Secret Ingredient Fruitcake
By: Sheri Wetherell
Published: Friday, December 10, 2010 - 1:02am

Ingredients




4 oz.s candied lemon peel, chopped
4 oz.s candied orange peel, chopped
1/2 lb. candied cherries, halved
1 lb. candied pineapple, shredded
1 lb. golden raisins
1/2 lb. seeded raisins
4 oz.s currants
1/2 c. dark rum
4 oz.s blanched almond pieces
4 oz.s walnut pieces
2 c.s sifted flour
1/2 tsp. mace
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. milk
1/2 c. butter
1 c. granulated sugar
1 c. brown sugar, packed
5 eggs

Preparation

1 1. Mix the fruits. Add rum, cover and let stand overnight. 2 2. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Grease or apply Pam to baking pan(s) : one 10 inch tube pan or two 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pans or four 7 3/8 x 3 5/8 x 2 1/4 inch loaf pans. Line with wax paper and spray again with Pam. 3 3. Combine fruits, nuts and 1/2 cup flour. 4 4. Sift remaining flour with mace, cinnamon and baking powder. Mix milk with almond extract in separate bowl. 5 5. Cream butter until smooth, adding sugars gradually. Add eggs; mix well and add milk mixture. Add flour mixture; mix well. 6 6. Pour batter over fruits and nuts; mix thoroughly. Fill pans, pressing batter down and firmly. 7 7. Bake tube cake 4 hours, large loaves 3 hours, small loaves 2 1/2 hours, until nicely browned on top. Let cakes stand 30 minutes. Turn out onto rack and peel off paper. 8 Note: The "secret non-ingredient" is bitter-tasting-citron. Even people who "hate fruitcake" like this one!