This fruitcake was a very favorite of my father’s and was an annual tradition. My mother (Geraldine) made the cake about three to four weeks before Christmas and then put it wrapped in foil before placing it towards the back of the refrigerator. Dad would open it, smother it in Rum, and cut it into an ounce, making sure to wrap it again by putting the cut segment in front of the cake and pretend innocent when it was removed from the wrapper.
INGREDIENTS
Two pounds of gold raisins (can be mixed with dark raisins)
2 lbs of candy fruit (typically sold in 1-pound containers)
1/2 cup honey
One tablespoon ginger
1 cup of coconut that has been shredded
One to two cups of pecans
1 cup juice of orange (cherry or another fruit juice)
1/2 cup dark Rum
5 cups of all-purpose flour that is unbleached and unbleached
Two tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Two teaspoons of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
1 cup butter that has been softened
1 cup margarine softened
2 1/2 cups of brown sugar
PREPARATION
* In a large bowl that could be covered, mix raisins, candied fruits, ginger, honey coconut, pecans, and coconut shredded along with orange juice and dark Rum. Mix, coating all of the ingredients with liquid. Let the mixture soak overnight.
* The next day, mix flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
In a separate bowl, mix butter, margarine, and brown sugar. Mix the ingredients until light, around 4 minutes. Blend in just until well combined. Add ten large eggs, each one at a time.
Incorporate dry ingredients gradually. The batter will become heavy, so the final part of the dry ingredients might require incorporating by hand. Mix into the fruit that has been soaked by hand.
* Preheat oven to 220degF.
* Line and then heavily grease using vegetable shortening, not oil, a parchment with a two-part pan, which covers the base, the post, and the sides. (Mom typically used a large brown plastic bag to line the pan, with her writing on the back of her hand facing away from the baking batter.)
3. Bake the cake for three and a half hours until it is hard. Be careful not to open the oven too often in order to avoid cracks.
Open the oven’s door, and allow the cake to cool within the cake pan to cool slowly for around 30 minutes.
Remove the cake and let it let it cool completely, leaving a paper covering. Pour over the top of the cake. 1 to 3 cups of a mixture of fruit juice and Rum.
* Refrigerate.