarters of the way up the side of the ramekins. Cover the roasting pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes or until the mixture has almost set. Remove the ramekins from the pan and allow to cool, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours to chill thoroughly.
For the oranges: Peel the oranges and cut them crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
Heat the demerara sugar in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the bay leaves, cardamom, cloves, anise and cinnamon stick; cook for 3 or 4 minutes, until the sugar has melted and turned a golden caramel color. Add the orange slices and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the wine and cook for 1 minute.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the orange slices to a medium dish. Bring the liquid in the skillet to a boil and cook until it is thick and syrupy, about 15 minutes, then remove from the heat and allow to cool. Spoon the cooled liquid over the orange slices, cover and refrigerate.
To serve, sprinkle the brulees evenly with the demerara sugar. Either fire with a culinary torch or place briefly under the broiler until the sugar is golden and caramelized. Serve with the chilled blood oranges. Discard the syrup and whole spices.
NUTRITION Per serving: 360 calories, 4 g protein, 45 g carbohydrates, 17 g fat, 10 g saturated fat, 160 mg cholesterol, 95 mg sodium, 4 g dietary fiber, 28 g sugar
CIJI WAGNER'S FRUITCAKE
Makes one 10-inch loaf or Bundt cake (20 servings)
Rum and brandy flavor this traditional fruitcake from chef Ciji Wagner. There's not a neon-colored candied fruit to be seen.
MAKE AHEAD: The cake is at its peak after 3 weeks, but it can be stored for up to 6 weeks. Adapted from Wagner, executive chef at Drafting Table in Washington.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups dried currants
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots
3/4 cup coarsely chopped dried pineapple
1/2 cup chopped candied ginger
Zest and juice of 2 oranges (3 tablespoons zest, 2/3 to 1 cup juice)
1 cup golden or dark rum, plus golden rum or brandy for brushing the cake
3/4 cup sugar
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice or brandy
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 large eggs
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup pecan pieces, toasted (see NOTE)
Steps
Combine the currants, cranberries, cherries, apricots, pineapple, ginger and orange zest in a medium bowl. Stir in the rum and let the mixture macerate overnight or up to 2 days, stirring occasionally.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 10-inch loaf pan or Bundt pan with nonstick oil-and-flour spray.
Transfer the fruit and its macerating liquid to a large pot and add the sugar, butter, orange juice, apple juice or brandy, and the spices. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to low and cook, with the liquid barely bubbling, until the mixture has thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and cool to room temperature.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until completely incorporated. Combine the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder in a medium bowl and sift it into the fruit mixture. Stir to combine. Fold in the pecans, making sure not to overmix the batter. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. While the cake is still hot, lightly brush the top with brandy or rum. Let the cake cool completely in the pan, then remove it from the pan and transfer to an airtight container.
Check the cake every other day. If it seems dry, lightly brush more brandy or rum on top. Continue checking and soaking the cake until you serve it or give it away.
NOTE: To toast the pecans, spread them on a baking sheet and place in a 350-degree oven, shaking the sheet occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes. Watch carefully; nuts burn quickly.