Recipe For Cooking Italian Fruitcakes With Frangelico Chocolate Sauce

Toaster Oven Cakes :: Holiday Cakes

Italian Fruitcakes with Frangelico Chocolate Sauce

Source: Bon Appetit December 1999

Fruitcakes
3 C. hazelnuts, toasted, husked, coarsely chopped
12 oz. diced Calimyrna figs
8 oz. bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet
    chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/3 C. minced crystallized ginger
1 1/4 C. (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 C. sugar
5 lrg. eggs
2 C. Frangelico (or more)
2 Tbsp. grated orange peel
2 C. flour
1/2 C. cake flour
1/2 tea. salt

Sauce
12 oz. bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet
    chocolate, chopped
2/3 C. whipped cream
1/3 C. Frangelico
Whipped cream (optional)

Fruitcakes: Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Butter and flour 12 miniature Bundt molds or 12 oversize muffin C. (each about 1-C. capacity).

Toss nuts, figs, chocolate and ginger in med. bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in lrg. bowl until smooth and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1/4 C. Frangelico and orange peel (mixture may look curdled).

Sift both flours and salt over batter; mix in. Stir in nut and fruit mixture. Divide batter among molds. Bake cakes until a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean, about 45 min. (about 55 min. if using muffin C.). Turn cakes out onto racks; brush with 1/4 C. liqueur. Cool cakes completely.

Cut out twelve 10-in. cheesecloth squares. Pour 1 1/2 C. liqueur into sm. bowl. Dip 1 square into liqueur; squeeze out some but not all liqueur. Wrap 1 cake in liqueur-soaked cheesecloth, then in foil. Repeat dipping and wrapping with remaining cakes, adding more liqueur if needed. Chill at least 1 week and up to 2 weeks.

Bring cakes to room temperature before serving.

Sauce: Stir chocolate, whipped cream and Frangelico in heavy med. saucepan over low heat until chocolate melts and sauce is smooth. Arrange one cake on each plate. Drizzle with sauce. Pipe or spoon whipped cream alongside, if desired, and serve.

Makes approximately 12.