Best Old Fashioned Appalachian Fruitcake Recipes

GRANDMA LEACH'S FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch tube pan and one 9x5 inch loaf pan.
• Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves into a large bowl. Stir in the applesauce and oil, then mix in the raisins, dates, mixed fruit and 2 cups of walnuts. Pour into the prepared pans. Pans should be about 3/4 full if using mini pans, or an assortment.
• Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the crown of the cake comes out clean.

THE FANNY FARMER DARK FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• Set oven to 325 degrees F.
• Butter two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans.
• Line the pans with foil, then butter the foil.
• Cream the butter or shortening.
• Add in brown sugar; beat until light.
• Add in lemon extract and eggs and beat well.
• Stir in molasses and blend to combine.
• In a small bowl combine the flour with baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, mace, cloves and salt; beat into the creamed mixture until combined.
• Add in milk; beat until combined.
• Stir in the candied fruit, candied cherries, candied citron, dates or raisins and nuts; mix well.
• Transfer/divide the batter between the two pans.
• Bake for 1 to 1-1/4 hours or until the loaves test done.
• Turn out onto racks to cool.
• When completely cooled wrap well and store in an airtight container.
• BRANDIED FRUIT CAKE OPTION; soak two large pieces of cheesecloth in brandy.
• Wrap each fruit cake in the cheesecloth covering all sides, then wrap well in foil.
• Moisten the cheesecloth with additional brandy every few days for about a week.

OLD FASHIONED APPALACHIAN FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• 1. You can use a variety of dried fruits. I used raisins dried cherries prunes and dried cranberries in the one pictured. 1 1/2 - 2 cups of each of the 4 fruits.. Take your dried fruit place in dish and almost cover with your liquid. Brandy rum of juice. Cover and allow to soak at least 2 hours. Ya want them plump and moist. If not they will be very dry after baking.
• 2. Mix flour salt baking powder and soda in a bowl and set aside
• 3. Butter in to pan and melt. While melting add molasses and brown sugar. If you like things a bit sweeter you can add more brown sugar. Continue to stir over low heat.
• 4. Take your fruits and dump it all into the butter and sugar mix. Add ginger cinnamon and nutmeg. And orange zest and juice. Cook over low.
• 5. Take your whisked egg and add it to the flour. Mix it in much like you would cutting in butter or lard for a biscuit. You want no bigger then pea sized clumps
• 6. Add about 1 cup of fruit batter to flour stir and continue a cup at a time untill half is mixed with flour ( tempering the eggs in a way) then you can dump it all in along with the nuts and mix by hand. You don't have to mix to much.
• 7. Place in greased and floured pan ..I use a Bundt.. 350° preheated oven.. place rack just above center and place a pan with water on shelf under the cake. for 45 minutes Check at 45 it may take up to 15 more depending on humidity and oven .. don't forget the steam pan of water. It helps keep things moist.
• 8. Cake is done when it has slightly pulled edges from pan and knife is inserted and comes out mostly clean. A crumb or 2. Is ok.
• 9. Let rest in pan 20 minutes or so then take a knife and gently run it around the, edges or the pan place plate ontop of pan and flip it turning cake on yo plate
• 10. Once cool. Take the powder sugar ginger vanilla and milk mix together and slowly spoon over cake . Done!