festive fruitcake i

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 12 cups raisins
• 3 cups dried currants
• 2 pounds candied mixed fruit
• 1 pound candied cherries
• 1 (16 ounce) jar maraschino cherries, drained
• 1 1/4 cups dates, pitted and chopped
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 12 egg yolks
• 1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 teaspoons cocoa
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 1 cup orange juice
• 4 cups whole or chopped walnuts
• 12 egg whites

Recipe

• preheat oven to 275 degrees f (135 degrees c). grease four 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pans, and then line with brown paper or foil. grease again.
• in a large container stir raisins, currants, candied fruit mix, candied cherries, maraschino cherries, dates, and 1 cup flour together until all the fruit is well coated with flour.
• measure 2 1/4 cup flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a medium bowl. stir to mix.
• in a very large bowl, cream the butter or margarine with the sugar. beat in egg yolks three at a time. stir in pineapple with juice and vanilla. add flour mixture in 3 parts alternately with fruit juice in 2 parts to the creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. stir in walnuts.
• in another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. fold egg whites into batter, and stir in fruit gently. divide batter among pans. smooth.
• bake for about 3 hours until an inserted wooden pick comes out clean.