Recipe: Sunsweet Dark Fruit Cake (1950)

SUNSWEET DARK FRUIT CAKE

1 cup prunes (dried plums)
1 cup dried Apricots
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup sherry wine
2 cups seedless raisins
1 cup currants
1 cup pitted dates
1 1/2 cups diced preserved citron
1 cup diced candied Pineapple
1/2 cup halved candied cherries
2 cups chopped walnuts
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 1/4 cups brown sugar (packed)
4 eggs
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Rinse prunes and apricots, cover with water and boil 10 minutes. Drain and cool. Cut prunes from pits into pieces and chop apricots. Add honey and wine and heat to boiling. Cover and let stand while preparing remaining ingredients.

Rinse and drain raisins and currants. Chop dates. Add citron, pineapple, cherries and walnuts. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugar together thoroughly. Blend in eggs, beating thoroughly after each addition. Set aside.

Sift together flour, salt, spices and baking soda. Blend flour mixture into creamed mixture. Pour batter over combined fruits and mix thoroughly. Pack batter lightly into 2 greased loaf pans (about 9x5x3 inches) which have been lined with 2 thicknesses of greased (food grade) brown paper and one of greased waxed paper.

Bake in slow oven (275 degrees F) about 3 to 3 1/2 hours, with shallow pan of hot water in bottom of oven. Remove from pans to cool.

Makes 2 loaves, about 5 1/2 to 6 pounds total
From: Recipelink.com
Source: Recipe booklet: Sunsweet Recipes, California Prune and Apricot Growers Assn., 1950