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ARONOWITZ FRUITCAKE

Source of Recipe

Susan


Recipe Introduction

Fruitcake recipes are seldom described as legendary, but the recipe that follows and the man who created it, Marty Aronowitz, are both legends in Texas culinary circles. In 1964, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram printed his fruitcake recipe, along with an article about the family and history of the recipe. The cake was a huge success and, the following December, the newspaper was deluged with requests to repeat the recipe. It’s been printed many times since then, and passed from hand to hand. It remains a traditional holiday recipe in Texas kitchens.

List of Ingredients

1 pound pitted dates, cut into small pieces
8 ounces candied cherries, cut into small pieces
8 ounces candied pineapple, cut into small pieces
1 pound pecans, chopped
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla




Recipe


Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Line the bottom and sides of an angel food cake pan or four 6-by-3-inch loaf pans with brown paper. A Bundt pan is not recommended. Spray the paper with nonstick cooking spray or grease lightly with shortening. Set the pan(s) aside.

Mix the dates, cherries, pineapple, and pecans in a large bowl. Combine the sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a separate bowl, whisking to blend. Stir the two mixtures together. Beat the eggs and vanilla together and pour over the other ingredients. Mix well.

Pack the batter carefully into the prepared pans. Bake 2 hours in an angel food pan or about 1 hour and 45 minutes in the small pans. Remove from the oven and cool completely or overnight before removing from the pan.

If desired, remove the cake, or cakes, from the oven after baking 1 hour. Decorate the top with pineapple, cherries, and pecan halves and return to the oven to complete the baking.


Note: This recipe has no shortening or butter, and nutmeg is the only spice. The cake will be chewy.

NOTE: I HAVE LIVED IN FORT WORTH, TX SINCE 1969. I HAVE SEEN THIS RECIPE NUMEROUS TIMES IN OUR PAPER. I WOULD ALWAYS PASS IT UP, AND SAY IT WAS TOO HARD TO MAKE FRUITCAKE. A COUPLE OF YEARS I REALLY LOOKED AT THE RECIPE, AND REALIZED I HAD ALL THE INGREDIENTS, AND SAID WHAT THE HECK I AM GOING TO TRY IT. IT IS THE EASIEST RECIPE TO MAKE. MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS LOVE IT. WE HAVE A WORLD FAMOUS BAKERY IN CORSICANA , TEXAS THAT BAKES A WONDERFUL FRUITCAKE. THEY ARE SENT THE WORLD OVER. THEY ARE GREAT. THIS LAST CHRISTMAS I SENT MY SISTER AND HER HUSBAND IN CALIF ONE FROM THERE, AND PUT IN A SMALL ONE OF THESE I BAKED. THEY LOVED MINE MORE!!!!!! THIS RECIPE IS NOT REAL CAKEY. PEOPLE WHO SAY THEY DON'T LIKE FRUITCAKE LOVE THIS ONE. I USUALLY BAKE MINE IN SEVERAL MINI LOAF PANS AND JUST SPRAY WITH VEGETABLE SPRAY LIKE PAM. IT COMES OUT FINE. TRY IT AND YOU WILL LOVE IT.