White Fruit Cake

1/4 pound mixed candied lemon, orange and citron peel
1 1/4 pounds candied cherries, apricots, pineapple and plums
1/2 cup preserved ginger
1/4 pound maraschino cherries
1/4 pound blanched almonds
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
8 large egg whites
Cut the peel and candied fruit into thin slices. Blanch the almonds by allowing to stand in boiling water for 5 minutes; slip off the skins and dry. Sift the flour; measure and add baking powder and salt. Sift again. Add 1 cup of the flour mixture to the sliced peel, fruit and nuts. Stir well. Cream the shortening until light; add 1/2 cup of the sugar and the remaining flour gradually; beat until fluffy. Add the floured fruits and nuts; mix well. Add lemon juice to the egg whites and beat until stiff. Fold into the beaten whites the remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Fold egg whites into the cake mixture. Bake in a large tube pan or two, 5 x 9 x 4-inch loaf pans that have been lined with greased wax paper. Bake at 250 degrees for about 3 hours. Makes a cake weighing 3 1/2 to 4 pounds. This cake is very attractive if whole almonds and pieces of colored fruit are arranged to make a design on top of the cake.

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