Old Fashioned Dark Sweet Fruitcake

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon each: cloves, allspice and nutmeg
• 2 cups pecan pieces
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup chopped dates
• 1/2 cup chopped dried figs
• 1 8oz container candied cherries
• 1 8oz container candied pineapple chunks
• 1 8oz container of "fruit and peel mix" (fruitcake mix)
• 2 heaping tablespoons orange marmalade
• 2 ounces red wine, rum or brandy (I prefer apricot brandy)
• 2 tablespoons white corn syrup mixed with a little liquor for glaze

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a latching tube cake pan or Bundt cake pan with shortening and thoroughly flour the pan. Later, you will need a pastry brush. If you don't have a tube cake pan or a Bundt cake pan, you can use two medium loaf pans. You can also use mini loaf pans and make little loaves of fruitcake for presents. Again, don't forget to thoroughly grease and flour your pans.

Cream butter, sugar and eggs with mixer. Add soda to buttermilk and then combine with flour and creamed mixture. Add baking powder, salt and all spices. Add liquor and orange marmalade. Mix until you have a smooth cake batter. Then, gently fold in by hand all fruits and nuts. Pour batter into pan and bake on center rack approximately 1= hours in a 325 degree oven. Do not overfill your pans. Use toothpick to check for doneness. Carefully remove to wire cooling rack. Mix two tablespoons of hot water (or liquor) with two tablespoons for white corn syrup and brush over fruitcake for a shiny glaze.

Submitted 6/13/05.
Source: Internet/Steven Hicks
Submitted By: Marlen
matchlessm@aol.com
Old Fashioned Dark Sweet Fruitcake