Cake Recipes
White Fruitcake
Prepare this cake in two stages — nuts and fruits the night before, mixing and baking the next day.
Ingredients
- 4 cups (1 pound) shelled pecans
- 3/4 pound candied red cherries
- 1 pound candied pineapple
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 1 ounce vanilla extract
- 1 ounce lemon extract
Instructions
- Chop the pecans coarsely and place in a large bowl.
- Snip the cherries and pineapple into 1/2 inch pieces, using kitchen shears dipped in water from time to time.
- Add the fruits to the pecans.
- Cover with a clean towel and let stand overnight.
- Butter a 10 inch tube pan or two 8 x 4 inch loaf pans and line the bottoms with heavy brown paper or cooking parchment; butter the paper.
- Toss 3 tablespoons of the flour with the fruit mixture; set aside.
- Sift together the remaining flour and baking powder.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter.
- Add the sugar gradually, beating thoroughly.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Add the flour mixture in three or four parts, stirring each time until smooth.
- Stir in the vanilla and lemon extracts.
- Add the fruit mixture and mix well with a spoon or floured hands.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s) and pack lightly.
- Place in a cold oven, set at 250 degrees F, and bake for 3 hours for a tube pan or 2 1/2 hours for loaf pans. A wooden pick inserted in the center should come out clean, but moist, when the cake is done.
- Cool in the pan on a wire rack, turn out, and wrap in foil or plastic wrap.
- Chill before serving, and slice very thin.
Notes
This cake will keep for two or three weeks in a cool cupboard or pantry, for several weeks in the refrigerator, or for months in the freezer.