Recipe: Japanese Fruitcake

This recipe is very similar to the one Hobb's posted 2/7.

Japanese Fruitcake

3 1/4 C all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 C butter or margarine
1 tsp vanilla
2 C sugar
4 large or 5 medium eggs
1 C milk
1 C light raisins
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cloves
3/4 C freshly grated coconut

Preheat oven to 350 deg. Line bottoms of 8" round cake pans
with 2 layers of wax paper or parchment paper & set aside.
Sift flour, salt & baking powder together & set aside. With
electric mixer, cream butter thoroughly. Add vanilla & sugar
very slowly, continuing to beat until well blended. Add eggs
one at a time, beating after each addition. Add flour & milk
alternately, mixing well. Put 1 1/2 C batter into each of the
2 prepared pans & bake 25 min. or until a cake tester comes
out clean. Place on wire rack to cool. In the meantime, add
raisins & spices to remaining batter & mix thoroughly. Again,
put 1 1/2 C of batter into prepared pans. (You may remove
layers from the first two pans & prepare them for these two
layers.) Bake last 2 layers for 25 min or until tester comes
out clean & cool on wire rack.

While layers are cooling completely, prepare filling as follows

Filling

2 C sugar
peel of 2 lemons
1 C water
1/4 C lemon juice
2 T cornstarch
4 C freshly grated coconut
1 20-oz can crushed pineapple, drained

Using a citrus parer or vegetable peeler remove a thin layer of
peel from lemons. Add to this the sugar in a heavy saucepan,
stir in water & bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat
& allow to simmer for 5 min. Remove from heat & discard the
lemon peel. In a measuring cup, mix together the cornstarch
& lemon juice & stir this into the sugar mixture. Bring back
to a boil & cook for 1 min, stirring almost constantly. Remove
from heat & cool. Stir in coconut & pineapple.

To assemble cake, put 1 plain layer on plate & spread w/ 1/4
if the filling. Place a spice layer on top if this & again
spread w/ 1/4 of the filling. Repeat w/plain layer & second
spice layer; spreading 1/4 of the filling on each layer.
Sprinkle 3/4 C coconut on top of the filling on the top layer,
patting it in w/your hands. Cover & refrigerate until ready to
serve. If using as a gift, be sure to include instructions for
refrigerating the cake until it is served. Yield: 1 4 layer 8"
cake.

Note: to prepare fresh coconut: With an ice pick or w/a small
nail & hammer, pierce 2 or 3 holes in the "eye" indentions in
one end of the coconut. Place over a container & let milk
drain. Refrigerate this to enjoy drinking later or to use in
other baking. Place the coconut in a preheated 325 deg oven
for 15 min. Remove, wrap in a heavy cloth & tap w/a hammer.
Coconut will break easily & husk will fall away. With a sharp
knife, pare the brown skin & hand grate the meat or process
it in the food processor or blender.