Rick Friut Cakes

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 95, Issue 3, 16 September 1957, Page 301

Rick Friut Cakes

By

MAUD B. STRAIN.

Field Officer in Rural Sociology, Department of Agriculture, Dunedin RICH fruit cakes are special-occasion cakes because they take some considerable time to prepare and longer still to bake and are not inexpensive. However, if they are iced and stored properly, they will keep fresh and moist over a long period, as is proved by the old custom of keeping the top tier of a wedding cake to use later as a christening •cake. In this article the preparation and baking of rich fruit cakes are described.

A RICH fruit cake is not one of those confections that can be made > quickly in a few spare moments. Fruit must be collected and prepared, a cake itin of suitable size must be lined with paper, and the oven will not be available for anything else while the cake is being baked. For these reasons as ■'well as because the ingredients are (expensive the making of these cakes is probably one of the least frequent (cake-baking activities of the average 'housewife. So that the cake can mature and the (flavours of the various fruits, nuts, .spices, and essences will have time to iblend it is advisable to make the cake 3 or 4 weeks before it is to be cut. "High-quality ingredients carefully prepared will give the best results and ] plain flour is superior to special packs. 'The factors contributing toward a product are accurate meas-

uring of ingredients, high quality of ingredients, correct proportions of ingredients, proper method for combining ingredients, and right baking temperature. Choice of Ingredients The following points are important in the choice of ingredients:— Sugar: Fine sugar is preferable to coarse sugar, as it is easier to cream and gives a fine-grained cake. Soft brown sugar is often preferred for fruit cakes. Fat: Any fat that has a mild flavour may be used, though butter is the first choice because it gives the best flavour. Too little fat produces a dry cake; too much gives a heavy consistency. Eggs are used to incorporate air and to provide protein which on hardening during cooking encloses the air and

makes a raised product. Eggs need not be new laid, but they must be of good quality and fresh enough to beat up well. Good-quality preserved eggs are wholly satisfactory. Flour should always be sifted. After it has been weighed add the baking powder or soda and the salt and spices and sift the mixture again. Too little flour in a recipe causes the cake to fall in the centre and be heavy; too much gives a dry, compact cake which may rise in a peak and crack on top. Flavouring essences are added to the creamed fat, as it absorbs flavours readily. . Other flavourings such as dried fruits are added later in the mixing process. Raising agents: Eggs are the main raising agent in rich fruit cakes, little baking powder being necessary. Roughly, a well-beaten egg can lift its own weight in flour. Preparation of Fruit The various fruits should be prepared as follows: Currants and sultanas: Wash well, lift on to a cloth, and lightly rub between two folds to dry.

Almonds: Cover with boiling water, let stand for a few minutes, peel, and chop. Walnuts: Cut into small pieces. Candied peel: Remove the sugar from the centre and slice the peel finely. Dates: Remove the stones and cut the dates into small pieces. Figs (whole): Wash, dry, and cut in small pieces. Raisins: Separate and cut in halves. Cherries (crystallised): Remove the sugar and cut the cherries in halves. Ginger (crystallised): Remove the loose sugar and slice the ginger finely. Preparation of Cake Tins As it is uneconomical to waste good cake mixture by letting it burn during baking, it is best to line the tins. Rich cakes which contain much sugar and fat must be a long time in the oven and are particularly liable to burn.

Paper is cut the same size as the bottom of the tin. Then strips are cut to line the sides, overlapping at the corners and standing 2in. to 2jin. higher than the sides of the tin. The bottom edge of each strip is folded up gin. and snipped at intervals with

scissors. When the paper is placed in position in the ■ tin this snipped edge lies flat on the bottom and turns the corners neatly. After the bottom lining paper is put in place the tin is smoothly lined with the lining standing IJin. to 2in. above the sides of the tin. For fruit cakes three thicknesses of paper should be used on the bottom. Though it is not necessary to grease the paper when baking a rich cake, a light greasing over the inside surface does help when the mixture is being put into the cake tins. Method of Mixing Preliminary preparations should be carried but before the mixing is begun. The cake tin or tins should be prepared, the ingredients measured and prepared, and the oven heated to be at the correct temperature when the cake is ready to be baked. . The fat is creamed until soft and then the sugar and flavourings are added. If the fat is too hard to cream easily, the bowl may be warmed slightly by setting it in warm water, but the fat must not be melted. Creaming is continued until the mixture is light and fluffy. To the mixture of creamed fat and sugar the beaten eggs, egg yolks, or whole eggs, depending on the recipe, are added and the mixture thoroughly blended. The flour is added a little at a time,

a little being reserved for mixing with the fruit, each addition being mixed in well before the next one is added. The fruit is added last and

must be folded in and distributed evenly throughout the mixture. Baking For baking, the cake tins should be about two-thirds full of the mixture, which should be spread well into the corners and slightly hollowed in the middle so that when the cake has risen it will be flat on top. Rich fruit cakes require a long cooking time in a slow oven. The . general rule for cakes is that the richer the mixture is the more slowly it should be baked.

