Reserve some of the candied fruit and a few pecan halves to decorate
the tops of the fruitcakes. Mix flour and spices thoroughly, then mix
the flour mixture with the fruit so that each piece of fruit and each
nut is coated lightly with flour. I usually do this part the first
day and set it aside until the next morning.
Cream butter; add sugar gradually. Add eggs, mixing thoroughly. Stir
in flour and salt until well blended. Pour batter over fruit-nut
mixture. Mix with hands until fruit and nuts are well coated with
batter.
Spread mixture in a greased roasting pan (17 x 11-1/2 x 2-1/4"). Bake
in preheated moderated oven (350°F) for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to
slow (325°F) and continue baking for 1 hour. Watch the heat
carefully; do NOT overbake. After 45 minutes of second baking, remove
roaster from oven and quickly stir mixture, breaking up the top
crust, scraping sides and bottom of pan. Continue baking 15 minutes.
When done, the batter will lose its gloss and be brown and crumbly.
In the meantime, grease pans you wish to use: Loaf pans, muffin pans,
coffee cans, decorated tins, etc. I have also lined them with paper
baking liners.
Get reliable help for this part if you can! It has to be done quickly
and the cake has to be packed firmly. Spoon cake, while hot, into one
pan at a time, making a layer about 3/4" thick, pressing firmly,
adding another layer, pressing, and so on until pan is full. If the
batter gets too cold to mold properly, put the roaster pan back in
the oven to heat for a few minutes, but watch it carefully to avoid
overcooking. Decorate while hot with crystallized fruit and nuts. If
packed carefully, this cake may be sliced very thin.
Optional storage:
Cut pieces of clean, washed but not starched, cloth to 16x20", or
whatever size you need for your cakes. Soak cloth in brandy. I have
used Napoleon brandy and I have used apple brandy. Wrap the cake
tightly with the soaked cloth. Place in a ziplock plastic bag and
store airtight. Check periodically, and renew the brandy if
necessary.
I usually bake these at Thanksgiving or thereabouts for Christmas
giving, and they store nicely using the above method. If I were going
to keep one for months, I'd freeze it--but my mother has successfully
stored them in brandy cloths for up to 6 months.
Yield: four 9x15x3" loaves, or the equivalent in other pans. I like
the mini-bundt pans, 1-pound loaf pans, paper-lined cookie tins, and
1-pound coffee cans. I've given a ton of these as Christmas gifts,
and fruitcake connoisseurs love them.
