This is the best fruitcake you will ever taste!
I know that fruitcake gets a bad wrap! So many jokes!!! So many stories about horrible fruitcakes being hard and old and “brick-like” and “regifted”. But this, this fruitcake, you seriously MUST try, if you like fruits and nuts. This recipe came from my former mother in law’s friend, Dot. She is a true southern lady, from Covington, GA. This recipe is amazing! I had to add it to the recipe section of this blog.
Plan ahead for this cake. IF you want to make it for Christmas, you will need to start shortly after Thanksgiving or at least early December. Read on to find out WHY!!
Bake at 250 F for 3 hours. This is not a typo. It is 250 degrees!
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb brown sugar
1 lb butter
1tsp baking powder
4 cups flour
1 lb candied pineapple
1 lb candied cherries
1 lb whole pecan halves
2oz brandy or rum (I used brandy)
6 eggs, separated
CHEESE CLOTH
TIN FOIL
1.) Cream the butter and sugar. Add 6 egg yolks and the rum or brandy. Fold nut and fruit into 1 cup of the flour. Blend into the creamed mixture. Add the rest of the flour and baking powder, and stir together.
2) Beat egg whites until stiff; fold into batter.
3) Grease loaf pan with shortening. I used Crisco. You can also use Angel food pans. Grease brown paper on both sides and line pan. It is difficult to get paper pressed down into pan; press by sections.
3) Transfer batter from mixer bowl to a large bowl for hand stirring with a strong spoon.
5) NOTE: The batter is very stiff. I had my husband help me to stir and also used the very largest bowl I had in my kitchen. You can see my cat, Felix, who loves to be involved in all the action. I would recommend you have someone strong around to help with the stirring.
6) Transfer mixed batter into pans in sections. Let batter stand in refrigerator overnight in the pans.
7) BAKE: Place pan of hot water alongside of cake in oven. Put “moat” under pan to catch grease if pan has removable bottom (like an angel food pan). These cakes may be bakes in 2 regular size bread pans, 4 medium size loaf pans or 8 small loaf pans. Bake at 250 degrees for 3 hours.
8) Turn out of pans; wrap cakes in cheese-cloth. Put cheese-cloth in brandy, squeeze it out, and pour the rest of the brandy over the cake.
Whole Cake-2oz Brandy;
Loaf pan-1oz brandy
Medium pan-1/2 oz brandy
Small pan-1/4oz brandy
9)Baste the fruit cakes with brandy by removing cheese cloth, soaking in brandy and re-wrapping. Wrap the cheese cloth in saran wrap and then tin foil and keep in the fridge between bastings.
Details on basting: Baste with the above amount according to pan size; Baste every 10 days -at least twice before eating
10) Store the cakes in the refrigerator.
Courtesy for this recipe: Ginny Larsen and Dot Schaeffer
I have converted many self professed “fruit cake haters” to fruit cake lovers.
Guiding Grains 