My Christmas Gift to You

Fruitcake lovers unite! As my Christmas gift to you I’m posting my Dark Fruitcake recipe. It’s the closest I’ve come to duplicating the wonderful fruitcake my Grandmother used to make. Enjoy!

Dark Fruitcake

1                 6 oz. can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
½               cup molasses
1                  15 oz package (3 cups) raisins
1                  pound (2 cups) chopped mixed candied fruits and peels

•   •   •

½                cup butter or margarine
½                cup sugar
3                   eggs

1 ¼              cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/8               teaspoon soda
1                    teaspoon ground cinnamon
½                 teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼                 teaspoon ground allspice
¼                 teaspoon ground cloves

•   •   •

Combine orange juice concentrate, molasses, and raisins in saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally till mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in candied fruits and peels.

Cream butter or margarine and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each, Sift together flour, soda, and spices. Stir into creamed mixture. Stir in fruit and peel mixture and nuts; mix well till fruit is coated.

Line an 11 x 4 x 3 inch pan and two 5 ½ x 3 x 2 ¼ pans with heavy paper, allowing ½ inch to extend above all sides. Pour batter into pans, filling about ¾ full. Bake in very slow oven (275 degrees) about 2 ¼ to 2 ½ hours for large loaf and about 1 ½ hours for smaller loaves. Cool cakes in pans; remove. Wrap in foil or clear plastic wrap and store in cool place several weeks. Makes about 3 ½ pounds fruitcake.

I substitute ½ dried cranberries and ½ golden raisins for the dark raisins. I also bake in disposable tins so I can give the loaves away. I use large and small tins.

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