by AdobeStock/cdkproductions
Ingredients
- 2 cups red candied cherries
- 2 cups golden raisins
- 3 cups bourbon whiskey
- 8 eggs, separated
- 2 cups butter, softened
- 2 cups white sugar
- 2 cups packed brown sugar
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons nutmeg
- 4 cups pecans
Directions
- Combine fruit and bourbon; let stand overnight, drain and reserve bourbon.
- Grease and flour 4 9-by-5-by-3-inch or 9 5-inch miniature loaf pans. Heat oven to 275°F.
- In small bowl, beat egg whites until stiff but not dry; set aside.
- In 5-quart bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add egg yolks, reserved bourbon and dry ingredients; mix well. Fold in beaten egg whites. Add fruit and nuts.
- Pour into prepared pans. Bake 9-by-5-by-3-inch pans for 2 hours; and 5-inch pans for 1-3/4 to 2 hours.
- Remove cakes from pans and cool. Wrap lightly and store 2 to 3 weeks before serving. Bake before needed to allow flavor to develop.
Peg Halley, Cambridge, Nebraska, remembers a recipe from the early 1980s that was published in GRIT. The recipe was for a fruitcake with the fruit setting/soaking in brandy for a period of time.
While none of the responses matched Peg’s request exactly, a couple of our Christmas cake recipes came close. This one, from Sarah Vaughan, Waterville, Maine, contains bourbon instead of brandy.
