Myrtle Kinlaw's fruitcake recipe
(This is a priceless treasure made exquisitely by my mother. We're southerners, you know, and southerners love fruitcake. Mother's was the best! Smile)
Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees.
Directions:
Mix together and sift:
- 2 c. flour
- 3/4 t. salt
- 3/4 t. baking powder
- 1/4 t. each - cloves, allspice, nutmeg
- 1 t. each - cinnamon, mace
Pour candied fruits (list follows) into separate large bowl; slice and dice as necessary. Add 1 lb. raisins and 2 c. pecans (whole). Sprinkle with small portion of sifted flour mixture, and mix to coat fruit and nuts (this keeps the fruits/nuts from "falling" to the bottom of the cake).
- Red/green candied cherries - one large container each
- Candied pineapple - one large container
- Citron - 1/2 lb.
- Dried figs - 1/2 lb.
- Pitted dates - 1/2 lb
** Important: Set aside some cherries and pecans for decorating top of cake prior to baking! **
Now mix into the fruits/nuts a small jar each of grape jam and peach or apricot preserves. Mix well; set aside. (I find it's easier to use my hands to do this - but wash them first. HA!) Use more or less of any of the fruits and nuts. As Mother would say, use a "handful" of this and a "fistful" of that.
In a separate bowl, cream together 1 c. butter and 1-1/2 c. sugar. Add 4 eggs and 1/2 c. milk. Add flour mix to egg mixture. Don't overmix. Mother said, "we need just enough batter to hold it all together."
Gently fold batter into fruits/nuts/preserve mix using wooden spoon JUST UNTIL BLENDED. Grease and flour tube pan (Mother always cut waxed paper to fit the bottom of the pan, then greased and floured. I do the same thing.) Spoon batter into prepared pan; batter will be stiff.
Decorate top of cake with cherries and pecans that have been set aside for that purpose. Bake on middle shelf of oven about 2-1/2 hours at 300 degrees. Test with toothpick.
Remove from oven; cool 10-15 min. in pan, then turn out. Let cool completely before covering or storing.
Email me if you have any questions. :-)