I used to make this fruitcake with my Mom so it is a very treasured recipe and brings back wonderful memories of my special time with her.
If you read the recipe you will understand that it was a labour of love. We worked as a tag team or should I say my Mom was the one taking the lead, asking for each item. I would measure and she would add the items in order.
I haven’t made this recipe in years, but with this being the first year of the Just Amazing blog, I just had to recreate it. To be honest I thought that this would the last time I would be making it. Just looking at our recipe and seeing the amount of ingredients, the time involved and realizing that I’m the only fruit cake lover in my home it made sense to make it, post it and move on.
Little did I know that I would be captured by this jewel of a cake and the sweet memories of my Mom mixing the cake with her hand and filling the pans so evenly. We were not done until we wrapped each loaf with Brandy soaked cheesecloth. The best part was taste testing a warm piece of this amazing cake.
So I am learning to never say never, I am pretty sure that I will be making this cake again. Be warned it takes time and is done in stages over 2 days.
Here it is!
Ingredients (Day 1)
3/4 cup blanched almonds
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 cup seeded raisins
1 cup currants
1 cup mixed peel
1 1/4 cup thinly sliced dates
1 375 ml bottle red maraschino cherries
3/4 cup brandy
1 cup crushed pineapple (with liquid)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup strawberry jam
Preparation on Day 1:
Add almonds, raisins, currants and mixed peel into a large bowl. Add the thinly slice dates.
Drain cherries saving about about 2 tbsp of juice and slice the cherries. Stir into the almond mixture along with 1/2 cup brandy. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature overnight. Stir occasionally.
In saucepan, combine crushed pineapple with its juices and 1 cup sugar. Cook uncovered for about half hour to reduce most of the liquid. Stir frequently near the end of the cooking to prevent burning. Remove from the heat, stir in jam, cherry juice and 1/4 cup of brandy. Cover and refrigerate.
Baking (Day 2)
Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup softened butter
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
6 eggs
Lightly grease 6 mini foil loaf pans and line the bottom with parchment paper.
Preheat oven to 275 F. In a large bowl, sift or stir flour with spices, salt and baking soda until well blended. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the flour mixture over the fruit and almond mixture and toss with your hands until all fruits are lightly coated with the flour mixture. Set aside.
Add butter and 1 1/8 cup of sugar into a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Continue on low speed, gradually adding 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by half the pineapple mixture. Repeat additions, ending with the flour mixture. Pour over the flour coated fruit and almonds, mix until fruit is evenly coated with the batter. Divide between prepared pans, leaving about an inch space at the top for batter to rise.
Bake in preheated oven for approximately 2 3/4 hours. Cakes are done when they are firm to the touch and when skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven cool for 15 minutes. Remove from foil pans and place on a cooling rack, carefully peel off the parchment paper from the bottom. Leave on the rack to completely cool.
To store, wrap the cakes in brandy soaked cheesecloth (this step is not essential as the cake is very moist). Wrap in foil and store in refrigerator or a cool place. Cake can be stored for a few months.
