1 1/2 cups candied yellow pineapple, chopped
1 1/2 cups candied red cherries, chopped
1 cup raisins
3/4 cup currants
2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup white grape juice
1 cup butter or margarine, room temperature
2 cups firmly-packed light brown sugar
5 eggs , room temperature
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
1 teaspoon almond extract
Brandy
Grease a 10-inch tube or bundt pan; line with wax paper and grease well.
In a large bowl, combine candied pineapple, candied cherries, raisins, currants, and pecans or walnuts. Add grape juice; stir until well blended. Let stand 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. In a large bowl, cream butter or margarine. Gradually add brown sugar, stirring until
light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
In another large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and mace; gradually
add to butter mixture. Add almond extract and fruit mixture; stir until well blended. Spoon into prepared pan.
Bake 3 hours and 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. A good check is to use an instant
digital thermometer
to test your fruitcake. The
internal temperature
should be between 200 and 210 degrees. Remove from oven and cool on
a rack. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Remove from pan, peel paper liner from cake, and cook completely.
Wrap in a brandy-soaked cheesecloth; store in an airtight container for one week. After one week, store in the refrigerator.
Yields: 1 large fruitcake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 3 hour 20 min