Coconut Fruitcake

 

I’m pretty sure this is the Coconut Fruitcake since
I can’t remember making any other kind in recent years. :-)

This is probably my family’s favorite fruit cake.  The original recipe came from the Nov/Dec 1993 issue of “Country Woman” magazine but, as usual, we made some changes of our own. :-)  Here is our version.  (See my ideas for making in healthier at the bottom.)

2 C. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 lb. total candied cherries, candied pineapple and fruitcake mix
1 1/2 C. flaked coconut
1 C. raisins (golden or brown)
1 C. chopped pecans
1/2 butter
1 C. sugar (reduce to 2/3 C. if desired)
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
1/2 C. orange juice
Additional candied fruit or cherries for top (optional)
Marzipan (almond paste) for cover (optional)  Note: Make sure it is as room temperature before working with it!

In a large bowl, combine flower, baking powder and salt.  Add all candied fruit, coconut, raisins, and nuts and mix till well coated.  In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs and extracts, mixing well.  Stir in the fruit and flour mixture alternately with the orange juice.  Pack into a greased 10-inch tube pan which is lined with waxed paper or baking parchment.  Or, you can pack into greased, lined loaf pans.  Bake at 250F for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until the cake tests done.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes.   Loosen edges with a knife and remove from pan to cool completely on a wire rack. 

Garnish with candied fruit if desired, or roll the marzipan to a large thin circle, big enough to cover the cake.  Place gently over the top and cut out the center carefully.  Mold the marzipan to fit the cake and trim away excess around the bottom edge.  You may out candied fruit on top, or you may wish to put some flowers or fruit in the center of the of the cake.  You may also use nuts or molded marzipan to decorate the top of the cake.

For loaves roll the marzipan into rectangles that will fit the loaves.  Gently press it into place.

Yield: 12-16 servings

Store, well wrapped, in the fridge or freezer.

Note:  Next time I make this fruitcake I hope to add miniature chocolate chips to it as per a recipe we used to make.  I think it will make a nice addition. :-)

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This is a Coconut Fruitcake that I made for my dad’s birthday some years ago.  As you can see I covered it with marzipan and tinted the extra marzipan with food coloring. Then I molded roses and leaves to fill the hole in the center of the cake.

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Healthier:

For those of you who are are concerned about the high-fructose corn syrup and food coloring that is in candied fruits, you can make your own candied fruit!  My mom and I did it a couple years ago.  Here are two locations to find information: DIY Candied Orange Peel, and Food Network’s Candied Orange Peel.  My mom and I actually made it with a pomelo, so we got a lot of candied peel for our effort, but it took awhile to cook it too.

Also, when I make this fruitcake recipe next, I hope to switch out some of the candied fruit for good quality dried fruit.  I want to use the nicer kind of dried pineapple in place of the candied type, and I want to use some good dried cherries for the candied cherries.  I think it will give the fruitcake a more interesting flavor also because these types of preserved fruits taste more like they were meant to than the candied varieties.  I’ll try to let you know how this works out. :-)