Mattie Mitchell’s Old fashioned Light Fruitcake

Stir together:

4 cups all purpose flour

½ teaspoon double acting baking powder

1 ½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon

1 ½ teaspoon nutmeg

Add:

3 cups whole pecans

1 ¾ cup (3/4 lb) chopped candied pineapple

1 ¾ cup (3/4 lb) candied cherries (1 red and 1 green)

1 pound golden raisins

Mix well until all fruits and nuts are well coated. Set aside.

Cream: 1 cup of butter

Gradually add: 2 ¼ cups of sugar

Cream until light

Add:

6 unbeaten eggs, beating well after each.

3 Tablespoons (1 oz or 1 bottle) of brandy flavoring

3 Tablespoons (1 oz or 1 bottle) of rum flavoring   

Add to fruit mixture and mix well

Turn batter into:

One 10 inch tube pan lined with flour or Two 9 x 5 x 3 loaf pans lined with flour

or four 1 pound coffee cans, lined with flour, fill 2/3 full

Bake 2 ¾ hours at 275 degrees

One half hour before done, brush top with honey or syrup and return to oven

Remove from oven, cool completely and wrap in foil. Cure the cake with bastings of apricot brandy when completely cooled.

This cake should be made a month or so before consumption and brushed or “bathed” with apricot brandy several times. Usually once or twice a week depending on the quantity of brandy used.