The cake should be placed in the centre of the oven so that heat is distributed evenly round it. If the oven has a tendency to burn cakes on top, it is advisable to place a folded piece of brown paper over the top of the cake for at least the first half of the cooking time. If the oven burns cakes on the bottom, this can be prevented by an extra thickness of lining on the bottom of the tin or by placing for the last quarter of the baking time an asbestos mat on the oven shelf below the one on which the cake stands.

During the first half of the baking time the cake should begin to rise and continue rising until about half-way through the cooking time. At this stage it should begin to brown until at the end of cooking time it should have browned evenly and have settled slightly in the tin. The oven door should not be opened until the cake has been in the oven for 2 to 2J hours; after that it may be moved carefully in the oven. In an electric oven the top heat should be turned off and the bottom heat turned on low. It is preferable to cook a fruit cake after the oven has been in use for other cooking, because the oven is then well heated through and the temperature will not drop so readily when the cake is first put in.

To test if a cake is done a steel knitting needle or a skewer should be pushed into it from the top; if the needle comes out clean and shining with no mixture clinging to it, the cake is cooked. When a cake is taken from the oven allow it to cool a little before removing it from the tin. The cake should be wrapped in greaseproof paper and stored in a large biscuit or other tin to mature before it is required. Common Difficulties

If the oven is too hot during the first part of the baking period, a thick brown crust will form on the outside before the cake has fully risen and before the inside is cooked. As the inside rises and cooks it breaks through this crust, giving a cracked surface with a peak.

A fruit cake batter should be stiffer than a plain one to prevent the fruit settling to the bottom during baking: the cake mixture should only just drop

off the spoon, but a too stiff batter will cause a cake to rise . unevenly and crack on top. Sinking in the middle could be due to too slow an oven and not sufficient baking, to too high an oven temperature browning the outside of the cake before the inside is cooked, or. to the cake being moved about in the oven after it had risen but before it had set. Dryness could be due to too long cooking, too little fat, or too stiff batter. Heaviness in texture can be caused by too slow an oven, insufficient bak-

ing, too much fat or liquid, or to the fat being oiled before it is creamed. Icing a Cake Most special-occasion cakes are iced and decorated. Difficulty sometimes arises through the colour of the almond paste staining the royal icing, or through the colour of the decorating work running into the white icing. To avoid these difficulties it is advisable to do the icing in stages. . First, the cake is covered with almond paste. (To make the almond paste stick the surface of the cake is brushed over with a glaze made by mixing a table-

spoon of sugar in just sufficient boiling water to dissolve it thoroughly.) About one-third of . the almond paste is moulded into a ball free from cracks, rolled out to the . exact size required, and placed on top of the cake. It is pressed down lightly all over with a rolling pin to ensure a close fit and any overlapping edges are cut off. The rest of the almond paste is made into one long strip or two shorter strips of a total length equal to the distance all round the sides of the cake and of a width equal to the height of the cake. These strips are pressed on to the sides of the cake and joined exactly so that the whole cake is covered. .At this stage it is well to leave the cake for a week wrapped in clean greaseproof paper before applying the icing.

The icing should be put on in two coats, the first coat being allowed to set for a few days before the next coat is put on. After the second coat has been applied a few days should be allowed for the icing to set before the design or writing is attempted. To prevent colours running on the cake the design should be first carried out with white icing and then the coloured piping done on top.

When an iced cake is kept for some time it is often difficult to. cut through the icing because it has become very hard. This extreme hardness can be prevented if a small amount of glycerine is added to the icing when it is being made; about a teaspoon of glycerine to 21b. of icing sugar will be sufficient. Cake Recipes Fruit Cake (light) lib. of butter 4oz. of almonds 11b. of sugar (chopped) IJlb. of flour 4oz. of preserved 11b. of seeded raisins ginger Üb. of sultanas l : Grated rind and . juice 11b. of currants .. of 1 lemon 10 eggs 1 teaspoon of baking 4oz. of crystallised powder cherries . . ■ ’ Cream the butter and sugar, add the grated lemon rind and juice, and then the eggs two at a time. x Beat the eggs in well before adding the next two until all are beaten in. Combine the fruit with the sifted dry ingredients and mix these in with the egg mixture. Place the mixture in a tin lined with three thicknesses of paper and bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees F.) for 5 hours. This mixture is sufficient for a 10in.square tin. Fruit Cake (dark) IJlb. of flour 11b. of currants 1 teaspoon of baking 4oz. of sliced lemon powder peel 2 teaspoons of mixed 4oz. of chopped spice . almonds lib. of butter Grated rind and juice lib. of brown sugar of 1 orange 6 eggs 1 teaspoon of almond IJlb. of raisins essence (ehopped) 1 teacup of treacle

