Recipe: Old World Fruitcake, Dark Fruitcake, Traditional Fruitcake, and Bara Brith (Welsh Speckled Bread)

Boiled fruitcakes & cakes with jam are moist.
Citron can be replaced with any candied or dried fruit - if citrus flavour is required, use citrus oil[s] or citrus extracts.

I like the *one with jam in it, but my favourite is the Bara Brith - Traditional Welsh Fruit Bread- it improves with age, is moist and you can add nuts if you wish {pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, brazil nuts, walnuts etc]

OLD WORLD FRUIT

1 3/4 cup black coffee (cold)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 lb mixed fruit*
1/4 cup rum or brandy
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp mace
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup melted butter
2 eggs
GLAZE
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup rum or brandy
1/2 cup sugar
* dried fruits: apricot, sultanas, raisins, currants, cranberries, cherries, candied fruits, dates, prunes, figs and/or nuts

Sift dry ingredients.
Mix the rum, coffee and brown sugar. Pour over fruit and sit for 1-2 hours.
Add melted butter & eggs, and mix well.
Pour into the rest of dry ingredients and place in a buttered lined loaf pan.
Bake at 150 C for 2 hours or until done.

Glaze:
Gently melt butter. Stir in rum and sugar.
Remove the cake from the oven and pour half of the glaze over it. Let it cool 25 minutes, then turn it over and pour the remaining glaze on the other side.
Notes: This freezes well, if you make more than you can eat; just be sure to wrap it carefully so it doesn't get freezer burn. Warm frozen cake in the oven, not the microwave.

DARK FRUITCAKE

3 1/2 c Fruit*
1/4 cup Brandy
1/2 cup Chopped Pecans**
1 3/4 cups Flour divided
1/4 cup Butter
3/4 cup Packed Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1/4 tsp Vanilla
1/2 oz dark Chocolate, melted
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Allspice
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Cloves
Brandy
* dried fruits, candied fruits
** walnuts

Prepare large lined loaf pan.
Stir brandy into fruit. Stand for 2 hours.
Toss nuts in 1/4c flour. Add to fruit mix. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in molasses, vanilla and chocolate. Combine dry ingredients; stir into creamed mixture. Add fruit/nuts and mix thoroughly. Turn into pan.
Bake in 140oC oven for about 2 1/4 hours or until cake is firm and tester inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool for about 30 minutes in pan; remove cake to rack to cool completely. When cake is cool, remove paper. Wrap in foil or place in airtight tin. Store for about 2 weeks before slicing; unwrap periodically and brush with brandy. This cake will keep for about 2 months.

*TRADITIONAL FRUITCAKE

2 cups Mixed Candied Fruit
2 cups mixed dried fruit
1/4 cup Dark Rum
1/2 cup Halved Blanched Almonds
1/2 cup Chopped Pecans or Walnuts
1 1/4 cups Flour
1/3 cup Butter
1/2 cup Packed Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
2 Eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla
1/4 tsp Almond Extract
1/4 cup Jam*
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Allspice
1/4 tsp Mace
Rum
* apricot, raspberry, strawberry, or plum

Prepare one 9 x 15 inch (2 L) loaf pan. Combine candied fruit, and raisins. Stir in rum and let stand for at least 2 hours or overnight. Add nuts; toss with 1/4 cup of flour. Set aside.

Cream together butter and sugars. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla, almond extract and jam. Combine remaining flour, baking soda and salt and spices; stir into creamed mixture. Add floured fruit and mix thoroughly. Turn into prepared pan.

Bake in 275 degree F (140 degrees C) oven for about 2 1/4 hours or until cake is firm and tester inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool for about 30 minutes in pan; remove cake to rack to cool completely. When cake is cool, remove paper. Wrap in foil or place in airtight tin. Store for about 1 week before slicing; unwrap periodically and brush with rum. This cake will keep for about 6 weeks.

BARA BRITH (Welsh Speckled Bread)

6 oz Dried fruit
8 oz Dark brown sugar
1/2 pt Strong hot tea
10 oz Self-raising flour
1 Egg

Soak the dried fruit and sugar overnight in the tea. You can use either fresh tea, or the cold dregs from the teapot (this gives a good strong colour). Next day, sieve the flour and fold it it into the fruit. Mix in the lightly beaten egg. Line a small loaf-tin with buttered paper then tip in the mixture, smoothing it well into the
corners.

Bake in a gentle oven at 300 F (150 C) gas mark 2 for 1 1/2 hours.

Cool and store for at least 2 days in a tin so that it matures moist and rich.

TRADITIONAL BARA BRITH

7 fl Milk
3 fl Water
4 oz Margarine
6 oz Caster sugar
8 oz Mixed fruit
11 oz Flour
1 ts Bicarbonate of soda
1 ts Baking powder

Add the milk, water, margarine, sugar and fruit - Mix well Warm until melted Boil gently for ten minutes Allow to cool for 30 minutes

Mix in the flour and raising agents Turn the mixture into a 2lb (900g) greased loaf tin Bake in the preheated oven at 150 degrees C for one hour. Leave in the tin for around five minutes.

*BARA BRITH - Traditional Welsh Fruit Bread

16 oz Dried; mixed fruit
4 c Self raising flour
1/2 pt Strained hot tea
1/3 c Brown sugar
2 tb Marmalade
1 ts Mixed spices
1 beaten egg optional

Soak the fruit in the hot tea overnight. Grease a loaf tin.
Mix in well the beaten egg [if used], sugar, spices, flour and marmalade with the fruit. Place the mixture into the loaf tin. Bake in an oven at 170C, 325F ark 3 for around 1 hour. Cover the top with greaseproof paper to avoid burning the top. Continue baking at the same temperature for around 45 minutes until firm. Stand the loaf tin outside of the oven for around 5 minutes. Brush the top with honey to finish.