Fruitcake

  • 1 lb mixed candied fruit (about 2 cups)
  • 1 4 oz can chopped citron
  • 1 lb dates, pitted
  • 1/2 lb whole candied cherries (about 1 cup)
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 1 cup pecan halves
  • 1 cup walnut halves
  • 4 cups sifted flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup butter
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Prepare baking pans by cutting 3 parchment or brown paper liners for bottoms of pans, grease with unsalted fat. Top with a layer of waxed paper and grease all paper and inside of pan generously.
  3. Prepare and measure fruit, cut in pieces the size of dates, leave dates, cherries, and nuts whole.
  4. Sift together flour, salt, and spices. Use enough of this mixture to coat all fruit pieces.
  5. Cream butter and sugar, beat in eggs one at a time.
  6. Add baking soda to remaining flour mixture.
  7. Add flour mixture to egg mixture alternately with buttermilk.
  8. Mix batter with fruits and nuts.
  9. Spoon into prepared pan. This recipe fills a 10" tube pan, or 3 8 x 4 1/4 x 2 1/4 foil pans, or three 1 lb coffee cans.
  10. To decorate, lay nuts and large fruit pieces on top of batter to form design.
  11. If in a tube pan, bake 2 1/2 hours, 1 lb amounts bake in 1 1/4 hours.
  12. Cool cake out of pan on rack.
  13. When cool, use a pastry brush to baste with orange juice or cider.
  14. Wrap cake in waxed paper, then in foil.
  15. Store in covered container in cool place.
  16. After two weeks, baste again.