Cream the butter and sugar and add the orange juice and almond essence. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating each one thoroughly. Combine the fruit with the sifted dry ingredients and mix these in with the egg. mixture. Add the treacle and blend it in thoroughly. Place the mixture in a tin lined with three thicknesses of paper and bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees F.) for 4| hours. This mixture is sufficient for a 9in.-square tin. Wedding Cake lib. of butter IJlb. of sultanas lib. of sugar lOoz. of mixed, sliced 9 eggs peel IJlb. of flour Jib of crystallised .1 teaspoon of baking cherries soda Jib. of almonds 1 teaspoon of mixed 1 teaspoon of vanilla spice ' essence 1 teaspoon of grated 1 teaspoon of lemon nutmeg essence J teaspoon of salt 1 teaspoon of rum lib. of currants essence 11b. of seedless 1 teaspoon of almond raisins • essence 11b. of seeded raisins Cream the butter and sugar and add the essences. Add the eggs one at a time, beating each egg in thoroughly. Sift the flour, spices, and other dry ingredients together three times. Chop the almonds and cherries and mix all the fruit well together. Mix the flour mixture and the fruit mixture alternately, 1 tablespoon at a time, into the butter mixture.

Put the mixture into prepared tins and hollow it slightly in the centre so that the cake will be level when baked. Bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees F.) for 4 to 5 hours. In an electric oven turn the top heat off and leave the bottom heat on low. This mixture makes a large cake or a medium cake and a small, cake. Two mixtures make a three-tier cake. Christmas Cake lib. of butter J teaspoon of salt lib. of castor sugar Jib. of sultanas 8 eggs IJlb. of currants lib. of flour Jib. of glace cherries 1 teaspoon l of baking Jib. of chopped powder . angelica 1 teaspoon of ground Jib. of sliced citron cinnamon peel 1 teaspoon of ground 2oz. of sliced lemon cloves peel 1 teaspoon o\ /round 2oz. of sliced orange ginger peel 1 teaspoon of ground 4oz. of chopped mace almonds 1 teaspoon of ground 4 tablespoons of allspice ..brandy or sherry Sift the flour, spices, and salt. Cream the butter and sugar. Sprinkle each egg lightly with flour and beat it into the creamed mixture. Mix the remainder of the flour with the fruit and stir these into the creamed mixture. Add the brandy or sherry and mix it in well. .Place the mixture in a tin lined with three layers of paper. Bake in a slow oven (300 degrees F.) for 5 to 5-J hours.

Fruit Cake 7oz. of butter Grated rind and juice 7oz. of brown sugar of 1 lemon lOoz. of flour Boz. of currants 1 teaspoon of baking 2oz. of glace cherries powder (chopped) 1 teaspoon of salt 2oz. of almonds 4 eggs 2oz. of mixed peel 12oz. of sultanas (sliced finely) Cream the butter and sugar. Beat the eggs. Sift the dry ingredients together. Add the beaten egg and flour mixture alternately, and then the grated rind and juice of the lemon. Mix in the prepared fruit and place the mixture in a tin lined with paper. Bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees F.) for 3 to 3| hours.

Easy Fruit Cake Boz. of flour J teaspoon of 4oz. of butter cinnamon Boz. of brown sugar J teaspoon of ground 1 egg cloves 1 cup of moist fruit 3 teaspoons of baking mincemeat powder J cup of milk J cup of chopped nuts 1 teaspoon of salt J cup of chopped candied fruit Cream the fat until soft. Add the sugar gradually and cream with the fat until light and fluffy. Add the well-beaten egg and then the mincemeat. Sift the flour with the salt, cinnamon, ground cloves, and baking powder. Add the milk alternately with the sifted dry ingredients to the sugar mixture, combining them witj a beating motion. Fold in the fruit and nuts. Bake in a prepared cake tin in a moderate oven (350 degrees F.) for If to 2 hours. Icing Recipes Directions for icing and decorating a cake were given in the November 1953 issue of the “Journal”. Almond Paste lib. of icing sugar lib. of ground 2 eggs almonds Sieve the icing sugar, add the ground almonds, and mix together. Make a well in the centre, stir in the beaten eggs, and mix to a stiff paste. Dredge a board lightly with icing sugar, turn the paste on to it, and knead until it is smooth and pliable. Royal Icing 2lb. of icing sugar. 1 teaspoon of 3 egg whites glycerine Juice of 1 lemon . Sieve the icing sugar. Add > the whipped egg whites and the lemon juice and then the glycerine gradually. Work the mixture with a wooden spoon until it is of a thick creamy consistency, stiff enough to stand up in peaks. Mock Almond Icing Jib. of butter 2 egg yolks lib. of flour 1 tablespoon of lib. of icing sugar almond essence Cream the butter and icing sugar together, add the egg yolks and then the essence, and lastly the sifted flour. Knead the mixture well.