Fruitcake Day 2!

I credit the base of this recipe to someone named Roxy, who said it was her grandmother's recipe.

It's simple. It doesn't involve beating egg whites.

It's also terrifying. Do not fear the recipe. The main ingredients (other than fruit) are... sugar and butter.

Put on Christmas music.

Prepare one of those pans with the hole in the center (like an angel food cake pan... what is the technical term?) by greasing and flouring it VERY well. (I learned my lesson on this the first time I made fruitcake.)

Mix together 2 cups packed brown sugar, 3 cups flour, 1 tablespoon baking soda, 2 tablespoons cinnamon, 2 tablespoons cloves, 2 tablespoons allspice, 2 tablespoons nutmeg, and 1-2 tablespoons ginger.

Now add FOUR eggs.

Add 1/2 cup brandy, 2 tablespoons vanilla extract, and ONE AND ONE HALF cups melted cooled butter.

Take a deep breath. Remember you only eat a small slice of fruitcake at a time.

Add the prepared fruit as well as some chopped candied orange and lemon peel (see below).

Stir very thoroughly. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. About halfway through the baking I recommend covering the pan with foil to prevent the top from overcooking.

Turn the cake out onto a platter. Poke holes in the cake and pour a small amount of brandy over the top.

Keep doing this every two or three days until Christmas. :)

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Fruitcake Recipe!
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2 cups brown sugar
3 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
2 tablespoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons cloves
2 tablespoons allspice
2 tablespoons nutmeg
2 tablespoons ginger
4 eggs
2 tablespoons vanilla
1/2 cup brandy
1 1/2 cups melted butter, cooled
Prepared fruit mixture
Chopped candied orange and lemon peel
Extra brandy for pouring over the cake
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an angel food cake pan very well.
Mix together the dry ingredients.
Stir in the eggs, vanilla, brandy, and butter.
Add the fruit, orange, and lemon. Stir throughly.
Spread evenly into cake pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cover the cake about halfway through the baking to prevent the top from drying out.
Pour a small amount of brandy over the cake every day to three days until you're ready to eat it. :)
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Making Candied Peel, Sarina's Recipe
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Lemons
Oranges
Water
Sugar
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Cut the fruit into four pieces and carefully peel off the rind.
Add the peel to boiling water and boil until the white part of the rind becomes translucent. Drain and pour cold water over the rind to make it easy to handle. Using a spoon, scrape out most of the white part of the peel. Pat dry. Cut the rind into strips and dredge in sugar. Allow to dry.

Preferably overnight.

Using a hairdryer to speed up the process doesn't work so well. I know.

And, uh, put waxed paper underneath if you use a wire rack so your counter doesn't end up looking like this:

Next step: Glaze and decorate the cake. :)