Fruit Cake Recipe (12/04/14) very good

By zircon50

Ingredients

• 1 cup candied yellow pineapple, chopped
• 1 cup candied red and green cherries, halved
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup citron
• 1 cup chopped dates
• 2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
• 2 cups firmly-packed dark brown sugar
• 5 eggs, room temperature
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mace
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• Brandy

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.

Grease a 10-inch tube or bundt pan; line with wax paper and grease well.

In a large bowl, combine candied pineapple, candied cherries, citron, raisins, chopped dates, and pecans or walnuts. Add orange juice; stir until well blended. Let stand 1 hour (or preferably overnight).

In a large bowl, cream butter. Gradually add dark brown sugar, stirring until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In another large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and mace; gradually add to butter mixture. Add almond extract and fruit mixture; stir until well blended. Spoon into prepared pan.

Bake 2 1/2 hours, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. A good check is to use an instant digital thermometer to test your fruitcake. The internal temperature should be between 200 and 210 degrees. Remove from oven and cool on a rack.

Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Remove from pan, peel paper liner from cake, and cool completely.

Wrap in a brandy-soaked cheesecloth; store in an airtight container for one week. After one week, store in the refrigerator.


Makes 1 large fruitcake.