Mary Alice’s Fruit Cake

📜 Collection: Dwayne Collection | ✍️ Attribution: Mary Alice | 📂 Category: Desserts A rich, traditional holiday fruit cake packed with candied cherries, pineapple, and pecans, flavored with lemon extract. This heirloom recipe can be baked in one or two pans and wrapped in rum-soaked cloth for preservation.

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Prep Time	Cook Time	Inactive / Chill Time	Yield / Servings
30 mins	2 hours 30 mins	None	12 servings

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🔪 Key Equipment

• Mixing bowl
• Cake pan
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Hand mixer
• Clean cloth

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Ingredients

Cake Batter

Measurements	Ingredients	Prep / Notes
1 lb	Butter	softened
1 lb	Brown Sugar	packed
6	Eggs	room temperature
3 1/2 cups	Flour	regular, divided
2 tsp	Baking Powder	None
1/2 lb	Candied Cherries	None
1/2 lb	Pineapple	candied, or citron
1 lb	Pecans	None
1 (2 oz) bottle	Lemon Extract	None
As needed	Rum	or wine, for wrapping (optional)

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Instructions

Preparation & Baking

1. Preheat oven to 250°F.
2. Roll the 1/2 lb candied cherries, 1/2 lb pineapple (or citron), and 1 lb pecans in a portion of the 3 1/2 cups regular flour until well coated.
3. Cream the 1 lb butter and 1 lb brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the 6 eggs one at a time. Sift the remaining 3 1/2 cups regular flour with the 2 tsp baking powder, then combine with the wet ingredients.
4. Stir in the 1 (2 oz) bottle lemon extract and fold in the floured fruits and nuts.
5. Pour the batter into prepared cake pan(s).
6. If using 2 cake pans, bake at 250°F for 2 hours. If using 1 cake pan, bake at 250°F for 2 1/2 hours.
7. Try baking for 1 hour first to check and see if the cake is drying out too fast. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Once cooled, wrap the cake in a clean cloth saturated with rum or wine, if desired, to age and keep moist.

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💡 Make-Ahead & Storage: Wrap the cooled fruit cake in a rum- or wine-saturated cloth and store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place to age.

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Original Recipe Scan