Dark Christmas Fruit Cake Recipe

1 lb Blanched almonds
3 lb Seedless raisins
2 lb Currants
1 lb Candied cherries, Cut in half
1 lb Dried figs, chopped
1 lb Dates, cut up
1 1/2 lb Chopped mixed candied peels
1 lb Candied pineapple, cut up
1 c All-purpose flour
3 c Soft butter
3 c Brown sugar, packed
12 lg Egg yolks
5 1/2 c Sifted all-purpose flour
1 ts Salt
2 ts Cinnamon
2 ts Mace
2 ts Allspice
2 ts Nutmeg
1 ts Cloves
3 ts Baking soda
3/4 c Prune juice
1/4 c Brandy
12 lg Egg whites

This recipe makes a very large amount (about 28 cups) of fruit cake batter and can be baked in a number of different sizes of pan.  If you want to make several small cakes for gifts you can divide the batter among nine 8x4x3 inch loaf pans using a generous 3 cups of batter for each.  Or if you wish to use larger loaf pans you can put the batter in six 9x5x3 inch pans using a generous 4 1/2 cups batter in each.  Bundt pans make attractive cakes and this amount of batter is enough for three 12 cup Bundt pans using a generous 9 cups of batter in each.  If you use 10-inch tube pans you can make 2 cakes using 12 cups of batter for each and an 8 x 4 x 2 1/2 inch loaf pan with the remaining batter.

Combine nuts and fruit in a very large bowl or roasting pan.  Add 1 cup of flour and toss by hand to coat fruit with flour.  Cream butter well (you can use your electric mixer for this part of the recipe).  Add sugar and beat until fluffy.  Beat in egg yolks.  Transfer mixture to a large bowl.

Sift 5 1/2 cups flour with salt, spices and soda and add to creamed mixture alternately with prune juice and brandy.  Mix with a wooden spoon.  Add this mixture to the fruit and nuts and blend well.  The easiest way to blend this large amount of mixture is with your hands.  Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into mixture.

Measure into prepared pans and press well into the corners.  Heat oven to 275F.  Bake cakes in 8x4x3-inch pans for about 3 hours, in 9x5x3-inch pans or Bundt pans for about 3 hours and 15 minutes and in 10-inch tube pans about 3 1/2 hours or until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean.  Let stand in pans a few minutes, then turn out on racks and cool.  Strip off paper and wrap cakes in cheesecloth dampened with brandy and then in foil and store in a cool place.  MAKES 15 LBS OF FRUIT CAKE.

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