Old-Time Southern Living 1972 Fruit Cake
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1 large (3 Cup) container mixed candied fruit
1 small (8 oz) container red candied cherries
1 small (8 oz) container green candied cherries
1 small (8 oz) container candied pineapple
1 package. chopped dates
1 package. figs
1/2 box dark raisins
1/2 box golden raisins
4 heaping Cup nuts (walnuts, pecans, slivered almonds)
4 cups. flour, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons. cinnamon
1 teaspoon. allspice
1/2 teaspoon. cloves
1/4 teaspoon. nutmeg
2 sticks butter
1 cup. dark brown sugar
6 eggs, divided
2 teaspoons. vanilla flavoring
1/2 cup. liquid (orange juice and/or bourbon)
Add 1 cup of the flour to the fruits and mix (this will keep the dried fruits from sticking together.)
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For the cake’s batter: Cream 2 sticks butter with 1 cup dark brown sugar.
Add 6 egg yolks to the butter and brown sugar; mix well with electric mixer.
Add 2 tablespoons vanilla flavoring. Sift together 3 cups plain flour along
with the dry spices (cinnamon, allspice, cloves and nutmeg); measure to just
have 3 cups. Add these dry ingredients alternately with the 1/2 cup liquid.
Beat 6 egg whites until very stiff and fold into the rest of the cake’s
batter. (After beating egg white until just frothy, add a pinch of salt and
continue beating egg whites until stiff.) Add all the floured candied fruit.
(The mixed fruit comes chopped; no need to chop the other fruits or nuts;
they will be sliced when serving the cake. I use both CLEAN hands to mix all
the fruit in with the batter; it works better that way.) Bake cakes in a
250-degree oven until toothpick comes out clean. Put pan of water underneath the cakes to add moisture to the cakes.
Cook’s notes: When making this recipe on Nov. 3, I used my new silicone
(rubber) tube cake pan and a new Teflon-coated tube pan, both sprayed with oil, and the cakes came out perfectly. I did not have to use parchment paper to line the pans (a job that’s sometime hard to do.) Betty uses 1 box each of dark and light raisins; I use one-half box each; your choice. This recipe made 2 tube pan cakes and 1 small loaf pan cake. While the cakes are still warm, pour small amount of apricot brandy over each cake; then repeat this process each week until ready to serve. Forget the jokes about fruitcake; this cake is delicious.
Recipe source: 1972 Southern Living Magazine