Old Fashion Fruitcake

This is an old fashion fruitcake recipe. Enjoy.

• Ready In: 3 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 12
• Yields: 10 1 pound loaves

Ingredients

• 3  cups  whole  candied cherries
• 2  cups dark raisins
• 6  cups  mixed  candied fruit (of your choice)
• 6  cups  mixed nuts, your choice of nuts (not salted)
• 2  cups all-purpose flour
• 2  cups  vegetable oil
• 3  cups  firmly-packed brown sugar
• 8  eggs
• 4  cups all-purpose flour
• 2  teaspoons baking powder
• 4  teaspoons salt
• 4  teaspoons ground allspice
• 4  teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2  teaspoons ground cloves
• 2  cups  fresh-squeezed orange juice  orange juice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. Generously grease (using solid vegetable shortening) and flour ten (1-pound) loaf pans. Place a pan of water on the lowest rack in the oven.
2. In a large bowl, combine candied cherries, raisins, mixed candied fruits, nuts and 2 cups flour; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine the vegetable oil, brown sugar, and eggs.
4. In another large bowl, combine the 4 cups flour, baking powder, salt, allspice, cinnamon, and cloves. Add dry ingredients, alternately with orange juice, to the egg mixture, beating after each addition until well blended. Pour prepared batter over the candied fruit/nut mixture, mixing well. Pour into prepared loaf pans.
5. Bake the fruitcakes approximately 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Test for doneness by placing a metal/wooden skewer in center of cake. If it comes out clean, cake is done. Be careful not to over bake. Remove from oven and let the fruitcakes completely cool in the baking pans.