Directions: |
Directions:Wash and dry raisins and currants. Chop dates, seeded raisins and peel (candied fruit). Slice cherries.
Combine fruit in large bowl. Pour ½ to 1 cup of dark rum over fruit and leave for at least 3 hours. Then, add nuts. Measure butter into another large mixing bowl.
Grease and line 3 standard cake tins with 4 layers of waxed paper. Grease again. Preheat oven to 275º F. Sift together flour, baking powder, soda, salt and spices onto one piece of waxed paper and remove one cup and combine with fruit and nuts. Mix until fruit is well coated. Cream butter until fluffy, add flavourings. Gradually add sugar, mixing until creamy. Beat egg yolks until light and lemon coloured. Add molasses and combine with egg yolks. Add to butter and sugar mixture. Beat together well; add ½ of sifted dry ingredients. Blend thoroughly. Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Fold into mixture. Add remaining dry ingredients alternately with combined fruit juice and coffee.
Fold in after each addition. Add flour, fruit and nuts, blending in until fruit is well distributed. Turn batter into prepared cake tins filling each about ⅔ full and spreading batter evenly. Bake at 275º F in centre of slow oven. Bake small cake 2½ hours, medium size for 3½ hours and the large cake tins for 4 - 4½ hours. Remove from oven and allow to stand at least 5 minutes. Then turn out onto wire cake rack to cool. This makes a total of 11½ lbs. of fruit cake. |
This recipe for Frances' Rich Dark Fruit Cake is from