Japanese Fruitcake

Name: Japanese Fruitcake
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: southern
Ingredients: 1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus butter for greasing pans; 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus flour for dusting pans; 2 cups sugar; 4 large or 5 small eggs; 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder; 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1 teaspoon ground allspice; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves; 3/4 cup dark raisins; 3/4 cup pecans; 1 1/2 cups water; 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice; 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind; 3 cups grated fresh or canned coconut; 2 cups sugar; 2 tablespoons cornstarch

By Craig Claiborne

Total Time: 1 hour
Rating: 5(30)
Comments: Read comments

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Ingredients

Yield:12 servings

Cake Layers

½pound unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus butter for greasing pans
3⅓cups all-purpose flour, plus flour for dusting pans
2cups sugar
4large or 5 small eggs
1½teaspoons baking powder
¾cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
1teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1teaspoon ground allspice
1teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾teaspoon ground cloves
¾cup dark raisins
¾cup pecans

Filling and Frosting

1½cups water
¼cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1teaspoon grated lemon rind
3cups grated fresh or canned coconut
2cups sugar
2tablespoons cornstarch

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Step 2
Butter insides of 2 9-inch layer cake pans. Sprinkle with flour and shake out excess.
Step 3
Cream together sugar and ½ pound of butter in mixing bowl until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Step 4
Sift together 3⅓ cups flour and baking powder and add mixture to batter alternately with milk and vanilla.
Step 5
Spoon and scrape half batter into one of prepared pans and smooth over top with spatula. Set aside.
Step 6
To remaining batter add allspice, cinnamon and cloves.
Step 7
Chop raisins and pecans and add them. Blend well. Spoon and scrape mixture into second pan. Smooth over top. Place in oven and bake 25 to 35 minutes or until straw inserted into center comes out clean. White cake will cook faster than fruit-and-nut cake.
Step 8
Remove layers from oven and let cool on rack about 5 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack and let stand until completely cool.
Step 9
To prepare filling, combine 1 cup of water, lemon juice, lemon rind, 2 cups of coconut and sugar in saucepan. Bring to a boil.
Step 10
Combine cornstarch with the remaining ½ cup of water. Blend well and stir this into sauce. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture mounds or lumps when dropped from spoon (the temperature should be 205 to 210 degrees). Let cool.
Step 11
Place fruit-and-nut cake on cake plate and frost the top. Top this with white cake. Frost cake, top and sides. Sprinkle remaining coconut over the cake. The cake may be served immediately but is best if left to stand a day or so.