Recipe: Holiday Fruitcake - recipe for Sondra (McCall's Cooking School, 1970's)

HOLIDAY FRUITCAKE
This recipe is from McCall's Cooking School, Number 2, from 1975

2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup maraschino cherries, quartered
2 cups light or dark raisins
1 cup brandy, divided use
3 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups butter or regular margarine, softened
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
7 eggs

In large bowl combine walnuts, cherries and raisins with 1/2 cup brandy. Allow to stand overnight at room temperature.

Sift flour with baking powder and nutmeg.

In a large bowl of electric mixer, beat butter/margarine, sugar and vanilla a medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat at medium speed for 4 minutes, occasionally scraping side of bowl. Batter will become thick and fluffy and lighter in color.

At low speed, gradually beat in flour mixture until smooth. Add cherry/raisin/nut mixture to batter and mix well with wooden spoon.

Heat oven to 350 F and grease pan of your choice and flour well.

Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes in kuchen pan, 1 hour 15 minutes in bundt pan, 1 hour 10 minutes in tube pan. (As an alternative, use 5-inch diameter by 2-inch high souffle dishes and bake for about 45 minutes.)

Cake is done when long skewer inserted into center comes out clean. Cool pan on wire rack for 20 minutes. Use small spatula to loosen cake around inside. Invert on wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Soak cheesecloth in the remaining 1/2 cup brandy, stretch on large piece of heavy duty foil, place cake in center, and wrap with cheesecloth. Wrap foil tightly around cake. Store in refrigerator several days to several weeks.

To serve, slice thinly and let warm to room temperature.