Published in Good Housekeeping's "Cakes for Christmas" section under the Department of Cookery, this dark, rich spiced holiday fruit cake relies on a substantial mix of dried currants, seeded raisins, citron, walnuts, and pecans, bound with molasses, fruit juices, and eight eggs. Katherine Campion suggests either baking at 275° F for four hours or using an alternative method of steaming for three hours followed by finishing in a 300° F oven for one hour, followed by storing in a stone crock with an apple to mature.
Original
As to the recipe for the Fruit Cake, here is one that is quite rich enough for almost any occasion. Cream together three-fourths of a pound of butter and a pound of moist brown sugar, adding one teaspoonful each of ground cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and mace, and one-half teaspoonful of nutmeg; then stir in the grated rind of one lemon and add, one at a time, without beating them, eight eggs. Beat the mixture well after each egg has been whipped into it, and after all are in, beat again for at least ten minutes. Sift together five cupfuls of pastry flour, one teaspoonful of soda, and one-half teaspoonful of salt. Wash and dry thoroughly two pounds of currants, chop two pounds of seeded raisins, and shave half a pound of citron very fine. Stir one cupful of dark molasses into the butter and sugar mixture, then add the flour very gradually, using a portion of it to dredge the fruit. When half the flour is incorporated into the batter, begin adding the fruit, also one cupful each of chopped walnuts and pecans; add also one-half cupful of orange juice and the same quantity of grape juice. Beat the batter hard when all the ingredients have been stirred into it, and bake in large loaf-cake pans which have been well-greased and floured or paper-lined. Bake four hours at 275° F. or steam and bake as mentioned above.
Make this cake several weeks in advance, leaving its icing and ornamentation until the day before Christmas. Put it away in a large stone crock and tuck a good, sound apple beside it; this will keep it moist and help to flavor it even more deliciously.
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Public rights statementThis material was originally published in the United States in 1921 and is believed to be in the public domain in the United States. Source: Good Housekeeping 1921-12: Vol 73 Iss 6, 1921-12-01, page n57, via https://archive.org/details/sim_good-housekeeping_1921-12_73_6. Repastory is not affiliated with or endorsed by Good Housekeeping 1921-12: Vol 73 Iss 6 or its current owner. Rights may vary outside the United States.
Recipe
Ingredients
3/4 pound butter
1 pound brown sugar, moist
1 teaspoonful ground cloves, ground
1 teaspoonful allspice, ground
1 teaspoonful cinnamon, ground
1 teaspoonful mace, ground
1/2 teaspoonful nutmeg
1 lemon rind, grated rind
8 eggs, unbeaten
5 cupfuls pastry flour, sifted
1 teaspoonful soda
1/2 teaspoonful salt
2 pounds currants, washed and dried thoroughly
2 pounds seeded raisins, chopped
1/2 pound citron, shaved very fine
1 cupful dark molasses
1 cupful walnuts, chopped
1 cupful pecans, chopped
1/2 cupful orange juice
1/2 cupful grape juice
1 apple, sound
Directions
Cream together three-fourths of a pound of butter and a pound of moist brown sugar. Add one teaspoonful each of ground cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and mace, and one-half teaspoonful of nutmeg. Stir in the grated rind of one lemon. Add eight eggs, one at a time, without beating them beforehand. Beat the mixture well after each egg is added, and once all are incorporated, beat again for at least ten minutes.
Sift together five cupfuls of pastry flour, one teaspoonful of soda, and one-half teaspoonful of salt. Prepare the fruit: wash and thoroughly dry two pounds of currants, chop two pounds of seeded raisins, and shave half a pound of citron very fine. Reserve a portion of the sifted flour to dredge the fruits.
Stir one cupful of dark molasses into the creamed butter and sugar mixture. Add the flour very gradually. When half the flour has been incorporated, add the dredged fruit, one cupful of chopped walnuts, and one cupful of chopped pecans. Add one-half cupful of orange juice and one-half cupful of grape juice. Beat the batter hard when all ingredients are combined.
Transfer to large loaf-cake pans that have been well greased and floured or lined with paper. Bake for four hours at 275° F., or steam for three hours (or longer for a very large cake) and finish in the oven at 300° F. for one hour.
Make several weeks ahead of time. Store in a large stone crock with a sound apple beside it to retain moisture and improve flavor. Ice and decorate the day before Christmas.
Item type
recipe
Yield
Not stated
Timing
four hours (or steam 3 hours and bake 1 hour)
Temperature
275° F. (or 300° F.)
Equipment
large loaf-cake pans; stone crock; oven thermometer; fireless cooker; steamer
Names & connections
Fruit Caketopic · categorizes
Christmas Cakestopic · categorizes
Source context
publication context
Good Cheer
Good Cheer is the spirit of Christmas time, and there is no better way to further this feeling than to make sure that the feast of the day is well cooked and properly served. The pages which we offer you here contain recipes and methods which are bound to aid you in securing a high culinary standard for the holiday season. Every recipe is planned to serve six unless otherwise stated, and has been tested and tried by the staff of the Department of Cookery. This is one of the departments of GOOD HOUSEKEEPING INSTITUTE, a testing kitchen and laboratory maintained at 105 West 39th Street, New York City, solely as a service for you
Source evidence: Good Cheer is the spirit of Christmas time, and there is no better way to further this feeling than to make sure that the feast of the day is well cooked and properly served. The pages which we offer you here contain recipes and methods which are bound to aid you in securing a high culinary standard for the holiday season. Every recipe is planned to serve six unless otherwise stated, and has been tested and tried by the staff of the Department of Cookery. This is one of the departments of GOOD HOUSEKEEPING INSTITUTE, a testing kitchen and laboratory maintained at 105 West 39th Street, New York City, solely as a service for you