Fruitcake

You will like this cake because it uses whole fruits and saves all that chopping time. A very pretty fruitcake after it's cut.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 30 mins
• Yields: 3 cakes

Ingredients

• 1  lb  mixed candied fruit (2 cups)
• 1  lb dates, pitted
• 1⁄2 lb  whole  candied cherry (1 cup)
• 1⁄4 lb  chopped citron
• 1  cup raisins
• 1  cup pecan halves
• 1  cup walnuts, halves
• 4  cups  sifted flour
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1  teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1  teaspoon ground cloves
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1  cup butter or 1  cup regular margarine
• 2  cups sugar
• 4  eggs
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1⁄2 cups buttermilk
•  orange juice or  apple cider

Directions

1. Prepare baking pans by cutting parchment liners for bottoms.
2. Grease each piece of paper with shortening.
3. Place in pans.
4. Top with a layer of waxed paper.
5. Grease top of paper and inside of pans generously with shortening.
6. Place candied fruit, dates, cherries, citron, raisins, pecan and walnut halves in 2-quart bowl.
7. Sift together flour, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg; reserve 1/2 cup.
8. Add reserved dry ingredients to fruit/nut mixture; mix to coat.
9. Cream together butter and sugar in bowl until light and fluffy at medium speed of electric mixer.
10. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
11. Add baking soda to dry ingredients.
12. Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk to creamed mixture, beating well after each addition.
13. Add batter to fruit/nut mixture, mixing well.
14. Turn into prepared 10-inch tube pan or three 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 inch loaf pans.
15. To decorate, place fruits and walnuts on top of batter to form a design.
16. Bake in 300 F.
17. oven 2 hours and 30 minutes for 10-inch tube pan and 1 hour and 30 minutes for loaf pans.
18. Cool in pans on racks 10 minutes.
19. Remove from pans; cool on racks.
20. Baste with orange juice or apple cider using pastry brush.
21. Wrap in waxed paper; then in aluminum foil.
22. Store in covered container in cool place.
23. Let mellow 2 weeks, then baste again.
24. Makes 1 (10-inch) tube cake or 3 loaves.
25. Farm Journal's Best-Ever.