Category: Dessert

Servings: 12
Preheat: 350°
Source: Fine Cooking April May 2005

Ingredients
Cake Layers
1/2 lb (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened at room temp; more for the pan
All-purpose flour for the pan
12 oz (3 cups) cake flour
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp table salt
1-3/4 cup granulated sugar
Seeds scraped from 3/4 vanilla bean, or 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk
6 lg gg whites, at room temp

Frosting
1 pound mascarpone cheese, at room temp
2 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup granulated sugar
Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean, or 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Pinch table salt
2 pints raspberries, rinsed and patted dr

Directions
1
Make the cake: Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom and sides of two 9-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment and lightly flour the sides of the pans, tapping out any excess.
2
Sift the cake flour, baking powder, and salt onto a paper plate or into a medium bowl. In a large bowl, beat the butter with a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a hand-held electric mixer) on medium speed until smooth, 1 minute. Add 1-1/2 cups of the sugar and the vanilla bean seeds or extract. Continue beating until well combined and fluffy, 2 minutes. Stop to scrape the bowl as needed. On low speed, add the one-third of the dry ingredients at a time, alternating with 1/2 cup of the milk at a time, beginning and ending with the flour. After the last addition, scrape the bowl and mix for about 30 seconds to mix the batter fully.
3
In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer (a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a hand-held) on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Increase the speed to high and gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Continue beating until the whites form medium-firm peaks. Using a rubber spatula, scoop up about one-quarter of the whites and stir them gently into the cake batter to lighten it. Gently fold in the remaining whites until just blended.
4
Scrape the batter evenly into the prepared pans. Bake until the tops are light brown and a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Set the pans on a rack and let cool for about 15 minutes. Run a knife between the cake and the pan to loosen each cake. Invert the layers onto a rack, lift off the pans and peel away the parchment. Let cool completely.
5
Make the frosting: In a medium bowl, combine the mascarpone, cream, sugar, vanilla seeds or extract, and salt. Using an electric mixer, beat on low speed until almost smooth, 30 to 60 seconds. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until the mixture is thick and holds firm peaks, another 30 to 60 seconds. Don’t over beat or the frosting will look grainy.
6
Assemble the cake: Using your hands, gently brush away any excess crumbs from the layers. Set one cake layer, top side down, on a flat serving plate. To protect the plate from smears, slide small strips of foil or parchment under the bottom of the cake to cover the plate. Using a metal spatula or the back edge of a table knife, spread about 2 cups of the frosting evenly over the layer. Arrange about half the berries in a single layer on the frosting but leave a half-inch ring of space around the edge of the cake uncovered. Place the second cake layer, top side down, on top of the frosting. Be sure the sides are aligned and then press gently on the layer. Apply a very thin layer of frosting over the entire cake to seal in any stray crumbs. Chill in the refrigerator for 5 minutes. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake, leaving lots of swirls and peaks on the top. Garnish the top with remaining berries. Carefully remove the foil or parchment strips from under the cake. Refrigerate the cake for 4 hours or up to two days. To keep the fruit looking fresh, cover the cake loosely with plastic after it has chilled for one hour.

Servings: —
Preheat: 325°
Cook Time: 1 3/4 hrs
Source: Fine Cooking 12/2010
Although it’s rich in history and holds a permanent spot in many family recipe boxes, fruitcake is a much-maligned confection in the United States. That’s unfortunate, because this classic rich, dark cake made with liquor-soaked fruit is so delectable you’ll be loath to give it away

Ingredients
For the fruit
3/4 cup dark rum
4 oz. dried apricots, chopped into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces (3/4 cup lightly packed)
3 oz. dried apples, chopped into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces (1 cup lightly packed)
3 oz. currants or dark raisins (3/4 cup lightly packed)
1/2 tsp. freshly grated orange zest
For the batter
5 oz. (10 Tbs.) unsalted butter, softened; more for the pan
5 oz. (1 cup plus 1 Tbs.) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar (preferably muscovado)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. table salt
3-1/2 oz. crystallized ginger, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
Dark rum, as needed for brushing

Directions
Soak the fruit

Put the rum, dried fruit, and orange zest in 2-quart saucepan, cover, and warm over medium heat until hot, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Refrigerate for a minimum of 24 hours and up to 3 days. Before making the cake, bring the fruit to room temperature and drain, reserving any liquid for basting. (If the fruit was very dry, it may have absorbed all the liquid.)

Make the cake

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 325°F. Butter an 8.5×4.5-inch metal loaf pan or three  2.25X 5-inch pans. Line the pan with two strips of parchment in opposite directions, leaving an overhang for easy removal of the cake.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the cinnamon, allspice, cardamom, nutmeg, and cloves. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer), beat the butter and both sugars on medium-high speed until fluffy and no lumps of brown sugar remain, 1 to 2 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl as needed. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl and mixing for 30 to 60 seconds after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and salt. Add 2 Tbs. of the flour mixture to the bowl and beat briefly. Reserve 2 Tbs. of the flour mixture and add the rest to the batter; beat on low speed for 10 seconds to incorporate the flour and then on medium-high for 1 minute.

Combine the crystallized ginger with the drained fruit. Scrape the batter into the center of the bowl. Put the marinated fruit on top of the batter and then sprinkle the reserved flour evenly over the fruit. Using a rubber spatula, fold the fruit into the batter until it’s evenly distributed. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, pressing it in to eliminate air pockets and smoothing the top to make it level. Bake for 15 minutes and then reduce the temperature to 300°F and bake until the center of the cake has risen slightly and a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, about 1-1/2 hours for large pan or 50 minutes for smaller pans.

Remove the cake and let it cool in its pan on a wire rack for 20 to 30 minutes. Use the parchment overhang to lift the cake from the pan. Place it on the rack, peel down the parchment sides, and cool completely. When cool, brush the cake with 2 to 3 Tbs. of the reserved fruit-soaking liquid or fresh rum. Wrap tightly in plastic and then in foil; store the cake at room temperature for a minimum of 48 hours before serving.

If serving within a week of baking, you do not need to baste the cake again. For longer storage, baste once a week with 1 to 2 tablespoons of rum and wrap in fresh plastic and foil. The cake will keep at room temperature for at least 3 weeks.