Recipes by Mom -- Christmas Cake -- Christmas Cake Recipe -- Christmas Fruit Cake Recipe -- Christmas Fruit Cake

Merry Christmas! What would Christmas be like without a good Christmas Cake? This easy Christmas Cake recipe requires just a little patience and timing to be a yuletide success. This Christmas Cake recipe is chock-full of fruit. Alternate this Christmas Cake with a Light Fruit Cake for variety.

Ingredients

2 cups raisins
1 cup currants
1 cup chopped dates
2 (8 ounce) packages glacé cherries (red and green)
1 (8 ounce) package chopped mixed peel
1 (4 ounce) package chopped walnuts
1/2 cup brandy
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup butter
2 cups lightly packed brown sugar
6 eggs
3/4 cup molasses
3/4 cup apple juice
Mixing bowls and spoons
Knives
Measuring spoons
Measuring cup
Brown paper
8" X 8" X 3" fruit cake pan

Preparation

Christmas Cake

FIRST: Preheat oven to 275º F. Grease cake pan, line pan with brown paper and grease again. Combine ALL fruit (raisins, currants, dates, glacé cherries, mixed peel, walnuts) and brandy and let stand overnight. The next day, dredge (coat with flour) fruit mixture in 1/2 cup flour. Sift together remaining 2 cups flour, salt, baking soda, cloves, allspice, and cinnamon. In another bowl, cream butter. Gradually, beat in brown sugar and eggs. Mix together molasses and apple juice. Add sifted dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternately with liquid mixture. Combine lightly. Fold in floured fruit. Turn into prepared pan. Bake at preheated 275º F oven for 3 to 3 1/2 hours or until cake tests done with a toothpick. Remove from pan and lift off brown paper. Allow to cool.

Helpful Hints

Mixing the ingredients well and in order is the key to this Christmas Cake recipe.