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Mix together in large bowl: 21/2 cups white flour 1/2 cup wheat flour 1/4 wheat germ 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp allspice 1/2 tsp cloves 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/2 tsp ginger |
Mix in separate bowl: 2 cups varied baking nuts, shelled, unchopped 11/4 cups dates, chopped in half 1/3 lb. golden raisins 1/3 lb. Turkish apricots, chopped in half 1/3 lb. dried cranberries 1/3 lb. lemon essence prunes, chopped in half 1/3 lb. dried cherries 1/3 lb. dried blueberries 1/3 lb. dried peaches, chopped in quarters |
Preparation:
Dredge fruit and nuts in dry ingredients.
| Prepare Separately: Beat 4 eggs until frothy. Gradually add: 13/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar Blend in: 1 cup unsweetened fruit juice 1/4 cup molasses 3/4 cup melted butter, cooled |
Combining Everything: Add the mixture to the left to flour/fruit mixture. Stir until well combined. The batter will appear to be overwhelmed with fruit. Prepare one 10” tube pan or 2-3 9” x 5” x 3” loaf pans: oil well and line with waxed paper. Fill pans 2/3 to 3/4 full with batter. Bake for 21/2 to 3 hours. A knife inserted into the middle will come out clean when it’s done. |
Additional Tips:
Cool thoroughly before removing the cake from the pans.
The cake will be hard, perfect for soaking. Wrap each cake in a clean, white cotton cloth. Sprinkle all over with fruit brandy or liqueur. Wrap in aluminum foil. Store in a cool, dark corner. Resoak every 2-3 days, for 4-6 weeks. Soak conservatively. My father, impatient for edible fruitcake, once decided to soak a fruitcake in a week. He put one in a plastic bag and poured in half a bottle of brandy. The result looked liked pieces of liquor-soaked sponge floating in fruit mush. He didn’t eat it.
This is another one of those recipes that invites the chef to make it to taste. There’s no reason, for instance, why you couldn’t use dried apples, dried pineapple, whatever you think would make this fruitcake work for you. Just make sure you don’t over extend the fruit. The combined total of all the fruit nuts listed above (21/3 lbs. + 1 1/4 cups dates + 2 cups nuts) is about all this cake can handle; although, you could use less fruit and nuts. Regardless, the cake is designed to bake up hard, so that it doesn’t fall apart during soaking.