Recipe: Light Orange Almond Fruitcake

Light Orange Almond Fruitcake
Source: The Canadian Living Christmas Book

3 cups mixed candied fruits
2 cups golden raisins
3/4 cups candied green cherries cut in half
3/4 cups candied red cherries cut in half
1 1/2 cup chopped candied pineapples
1 1/2 cup coarsly chopped blanched almonds
1 cup candied lemon & lime peels
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/ cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 Tbsp coarsly grated orange rind
1 tsp almond or vanilla extract
1/2 cup orange liqueur or orange juice

Grease two 9x5 in. loaf pans; line with double thickness of brown paper. (Brown paper lunch bags do very well.

Shape over inverted pans first.) Grease paper. ( I use Pam spray) Set aside.

In large bowl, combine the fist six ingredients; toss with 1/2 cup of the flour. Set aside.

Mix remaining flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In large bowl, beat butter with sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, orange rind and almond or vanilla extract, beating well. Add flour mixture alternately with orange liqueur or juice. (Three additions of dry, two addition of wet) Mixing just until flour is incorporated. Fold in fruit mixture. (Don't panick, the mixture will be very thick. It's OK) Pour into prepared pans, smoothing tops.

Place a shallow pan half filled with boiling water on bottom rack of oven. Bake cakes on center rack in a 250 (yes, 250) degree oven for 2 1/2 hours or until a toothpick inserter into center comes out clean. Cover loosely with foil if cakes start to crack. Let cool completely in pans. If you wish, wrap in two thicknesses of cheese cloth soaked in brandy and in some aluminun foil until ready to eat. Bon appetit.