Mattie Mitchell’s Old Fashioned Light Fruitcake
A Scottish Festive Season cake
Mattie Mitchell’s Old Fashioned Light Fruitcake
Preheat oven to 275 degrees
Prepare Pans : 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,
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.