Christmas Cake Recipe - Dark Fruit Cake

Dark Fruit Cake

Sift together :
3 cups cake flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutemg
1/2 tsp.salt

Cream together :
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 C brown sugar
3 eggs, unbeaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. Kentucky bourbon

Cut with steel blade :
2 cups raisins
2 cups dates
1 cup figs

Chop with knife :
1 C pecans
1 C walnuts
1 C candied cherries
2 tbsp. candied orange peel
1 tbsp. candied lemon peel
1/4 C candied citron
1/2 C candied pineapple
1 C apple juice
1 C blackberry jam
1/4 C all purpose flour
1/2 C Kentucky bourbon
pecan halves if desired

 

Directions :

1.     To the creamed butter and sugar mixture, add the dry ingredients, alternately with 1/2 C apple juice and 1 C blackberry jam.

2.     To this mixture add the chopped nuts and fruits which have been tossed with 1/4 c all purpose flour. Mix thoroughly.

3.     Line a large tube pan with waxed paper and grease well. Pour mixture into the pan.

4.     If desired, top with pecan halves. 

5.     Bake at 275 degrees for one hour and then at 300 degrees for 2 hours longer.

6.     If top browns too soon, cover with brown paper.

7.     Cool 15 minutes in pan and completely on a wire rack.

8.     Sit wire rack on a towel and drizzle 1/2 C bourbon over top of cake.

9.     Wrap in towel and put into a cake tin for at least 3 weeks.

10.   Check every week and if cake feels dry, drizzle with a little more bourbon.

 

Courtesy : Nanny Winslow from Marengo, Indiana