Southern Fruit Cake

Southern Fruit Cake

Tips for making fruit cake

Flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon allspice

2 teaspoons apple pie spice

2 cups butter

2 ¼ cups sugar

½ cup honey

2 tablespoons lemon juice

12 eggs, well beaten

1 tablespoon almond extract

1 ½ cups strawberry preserves

1 cup fig preserves

2 pounds candied red cherries, chopped

2 pounds candied green pineapple, chopped

2 pounds candied yellow pineapple, chopped

2 pounds dates, chopped

½ pound figs, chopped

1 cup white raisins

2 cups seeded raisins

1 large coconut, grated

½ pound orange peel, chopped

½ pound black walnuts, chopped

¾ pound English walnuts, chopped

4 cups pecans, chopped

½ pound almonds, chopped

½ cup bourbon


Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Grease and line 1 large tube pan and 2 loaf pans with brown paper.

Sift 4 ½ cups flour, baking powder and the spices together. Cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually, cream until fluffy. Add the honey and lemon juice to the eggs; mix well. Add to the creamed mixture. Stir in the flour mixture, a small amount at a time, mixing well. Stir in the almond extract, strawberry preserves and fig preserves. Dredge the fruits, peels and nuts with flour; add to the batter. Add bourbon, as needed, to thin the batter.

Bake about 3 hours or until the cake tests done. The fruit cakes may be decorated with almonds, pineapples and cherries, if desired.

Source: The Best of Home Economics Teachers Bicentennial Cookbook, Favorite Recipes Press, 1976

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