A magnificent, large-batch fruit cake recipe from Abby, yielding 11 pounds of rich, moist, and spicy cake. The fruits are cooked in apricot nectar and soaked overnight for incredible flavor.
Author
Abby
Recipe
| Measurements | Ingredients |
|---|---|
| 1 ½ Cups | Golden Raisins |
| 1 ½ Cups | Dark Raisins |
| 2 Cups | Dates, chopped |
| 6 Cups | Candied Fruit (Mix) |
| 1 ½ Cups | Apricot Whole Fruit Nectar |
| 2 Cups (1 lb) | Butter, softened |
| 2 Cups | Sugar |
| 10 | Eggs |
| 6 Cups | Flour |
| 2 tsp. | Salt |
| ½ tsp. | Baking Soda |
| 2 tsp. | Cinnamon |
| 1 tsp. | Allspice |
| ½ tsp. | Cloves |
| 1 tsp. | Nutmeg |
| 2 Tbsp | Vanilla |
| 2 Cups | Nuts |
Instructions
Day 1: Soaking the Fruit
- Rinse and drain the raisins. If they seem hard, steam them briefly in a sieve over boiling water to soften.
- In a large kettle or stockpot, combine the golden raisins, dark raisins, dates, candied fruits, and apricot nectar.
- Cook over low heat for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Cover the pot and let the fruit mixture stand at room temperature overnight.
Day 2: Mixing and Baking
- Preparation: Preheat your oven to 300°F. Line one 9-inch tube pan and two 8.5x4.5 inch loaf pans with two layers of greased brown paper (or parchment paper), followed by one layer of greased wax paper. Place a shallow pan of water on the bottom rack of the oven.
- Cream Wet Ingredients: In a very large bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar together. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg.
- Make the Batter: Add the sifted dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and stir to combine. Stir in the vanilla and nuts. The batter will be very thick.
- Final Mix: Pour the prepared batter over the soaked fruit mixture in the kettle. Mix thoroughly with a sturdy spoon until everything is well combined.
- Bake: Turn the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 3 to 3 ½ hours. The cake is done when a long wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
[! Servings] Makes 11 Pounds
