Fruit Cake Recipes From My Grandmother

Fruit Cakes

My grandmother loved to make fruit cakes for Christmas; there are several recipes in her recipe box. I think her favorite was from her son-in-law’s mother; it’s the one she made the most in recent years.

McC. Fruit Cake

This recipe is handwritten on a piece of paper from the kind of writing tablet my grandmother always used. On the outside it says “Imp. McC. Fruit Cake Recipe”. (Full name omitted for privacy.)

1 lb pineapple
½ lb mixed fruit
1 lb raisins (½ white, ½ dark)
1 lb cherries
1 lb dates
½ lb of each kind of nuts:
English walnuts
Almonds
Brazil nuts
1 lb pecans
6 cups cake flour
6 tsp baking powder
Salt
1 lb butter
1 lb sugar (2 cups)
1 doz eggs
½ cup white corn syrup
1 cup of coconut milk or any kind of juice you want to use
2 cups coconut

Chop nuts and fruit and mix well. Dredge with 6 cups of flour. Cream butter and sugar, add eggs one at a time, add syrup, coconut milk and pour this mixture over fruit & nuts. Add coconut.

Bake in 275° oven 3 ½ to 4 hours. Watch

Fruit Cake (McC, a 2nd version)

1 lb pineapple (candied)
½ lb mixed fruit
½ lb lemon peel
1 lb raisins
1 lb cherries
1 lb dates
½ lb of each kind of nuts, English walnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts
1 lb pecans
6 cups cake flour
6 tsp baking powder
Salt
1 lb butter
1 lb sugar (2 cups)
1 dozen eggs
½ cup white corn syrup
1 cup coconut milk or fruit juice
2 cups coconut

Chop nuts and fruit, mix well. Dredge with cake flour and baking powder. Cream butter & sugar, add eggs one at a time, add syrup & coconut milk & pour over mixture. Add coconut.

Bake in 275° oven 3 ½ to 4 hours. WATCH


Fruit Cake

From Minnie Lee N. of NC, friends of Frances J.

This recipe is handwritten in someone else’s writing.

2 lb candied fruit cake mix
1 box white raisins
4 cups pecans (chopped)
1 lg (14 or 16 oz) bag of coconut
Small can crushed pineapple
½ cup wine
½ or 2/3 cup flour rolled in fruit

Mix all ingredients in very large pan. Be sure to mix in ½ cup or 2/3 cup dry flour before putting in batter. This keeps the fruit from settling to bottom of pan while cooking.

Batter
10 eggs
1 lb butter
2 cups sugar
4 cups flour (self rising)

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Add flour a little at a time. Mix well; batter will be very thick.

Pour the batter with the fruit mix. I use my hands to mix really well.

Put into 3 conf (?) pans (4 x 8 x 2.5) lined with foil. Cook on 250° until they start rising. Then reduce to 200° and cook 4 to 5 hours.

When cakes have completely cooled I take them out of the foil they are cooked in. Wrap each cake in saran wrap then foil and put in plastic bags. (Bread bags will do.)

They will keep moist for months in refrigerator.

Fruit Cake (Norma)

1/2 lb butter (2 sticks)
5 eggs
1 ¾ cup flour
½ tsp baking powder
1 lb glazed pineapple
¾ lb glazed cherries
4 cups pecans
1 cup sugar
½ oz bottle vanilla flavoring
½ oz bottle lemon flavoring

Chop fruit and nuts in medium pieces. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add well beaten eggs. Add flour, baking powder, add flavorings. (*Part of flour should be put over nuts and dry fruit.) Add egg & sugar mixture. Bake 3 hours at 250° (grease and wax paper tube pan if not teflon).

Fruit Cake (G.)

1 lb butter
2 cups sugar
4 cups flour
1 dozen eggs
1 large glass strawberry preserves
½ cup honey
½ cups pineapple juice
3 Tbsp almond extract
3 Tbsp sherry extract
2 lbs candied pineapple
2 lbs candied cherries
2 lbs mixed fruit
2 boxes white raisins
2 lbs English walnuts
2 lbs pecans

Cream butter & sugar. Add eggs & flour- alternating. Add preserves, honey & extracts. (Save some flour to pour over candied fruit and nuts.) Add fruit & nuts to mixture.

Bake 325° til straw comes out clean (1 hour at least)