Tennessee Christmas Cake Recipes

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine cherries, citrus peel, raisins, currants, dates, and almonds. Stir in brandy; let stand 2 hours, or overnight. Dredge soaked fruit with 1/2 cup flour.
• Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Grease an 8x8x3 inch fruit cake pan, line with parchment paper, and grease again. In a small bowl, mix together 2 cups flour, baking soda, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream butter until light. Gradually blend in brown sugar and eggs. Mix together molasses and apple juice. Beat into butter mixture alternately with flour mixture, making 4 dry and 3 liquid additions. Fold in floured fruit. Turn batter into prepared pan.
• Bake in preheated oven for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean. Remove from pan, and lift off paper. Cool cake completely, then wrap loosely in waxed paper. Store in an airtight container.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Add the brown sugar and white sugar to the melted butter and set aside (some of the brown sugar will melt).
• In mixer with paddle gently mix egg and bourbon vanilla.
• Add the butter and sugar mixture to the egg mixture and beat on low until mixed well.
• Add flour all at once to mixer. Mix well; you will see it look just like it did on the program, sticky and ribbon-like. I used a measuring cup to pour it into the paper cups without the mess of a melon baller.
• Bake at 350 degrees F for 14 minutes, turning at 7 minutes.
• Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Keep in closed container after cooled.
• Note: (makes a Wilton mini tin full).
• VARIATIONS:.
• FOR KEY LIME:.
• no vanilla, instead use 2 tsp key lime.
• FOR LEMON:.
• no vanilla, instead use 2 tsp lemon juice.
• FOR FUDGE:.
• Poke hole in hot t-cakes with large frosting tip. Fill with your favorite Hot Fudge Sundae topping.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Generously coat a 10 inch tube or 10 cup bundt pan with no-stick flour spray.
• Beat butter about 30 seconds or until creamy. Gradually add sugar; beat 5 to 7 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add orange juice and almond extract.
• Combine flour and baking soda; add alternately with sour cream. Beat on low speed after each addition, just until combined. Do not overmix. Fold in orange peel.
• Spoon about 1/2 of batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup pecans. Spoon remaining batter over pecans. Sprinkle with remaining pecans.
• Bake 1 1/2 hours or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool on wire rack.
• Orange and Honey Glaze: In 1 cup glass measure, microwave butter on high for 1 minute or until melted. Stir in brown sugar, honey and orange peel. Microwave on High for 1 minute. Drizzle over cake.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease three 8 or 9 inch round cake pans and set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until each one is blended in. Dissolve the baking soda in the water; stir into the batter along with the blackberry jam. Combine the flour, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt; stir into the batter by hand, alternating with the buttermilk. Fold in the black walnuts and raisins if using. Divide the batter equally between the three pans, and spread in an even layer.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the top of the cakes spring back when lightly touched, about 35 minutes. Cool in the pans until cool enough to handle, then invert the cakes over a wire rack and remove pans to cool completely.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F.
• Brush bottom and sides of 9 x 3 springform pan with 2 tbsp butter.
• Dust with 2 tbsp flour, tilting to coat and flipping and tapping to remove excess.
• Combine cherries, raisins, currants, candied peel and angelica in a bowl.
• Add 1/2 cup flour and toss to coat evenly; set aside.
• In large bowl cream softened butter and sugar by beating with a wooden spoon against edges until light and fluffy.
• Beat in eggs one at a time, then slowly beat in remaining flour, allspice and salt.
• Combine nuts with fruit mixture and add to batter slowly, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Pour batter into pan and spread evenly with spatula.
• Bake on middle rack for 1 1/2 hours or until top is light golden or a cake tester comes out clean.
• Cool completely before removing from pan.

Steps:

• For the filling:
• Bring the apples and water to cover to a boil in a medium saucepan.
• Reduce the heat and simmer until the apples are completely softened, about 10 minutes.
• Drain the apples and let cool until just warm, about 15 minutes.
• Puree the apples in a food processor until smooth.
• Transfer to a bowl and stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. (The filling can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.).
• For the layers:
• Adjust two oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
• Whisk the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla in a large measuring cup.
• With an electric mixer at medium-high speed, beat the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl until fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl as necessary.
• Add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately in two batches, beating after each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed until combined. (The dough will be thick.).
• Divide the dough into 8 equal portions.
• Working with 2 portions at a time, on a lightly floured surface, roll each out into a 10-inch circle about 1/4 inch thick.
• Using a 9-inch cake pan as a template, trim away the excess dough to form 2 perfectly round 9-inch disks.
• Transfer the disks to the prepared baking sheets and bake until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating and switching the baking sheets halfway through the baking time.
• Transfer the disks to a rack and cool completely, at least 1 hour.
• Repeat with the remaining dough. (The layers can be wrapped tightly in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days.).
• To assemble the cake:
• Place one layer on a serving plate and spread with 1 cup filling.
• Repeat 6 times.
• Top with the final layer, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until the layers soften, at least 24 hours or up to 2 days.
• Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve. (The fully assembled cake can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.).
• Be sure to let the cake sit at least 24 hours, as the moisture from the filling transforms the texture of the cookie-like layers into a tender apple-flavored cake.