Stained-Glass Cake (Fruitcake)

HELEN PEAGRAM's Note:

From the traditional to the (comparatively) new-fangled. Stained glass or bishopcakes, very popular in the UK, are so called, one presumes, because they consist almost entirely of glace fruit and nuts, and the glace fruit has something of the translucency of a stained-glass church window.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 0 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 8

Yield: 1.0 cake

• 1 cup plain flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ lb glace pineapple
• 2 ounces glace pear
• 2 ounces glace kiwi fruit
• 2 ounces glace apple
• 2 ounces glace apricot
• 4 ounces glace cherries
• 4 ounces sultanas
• 4 ounces currants
• 2 eggs
• 1⁄3; cup brown sugar
• 4 ounces blanched almonds , Halved
• 4 ounces pecan nuts , Halved
• 4 ounces macadamia nuts , Halved
• 4 ounces brazil nuts , Halved
• ¼ cup Grand Marnier or ¼ cup Cointreau liqueur

Directions:

1. Butter a large cake tin. Line with waxed paper. Butter the paper.
2. Chop the glace fruits roughly.
3. Sift together the flour and baking powder.
4. Mix in all the fruits, together with the nuts.
5. Put the mixture into the cake tin, wet hands and press mixture down firmly.
6. Bake in a preheated 300F degree oven for 1 1/2 hours.
7. Take cake out of the oven and drizzle the Grand Marnier or Cointreau over the top.
8. Leave the cake in the oven to cool until warm, then wrap it, tin and all, in aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight. Remove from tin, peel away paper and store in airtight tin.