Recipe: Fruitcake to Fit Your Family from McCall's Cooking School, 1970's

When I was in middle school and high school I so loved the McCall's Cooking School feature each month in McCall's magazine. I grew up on a ranch in California and my mother, a teacher, went to town on Saturdays to run errands. Being on a farm, I couldn't walk to the neighbor's next door so I was stuck at home. I would pick out a very complicated recipe from our stack of McCall's magazines and make it.

By following the detailed step-by step instructions and photos (I couldn't include the photos for this recipe) I turned out croissants, souffles, pies and exotic meat dishes, made completely from scratch. My mother latter told me that I amazed her by succeeding with recipes she wouldn't have tried and she doubted I'd be able to make. Fortunately she didn't tell me that then!

Thanks for requesting this recipe and bringing back good memories. I'm going to start using the recipes in my 1970's McCalls Cooking School cookbook to teach my 24 year old step daughter how to make pies and cakes.

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A FRUITCAKE TO FIT YOUR FAMILY
From McCall's Cooking School
A monthly feature in McCall's Magazine
Makes 1 (10-inch round, 7-pound) cake

1 cup candied whole red and green cherries
1/2 cup cubed candied pineapple
2 cups watermelon pickle drained and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup diced candied lemon peel
1 (15 oz) pkg raisins
1 (8 oz) can walnuts
1 (6 oz) can pecan halves
1 (4 oz) can slivered almonds
1 cup hazelnuts
Sherry

FOR THE CAKE BATTER:
3 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 eggs

OTHER:
Cheese cloth
Brown paper or parchment paper
Fruitcake Frosting or Glaze (recipes follows)

1. Day before: In large plastic container or kettle, combine fruits, nuts and 1/2 cup sherry; mix well, using a large wooden spoon or with hands. Let stand, covered, overnight at room temperature. Next day, prepare pan.

2. To prepare pans for fruitcakes: Pan should be lightly greased with oil or shortening, then lined with heavy brown paper, cut to fit pan, and lightly greased. For cupcakes, use ungreased 2 1/4-inch cupcake liners in ungreased muffin-pan cups. Use the baking guide below for the pan size you select.

Baking Guide:
Pan size: 10 by 4 inch tube pan (Bundt or angel food cake pan); takes 1 recipe (13 cups batter); baking time is 3 hours at 275 degrees F; yield is 1 cake.

8 /12 by 4 1/2 loaf by 2 1/2 inch loaf pan; takes 1 recipe (5 cups batter per pan); baking time is 2 hours at 275 degrees F; yield is 2 loaf cakes, use other batter to make cupcakes or smaller loaves.

4 1/2 by 3 by 2 inch loaf pan; takes 1 recipe (1 3/4 cups batter per pan); baking time is 1 3/4 hours at 300 degrees F; yield is 8 loaf cakes, use leftover batter to make cupcakes.

2 1/2 inch muffin-pan cups; takes (1/4 cup for each cupcake); baking time 1 hour at 300 degrees F; yield is about 56 cupcakes.

3. Make cake batter: Sift flour with baking powder, salt and nutmeg. In large bowl, with electric mixer beat butter, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition; continue beating until very light and fluffy. At low speed beat in flour mixture just to combine.

4. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (or as directed in guide above for size of pan chosen.). Add batter to fruit mixture; mix with large wooden spoon or with hands until well combined

5. Turn into pan, packing lightly; smooth with rubber scraper. Bake 3 hours, or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Loosen edge with spatula. Turn out of pan; peel off paper. Soak a large square of cheesecloth in 1/3 cup sherry. Wrap cake in the cheesecloth; then wrap tightly in foil.

6. Store in refrigerator or in an airtight container in a cool place. Resoak cheesecloth with sherry as it dries out - about once a week. Store cake 3 to 4 weeks to develop flavor.

7. To serve: frost or glaze cake and decorate with candied fruit and nuts.

FRUITCAKE FROSTING

1 1/2 cups unsifted confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons light cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In small bowl combine sugar, cream and vanilla; beat until smooth. Spread top of cake with frosting, letting it run down the side.

2. Decorate fruitcake with nuts and candied fruits.

FRUITCAKE GLAZE

1/3 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon lemon juice

1. In small saucepan, combine corn syrup and lemon juice with 1 tablespoon water.

2. Bring to boiling; reduce heat, and simmer, stirring, 5 minutes, or until mixture is reduced to 1/3 cup. Let cool completely.

3. Use glaze to brush surface of fruitcake. Decorate with nuts and candied fruits.