Worlds Best Fruit Cake
Source of Recipe
Aunt Saunny
1.5 pounds mixed dried fruit
1 pound dried red cherries
1 pound raisins
1 pound pitted prunes
1/2 pound blanched almonds
1 cups Cherry Cordial liqueur or Cherry Brandy
1/2 cup Amaretto liqueur
1/2 cup Apricot Brandy, Peach Schnapps or Triplesec
1/4 cup Grand Marnier
1/4 cup dark corn syrup
1.5 cups unsalted butter
1.25 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
8 large eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 Tbsp almond essence
2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg or mace
Grind all fruits and nuts as finely as possible in a food grinder (NOT food processor!!!!!!!). Place the fruit/nut mix in a large bowl. Add all liqueurs and corn syrup. Mix well, cover and set aside for 1 week.
Grease and line the base and sides of one 12 inch round or square baking pan with brown paper, and grease well with shortening. Preheat oven to 275 F (140 C). Cream together the butter and sugar until well blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla and almond essence.
Sift the flour with the salt and spices and fold them into the butter and sugar mixture. Stir in the fruit mixture a little at a time until it is evenly blended. Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared pan.
Bake approximately 2 hours until the cake is a rich brown color and feels firm to the touch. A cake tester inserted in the center should show no visible sign of raw batter, though it may be sticky from the fruit. Be sure not to over bake!!! Leave to cool completely in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack. When the cake is cold, wrap it well in two layers of brandy soaked cheese cloth. Wrap the moist cloth in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil or keep it in an airtight container, and store in a cool dry place. Periodically brush more brandy or rum onto the cheese cloth if it is dry.
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