Cakes:

Apricot Fruitcake

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These fruitcakes will keep for at least three months if well wrapped. They should be refrigerated for several hours before slicing.

Ingredients

2 pounds dried apricots, chopped
2 pounds golden raisins
1 pound almonds, blanched, toasted and chopped
1 pound pecans, chopped
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups (1 pound) butter, softened
1-1/2 cups brown sugar
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
12 eggs
1 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon mace
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup rum
1/4 cup orange liqueur
1/4 cup brandy
Juice and peel of two oranges
Juice and peel of two lemons

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Thoroughly grease and flour four 8x5x3-inch pans. Dredge the dried fruit and nuts with 1 cup of the flour. Cream together the butter and sugars. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Sift the remaining flour with the spices, baking soda and salt and add to the creamed mixture alternating with the rum, liqueur, brandy and fruit juices. Stir in orange and lemon peel. Pour the batter over the dried fruit and stir until well blended. Pour the batter into prepared loaf pans. Set the pans in a large roasting pan and pour 1-2 inches of hot water into the roasting pan. Bake for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the cakes pull away from the edges of the pans and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes then remove cakes from pans. When completely cool, wrap the cakes in cheesecloth dampened with brandy or orange liqueur and store in a covered container.

Jean Clark
Geneseo