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Fruit Cake

Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 450 g butter or shortening
  • 400 g light brown sugar
  • 7 eggs separated into yolks and whites
  • 900 g currants
  • 450 g nut meats
  • 900 g raisins seeded and finely chopped
  • 225 g date meats finely chopped
  • 225 g citron thinly sliced and cut into short strips
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 2 tbsp fruit juice
  • 480 g flour
  • 2 tsp mace
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • dash salt

Equipment

  • 3 mixing bowls
  • 2-3 deep round cake pans

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 275°F (135°C).
  2. Cream the butter. Add the sugar gradually and beat for 5 minutes.
  3. Beat egg yolks until light and lemon-colored. Beat egg whites until stiff and dry.
  4. Add these to the butter and sugar mixture.
  5. Roll nuts and dried fruit in flour.
  6. Add milk, fruit juice, chopped nuts, and dried fruit.
  7. Sift together and add the remaining ingredients. Beat the mixture thoroughly and place it in deep, round cake pans lined with parchment paper, filling each pan no more than halfway.
  8. Bake at 275°F (135°C) for 3 to 4 hours or until done. Rotate pans every hour or two. If the top is browning too quickly, cover with a piece of parchment paper for the last hour.

Notes

Fruit cake is heavy. There are over 9 pounds of ingredients in this recipe, so expect to make a few cakes. How many you make depends on the size of your pans. The first time you make this, you might want to prepare an extra pan beyond what you expect to use.
Feel free to change up the fruits and tweak the seasonings.