Many fruit cakes turn out dry since the glace fruit draws moisture
from the cake. * This recipe turns out moist since the fruit is
simmered for a half hour, and it is a bit more moist cake like
than some dense fruit cake recipes, and I rarely age it very long.

Melt 1/2 lb (1 cup) margarine in 2 cups boiling water in large pot.
Add 2 cups dark brown, demera or raw sugar
* * 1 cup (8 oz) glace cherries, halved (could increase to 1.5 cups)
* * 11 oz dark raisins (can be reduced to 250 g if extra cherries
* * * * * * * * * * * * * and pineapple are used)
* * *8 oz glace mixed peel
* * *4 oz diced glace pineapple, optional, but good
* * *1 tsp cloves
* * *1 tsp allspice
* * *1 tsp cinnamon (I often use 1.5 tsp cinnamon)
* * *0.5 tsp nutmeg
* * *3 level (or two heaping) tsp cocoa
* * *0.5 tsp ginger optional
* * *0.5 tsp instant coffee optional

Bring all that to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes to a half hour (I
usually have it for a half hour). * Simmer covered and stir every 5
minutes

Let cool to room temperature,
preferably overnight. * Have the other ingredients (e.g, eggs, flour)
at room temperature. * Preheat oven to 350 F.

Mix 2 tsp baking soda with 3 tblsp milk, add to cooled mixture.

Beat 4 large eggs (I sometimes use 5 since large eggs might
not be as large as they used to be) and 1 tsp vanilla and
add that to the cooled mixture. * Also stir in 1 tsp salt
(I often reduce that to 0.5 tsp since margarine is salted).

Add 3 cups of flour to the mixture, stirring after each cup.

Place a pan of boiling water in the oven, either in the
middle of the element but not touching the element, or
to the side of where the cake will go. * I often use
a loaf pan 2/3 full of boiling water but sometimes that
will rust the pan, so I use another stainless steel pan
instead. * This will keep the cake moist.

The ideal cake pan is a deep cast iron cake pan, which
may once have been a cast iron dutch oven. * But when I
was in Vancouver I often used a tube (bundt) pan. * Or
you could use two loaf pans.

Anyway, line the cake pan(s) with waxed paper
You could just grease the pan(s) well if you don't feel
like lining it (them) with waxed paper.

and then
pour the dough into the pan(s) and place the pan(s)
in the oven. *Immediately reduce the temperature to
300 F. * Bake for 2.5 hours for a round deep pan,
2 hours for a tube pan, 1.5 hours for 2 loaf pans.

Actually it could take a bit longer, but start testing
at the time indicated. * *The one I made Dec 2002 took
3 hours but I think our oven might be a bit off in
temperature and will compensate next time

In any case test doneness by sticking it in the middle
with a knife or cake tester that should come out clean.
But it is better for it to be slightly underdone than
overdone, since you can set it by chilling it.

Cool in pan for 5 minutes then remove from pan and
remove waxed paper carefully and cool on a rack. *And
I don't like to age it much but instead if keeping
it for more than a week will freeze it.

Actually if you have lined the pan with waxed paper
you can remove from the pan immediately and peel off
the waxed paper. * Also I cooled it on a chopping board
not a rack but it might be an idea to turn it over
onto a plate after a short while or it might stick
to the board. * If you didn't use waxed paper but
instead greased the pan, leave it in the pan for ten
minutes and then run a knife around the edges
and remove from the pan.

Options: reduce boiling water (that is used to boil the
fruit and spice) to 1.75 cups and then
when the mixture is cool add 0.25 cup of booze, either
dark rum, brandy or even rye. * Also when the cake is
cool brush with booze with a pastry brush. *And if you
do insist on aging it you could brush with booze and
sprinkle with powdered sugar and wrap tightly and preferably
place in a cake can (one of those big biscuit tins). *But
again I prefer to freeze it over aging it. * And we rarely
ice it for Christmas but often do for birthdays and then
usually do a cream cheese white frosting sometimes with
a sprinkling of nuts on top.

--
David Dalton http://www.nfld.com/~dalton (home page)
http://www.nfld.com/~dalton/nf.html Newfoundland&Labrador Travel & Music
http://www.nfld.com/~dalton/dtales.html Salmon on the Thorns (mystic page)
"Here I go again...back into the flame" (Sarah McLachlan)

On Dec 16, 11:37*pm, David Dalton > wrote:
>
>
> Melt 1/2 lb (1 cup) margarine in 2 cups boiling water in large pot.
>
>
The kiss of death for this recipe, margarine.

> wrote in message
...
On Dec 16, 11:37 pm, David Dalton > wrote:
>
>
> Melt 1/2 lb (1 cup) margarine in 2 cups boiling water in large pot.
>
>
The kiss of death for this recipe, margarine.

I prefer more dried fruit in my boiled fruit cakes and less glace. The
lenght of time it was boiled was quite unusual. I might however give it a
try at some time. I would use butter though.

"David Dalton" > wrote in message
...
> Many fruit cakes turn out dry since the glace fruit draws moisture
> from the cake. This recipe turns out moist since the fruit is
> simmered for a half hour, and it is a bit more moist cake like
> than some dense fruit cake recipes, and I rarely age it very long.
>
I gave one to a friend, one Fall and told her to let it mature for a bit,
but she kept until xmas, iced it and brought it out for friends. However,
she needed a chainsaw to cut it!

On Mon, 17 Dec 2012 19:55:42 -0700, "graham" > wrote:

>
>"David Dalton" > wrote in message
...
>> Many fruit cakes turn out dry since the glace fruit draws moisture
>> from the cake. This recipe turns out moist since the fruit is
>> simmered for a half hour, and it is a bit more moist cake like
>> than some dense fruit cake recipes, and I rarely age it very long.
>>
>I gave one to a friend, one Fall and told her to let it mature for a bit,
>but she kept until xmas, iced it and brought it out for friends. However,
>she needed a chainsaw to cut it!
>

Nothing a bit of dark rum and a sealed container couldn't fix.<g>

Jim

nice recipe..thanks for post!