Sugar Plum Cakes
By The Canadian Living Test Kitchen This recipe makes 10 servings T These little cakes are a two-day project, but such a pleasant one, preparing fruit one day, the batter and baking the next.
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1-1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1-1/2 tsp salt
- 1-1/2 tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- 2 cups butter, softened
- 2-1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 12 eggs
- Fruit & Nuts:
- 1 can (19 oz/540 mL) crushed pineapple
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup strawberry jam
- ¾ cup brandy
- 1 jar (375 ml) maraschino cherries
- 2-1/2 cups chopped dates
- 2-1/2 cups candied citron
- 2 cups seeded raisins, (Lexia or muscat)
- 2 cups seedless raisins
- 2 cups currants
- 1-1/2 cups blanched almonds
Instructions
- Line bottoms and sides of ten 5- x 3-inch (625 mL) or five 8- x 4-inch (1.5 L) loaf pans (or combination) with parchment paper.
- Fruit and Nuts: In heavy saucepan, stir pineapple and its juice with sugar; bring to boil. Boil gently, stirring often, until thickened and reduced to 2 cups (500 mL), about 25 minutes. Scrape into heatproof bowl; stir in jam and ¼ cup (50 mL) of the brandy.
- Reserving juice, drain cherries. Add ½ cup (125 mL) of the juice to pineapple mixture; let cool, Cover and let stand for 12 hours.
- Meanwhile, in large bowl, toss together cherries, dates, citron, seeded and seedless raisins, currants and almonds. Add remaining brandy and cherry liquid; toss well. Cover and let stand for 12 hours. (Make-ahead: Let pineapple mixture and date mixture stand for up to 24 hours, tossing occasionally.)
- In large bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, cloves and allspice; scoop 1 cup (250 mL) over date mixture and toss well to coat. Set aside.
- In separate large bowl, beat butter with sugar until pale and fluffy; beat in eggs, 1 at a time (batter will curdle). Stir in flour mixture alternately with pineapple mixture, making 3 additions of flour mixture and 2 of pineapple. Scrape date mixture over top and fold in. Scoop into prepared pans. Level tops.
- Bake in centre of 275°F (140°C) oven until skewer inserted in centre comes out clean, about 1-1/2 hours for 5- x 3-inch (625 mL) pans and 2 hours for 8- x 4-inch (1.5 L) pans. Let cool on rack. (Make-ahead: See Aging.)
- Refrigerate cakes; slice thinly
- Aging 1 pkg cheese cloth and 2 c brandy - Wrap separately in cheesecloth soaked in brandy, rum, scotch etc, wrap in tinfoil and place in plastic storage bag. Store in a cool spot for 2 weeks
- Repeat sprinkling cakes with brandy, rewrapping and storing for 2 more weeks
- Freeze for longer storage