Lester's Fruitcake
Ingredients
- 1 pound cherries ⓘ
- 1 pound pineapple ⓘ
- 1 pound citron peel ⓘ
- 1/2 pound orange zest ⓘ
- 1 pound figs ⓘ
- 1 pound dates pitted ⓘ
- 1 pound raisins, seedless ⓘ
- 1 pound currants or golden raisins ⓘ
- 2 1/2 pounds pecans ⓘ
- 1/4 pound walnuts ⓘ
- 12 large eggs ⓘ
- 1 pound butter ⓘ
- 3 1/2 cups flour, all-purpose ⓘ
- 2 cups sugar granulated ⓘ
- 1 cup molasses blackstrap
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (dissolved in the molasses) ⓘ
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon ⓘ
- 1 teaspoon allspice ⓘ
- 1/2 tablespoon cloves ⓘ
- 1 tablespoon nutmeg ⓘ
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 23 cup brandy or whiskey
Instructions
- Prepare fruits and nuts as desired.
- Beat eggs in mixer.
- Begin creaming the butter.
- While butter is creaming, add just enough flour to the fruits and nuts to give each a thin coating so it won't stick to its neighbor.
- When the butter is properly creamed, add eggs, sugar, molasses and soda, spices, remaining flour, vanilla and brandy.
- Let mixer go to work on that.
- Scoop a depression in the top of the fruit-nut pile and pour the batter over it.
- Then mix and knead almost like you would knead bread.
- Pack into 8 (8") well-buttered foil loaf pans which have been lined with foil or brown paper and buttered.
- Place in a 225 degree oven with a shallow pan of water below them.
- If the oven temperature is right, they should be done in 3 to 4 hours.
- After 1 1/2 hours watch them carefully, and if the edges begin to crisp before the to cracks in numerous breaks, turn the heat down and put in a fresh pan of cool water.
- When little cracks come across the tops of the cakes they are done.
- When cool, remove them from the pans.
- When cold dab whiskey or brandy liberally over the outside.
- Wrap each separately in wax paper, then in aluminum foil.
- Cover with newspaper and set away to age in a cool place.
- This aging takes about a month; the alcohol will have evaporated by then and have left only the bouquet and flavor.
Nutrition & Diet Analysis (per serving)
1520
kcal
76% DV
Protein
Fat
Carbs
* % Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet (FDA 2020).