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Sugar Plum Fruitcake

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Grandma made this fruitcake every Christmas. It’s amazing stuff. Not at all like the treacly sweet cakes available in stores.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Oregon brand red tart cherries, well drained and checked for pits
  • 1 cup maraschino liqueur
  • 3 cups pitted dates, halved
  • 1 cup dried apricots, sliced thin
  • 1 cup dried prunes, sliced thin
  • 1 unpeeled medium orange, ground
  • ¼ cup sherry, port, rum, brandy, or sweet wine
  • 5 cups walnuts or pecans, left whole, toasted
  • 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
  • 1½ cups sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground allspice
  • 6 eggs
  • Cheesecloth
  • Sweet wine

Instructions

  • Bring the liqueur to a simmer, take off heat, and stir in the cherries
  • Cover and allow to cool overnight
  • The next day drain the cherries well and pat dry with a tea towel before using
  • Put cherries, dates, apricots, prunes, ground orange, and alcohol into a large mixing bowl, stir until combined
  • Cover and let stand overnight, stir occasionally
  • The next day add the nuts and stir until combined
  • In another bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and allspice
  • Pour flour mixture over fruit mixture and stir with a large wooden spoon until combined
  • Beat eggs to ribbon stage, pour over mixture and mix with clean hands or a large wooden spoon
  • Grease 2 9½ by 5½ metal loaf pans
  • Divide the batter between the pans, press lightly into corners
  • Bake at 300 degrees for 1¾ to 2 hours
  • Allow to cool and remove from pans
  • Soak several layers of cheesecloth in wine and wrap each loaf individually
  • Place loaves in a covered container or large zipper bag and store in the refrigerator for at least three days
  • Best if allowed to return to room temperature before eating

Notes

Grandma says the loaves freeze well if left wrapped in the cheesecloth and placed in a zipper bag. She also mentions this recipe will fill five smaller loaf pans but doesn’t mention size or baking time.

Find it online: https://beardy.org/sugar-plum-fruitcake/