“Foolproof” Fruitcake
Kind of an oxymoron, this is a fantastically easy, dark fruitcake that is made every year as late as the summer for the following Christmas. It truly turns out every time even when the scale is out of batteries.
Ingredients
wet ingredients
1 lb butter
2 1/4 cups (1 lb) well packed light brown sugar
10 large eggs
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup orange juice or diluted frozen juice
dry ingredients
3 3/4 cups sifted all purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
fruit and nuts
2+1/2 lbs (nine cups) (1134 g) clean dry currants
2+3/4 lbs (nine cups) (1247 g) seeded raisins (these pack tighter)
1/2 cup (two rings) chopped candied pineapple
1/2 cup (3+1/2 oz) (99 g) mixed candied peel
1/2 cup (85 g) red and green glace cherries
1+1/2 cups (1/2 lb) (227g) whole blanched almonds (keep 24 for top)
1/2 cup (2oz) (57g) walnut pieces
1/2 cup (2oz) (57g) whole pecans
Method
In a BIG (electric mixer size) bowl, prepare wet ingredients. Cream butter until light then cream in sugar until batter is pale and airy.
Beat eggs in one at a time so that each is well-blended before adding next one.
Add molasses and orange juice.
Transfer the wet ingredients to the HUGE bowl (the final mixing bowl).
Sift the flour then add dry ingredients into a BIGGER bowl.
Add all the prepared and measured fruit and nuts. Mix thoroughly.
Add prepared wet ingredients and stir thoroughly.
Turn into pans and bake.
Tipsy Tips
The final mixing bowl has to be HUGE and arm strong.
pans:
2 8x8x3 inch pans or 3 standard loaf pans
line with 3 layers of wax paper
brush top wax paper thick with butter
bake:
very slow oven (250 F) for 5 to 5 1/2 hours
keep a broiler pan or large pan of water at the bottom of the oven and refill throughout baking
The cake takes a long time in the oven so you can spread out making across two days by measuring all dry ingredients and fruit one day; then prepare wet ingredients, mix, and bake the following day
Wrap in brandy soaked cheesecloth, parchment or wax paper, then plastic wrap before you place in a tin. "Feed" it by re-soaking the cheesecloth every 2 months (if you remember). Keeps a year in the freezer then fridge when holidays are near. Lasts forever as long as kept tipsy.
