Holiday Fruit Cake

Fruit cake has been part of my family for generations now, my grandmom, mom and now me! My grandmom makes delicious fruit cakes, eggless, might I add, and it has passed on!:) It's Soo british to have fruit cake with tea!! My granny learnt the recipe from living in British-governed Africa for many years.

I made this delicious fruit cake for Christmas, for my inlaws, and a few friends. I made mini loaves and decorated with pretty packaging to give as gifts! :) I made variations to the original recipe that I found online. I used rum and brandy instead of the liquors mentioned in the recipe and I used different dried fruits. It turned out excellent, appreciated by all those who got to taste it!;) It goes so well with tea in the mornings. Yumm! Its been part of my breakfast since over a week now!:P


Ingredients:
3/4 cup brandy
2/3 cup golden raisins
2/3 cup dried cherries
2/3 cup dried mango, finely chopped
2/3 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup whole blanched almonds plus
1/3 cup for top of cake (6 ouncecs total)
1 cup sugar, divided
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
3 tablespoons sweet orange marmalade or apricot preserves
3 tablespoons rum

Method:

Heat brandy in a 1-quart saucepan over low heat until warm, then remove from heat and stir in dried fruit. Cover and let stand for about 2 hours. The dried fruit soak up the liquor.

Preheat oven to 325°F with rack in middle. You can put the cake in a springfoam pan or mini loaf pans. I used decorative paper mini loaf pans. Spray them with PAM spray.

Finely grind 3/4 cup almonds with 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor, then whisk together with flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.

Beat butter and remaining 3/4 cup sugar with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition (batter will appear curdled), then add vanilla, zest, and fruit with brandy and beat until thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes.

At low speed, mix in flour mixture until incorporated. Spoon batter into the pans, smoothing it, and top with remaining 1/3 cup almonds.

Bake until a long wooden pick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool them on a cooling rack.

Meanwhile, melt marmalade with liqueur in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring, then strain glaze through a sieve into a small bowl, discarding solids.

Cool cake completely, about 3 hours. Brush glaze over top of cake, and its ready!

The cake flavor improves the next day.