Cake Recipes
Clear Creek Fruitcake
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups dried pineapple, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups dried apricots, chopped
- 2 cups dried pears, chopped
- 2 cups dried apples, chopped
- 2 cups dark raisins or dried cranberries
- 1 cup golden raisins
- 1 cup pear brandy, preferably Clear Creek, + additional for aging
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 cups walnut halves
- 1 1/2 cups whole hazelnuts
- 1 1/2 cups whole almonds
- 2 cups pecan halves
- 4 eggs, beaten frothy
- 1 3/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 1/4 cups applesauce
- 3/4 cup melted butter, cooled (1 1/2 sticks)
- 1/2 cup molasses
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 300 degrees F.
- Grease four 8 x 6 inch loaf pans, or, to make individual servings, substitute two 8 ounce cleaned pineapple cans for each loaf pan.
- In a mixing bowl, combine pineapple, apricots, pears, apples and dark and golden raisins. Pour the brandy over the fruit and toss to coat the fruit. Let stand for 30 minutes.
- In another, larger, bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, allspice and cloves. Stir in the walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds and pecans. Add the brandy/fruit mixture and blend thoroughly.
- Combine the beaten eggs, brown sugar, applesauce, melted butter and molasses in a small bowl. Beat until the ingredients are well-blended and smooth.
- Combine the egg mixture with the flour mixture and stir well to evenly coat all the fruit and nuts with batter.
- Pour the batter into greased loaf pans and fill three-fourths full. Bake for 1 hour. The cakes are done when the sides begin to pull away from the edge of the pans and a wooden pick inserted in the middle comes out clean. They should be a rich, mahogany color.
- Cool loaves in pans for about 15 minutes, then turn out on a cake rack. When thoroughly cooled, wrap in cheesecloth that has been soaked in additional pear brandy.
- Cover with foil and store in an airtight container or refrigerator until ready to serve.
Notes
This can be made in traditional loaf pans or in 8 ounce pineapple cans.
The cake is best after being aged at least 2 to 3 weeks.
Nutrition
Exchanges: 1/2 fruit, 1/2 starch, 1/2 meat, 1 1/2 fat
Attribution
From the kitchen of Maria Hein