Recipe: McCall's Best of All Fruitcakes for sondra ilnicki

BEST OF ALL FRUITCAKES

1 lb. golden raisins
1/2 lb. seeded raisins
1/4 lb. currants
1/2 cup dark rum or brandy
1 lb candied pineapple
1/2 lb. candied red cherries
1/4 lb candied citron
1/8 lb. candied lemon peel
1/8 lb. candied orange peel
2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. mace
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 lb. almonds, shelled, blanched, and coarsely chopped
1/4 lb. walnuts or pecans, shelled and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup butter or regular margarine, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
5 eggs, slightly beaten
1 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. almond extract
Rum or brandy
1 can (8oz.) almond paste
Frosting glaze
Aagelica
Candied red cherries

1) In large bowl, combine raisins and currants. Add 1/2 cup rum; toss to combine. Let stand, covered, overnight.

2) Next day, line a 10" tube pan. On heavy brown paper, draw an 18" circle, and cut out. Set pan in center of circle; draw around base of pan and tube. With pencil lines outside, fold paper into eights; snip off tip. Unfold circle; cut along folds to second circle. Grease both the tube pan and unpenciled side of paper well. Fit paper greased side up, into pan.

3) Prepare fruits: With sharp knife, cut pineapple in thin wedges; cut 1/2 lb. cherries in half; cut citron and lemon and orange peels into very thin strips. Add to raisins and currants; mix well.

4) On sheet of waxed paper, sift 1-1/2 cups flour with spices and baking soda. Set aside. Preheat oven to 275 F.

5) Combine remaining 1/2 cup flour with nuts and fruits; toss lightly.

6) In large bowl of electric mixer, at med. speed, beat butter until light. Gradually beat in granulated sugar, then brown sugar, beating until very light and fluffy.

7) Beat in eggs, milk, and almond extract until thoroughly combined.

8) At low speed, beat in flour mixture, mixing just until combined. Turn batter into fruit and nuts. Mix well with hands.

9) Turn into prepared pan, pressing batter down in pan evenly all around.

10) Bake 3 hours and 15 min. or until a cake tester inserted near center comes out dry.

11) Let cake stand in pan on wire rack 30 min. to cool slightly. Turn out of pan; gently remove paper. Let cool completely.

12) To store: Wrap cake in cheesecloth soaked in rum or brandy. Place in a cake tin with a tight-fitting cover. Add a few pieces of raw, unpeeled apple. (As cheesecloth dries out, resoak in rum or brandy.) Store in a cool place several weeks.

13) To decorate cake for serving: Roll almond paste between 2 sheets of waxed paper into an 8" circle. Remove top sheet of paper. Invert paste onto cake; remove paper. With sharp knife, trim edge of paste; then press paste to cake. Spread paste with frosting glaze, letting it run down side of cake. Cut angelica into thin slices. Cut cherries in half. Decorate cake.

Makes a 5 lb. fruitcake.
Source: The New McCall's Cook Book
Copyright: 1963 -1973