Best Japanese Fruitcake Recipes

NANA'S JAPANESE FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees with racks placed in center. Spread nuts on a baking pan. Bake until fragrant, about 7 minutes. Transfer nuts to a bowl; set aside to cool.
• Line the bottoms of three 8-by-2-inch buttered cake pans with parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Dust the bottoms and sides of pan with flour, and tap out any excess. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Finely chop the raisins, and combine with the cinnamon and allspice. Set aside.
• With an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the sugar and shortening on medium speed until combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. On low speed, add the flour mixture and the milk to the batter, alternating between the two, starting and ending with the dry ingredients.
• Fold the reserved raisin mixture into one-third of the batter. Pour batter into one cake pan. Stir the reserved toasted walnuts into the remaining batter. Divide batter between two remaining cake pans. Bake, rotating pans for even baking if necessary, until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Transfer to cooling racks to cool, and invert cakes onto cooling rack. Allow to cool completely.
• Combine the pineapple, oranges, 2 cups coconut, and sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring filling to a boil over high heat, stirring. Reduce to a simmer, and let cook, stirring often, until thickened, about 20 minutes. Whisk the cornstarch into 1/4 cup warm water. Stir into filling. Continue to cook until thick, 6 minutes. Let cool before using.
• Place one walnut layer top-side down on the serving plate. Top with half of the filling. Place the raisin layer, top-side up, securely on top, press down lightly. Using an offset spatula, go around the layers to press filling between layers. Top with remaining filling. Place remaining walnut layer on top, top-side up. Press down with hands. Using the offset spatula, go around layers again to ensure filling is securely between layers. Frost the sides of the cake first, using an offset spatula. Finish icing the top of the cake. Decorate top of cake with drained candied orange zest and remaining coconut. Serve.

JAPANESE FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Butter insides of 2 9-inch layer cake pans. Sprinkle with flour and shake out excess.
• Cream together sugar and 1/2 pound of butter in mixing bowl until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Sift together 3 1/3 cups flour and baking powder and add mixture to batter alternately with milk and vanilla.
• Spoon and scrape half batter into one of prepared pans and smooth over top with spatula. Set aside.
• To remaining batter add allspice, cinnamon and cloves.
• Chop raisins and pecans and add them. Blend well. Spoon and scrape mixture into second pan. Smooth over top. Place in oven and bake 25 to 35 minutes or until straw inserted into center comes out clean. White cake will cook faster than fruit-and-nut cake.
• Remove layers from oven and let cool on rack about 5 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack and let stand until completely cool.
• To prepare filling, combine 1 cup of water, lemon juice, lemon rind, 2 cups of coconut and sugar in saucepan. Bring to a boil.
• Combine cornstarch with the remaining 1/2 cup of water. Blend well and stir this into sauce. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture mounds or lumps when dropped from spoon (the temperature should be 205 to 210 degrees). Let cool.
• Place fruit-and-nut cake on cake plate and frost the top. Top this with white cake. Frost cake, top and sides. Sprinkle remaining coconut over the cake. The cake may be served immediately but is best if left to stand a day or so.

JAPANESE FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Dedge the raisins in 1 cup flour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter and flour two 9 inch round pans.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter or margarine and sugar; add egg yolks, and beat until smooth. Mix in flour mixture in parts alternately with milk. Stir in coconut, pecans, and raisins.
• In a clean bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into batter, and then pour batter into prepared pans.
• Bake for 25 minutes, or until done. Cool layers on wire racks.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, water, flour, lemon and orange. Cook over medium heat until thickened. Stir in coconut and cook for 2 minutes. Allow to cool, and then ice cake. Alternate pecan halves and maraschino cherries halves around top of cake to form a pinwheel.