Japanese Fruit Cake - Master Cookbook Recipe # 232

Name: Japanese Fruit Cake - Master Cookbook Recipe # 232
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 1 (One) 4-layer cake
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients: 1 medium lemon (juice and zest); 1 medium navel orange (zest and fruit pieces); 2 cups granulated sugar; 4 Tbsp cornstarch; 1/2 cup water; 1/2 cup maraschino cherry juice; 1/4 tsp salt; 20 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained; 1 cup flaked or fresh coconut; 1/2 cup maraschino cherries, halved; 1 cup chopped pecans; Master Cookbook Recipe # 255 (Spice Cake); Master Cookbook Recipe # 266 (Yellow Cake)

Despite its name, this is a deeply rooted Southern heirloom cake. It features layers of spiced and yellow cake stacked together with a vibrant, tropical filling of lemon, orange, pineapple, coconut, and cherries. It’s a stunning, festive dessert that is as beautiful to look at as it is delicious to eat.

This is recipe #232 in Tammy’s Master Cookbook.

Prep time: 30 minTotal time: 30 min Cook Time - Filling: 10 min

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Ingredients

For the Filling/Icing:
1 medium lemon (juice and zest)
1 medium navel orange (zest and fruit pieces)
2 cups granulated sugar
4 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup maraschino cherry juice
1/4 tsp salt
20 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup flaked or fresh coconut
1/2 cup maraschino cherries, halved
1 cup chopped pecans
For the Cake:
Master Cookbook Recipe # 255 (Spice Cake)
Master Cookbook Recipe # 266 (Yellow Cake)

Instructions

Prep the Zest: Zest the lemon and orange onto a paper towel (be careful to avoid the bitter white pith). Juice the lemon. Peel the orange and cut the fruit into small pieces.
Cook the Base: In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch. Add the water, cherry juice, salt, lemon juice, orange pieces, and both zests.
Boil: Bring the mixture to a slow boil over medium heat. Once it reaches a rolling boil, turn the heat to high and boil for exactly 2 minutes.
Finish Filling: Stir in the drained pineapple, coconut, halved cherries, and pecans. Cook for one more minute, then pour the filling into a shallow dish to cool.
Assemble the Cake:
Prepare your Spice Cake and Yellow Cake layers. Split one layer of each horizontally to create 4 layers total.
Stack the layers alternately (Yellow, Spice, Yellow, Spice), spreading the filling generously between each layer.
Pro Tip: You can poke small holes in the layers while stacking and use the filling while it's still warm to let that delicious juice soak into the cake.
Final Touch: You can cover the entire cake with the filling, or for a more polished look, ice the sides with Master Cookbook Recipe #399 (Seven Minute Icing) and leave the tropical filling visible on top.

Notes

Tammy's Tip: When zesting your citrus, be very careful not to get any of the white pulp (pith) in there, as it will make your icing bitter. This cake is a showstopper for any holiday table!