Geraldine’s Fruitcake

By Stacey Adger

This fruitcake was a favorite of my father’s and an annual tradition. My mom (Geraldine) would make the cake two to three weeks before Christmas and wrap it in foil, placing it way in the back of the refrigerator. Dad would take it out, douse it in rum and cut off a chunk, careful to rewrap it, placing the uncut segment toward the front and feign innocence when the cake was finally unwrapped.

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds golden raisins (can be mixed with dark raisins)

2 pounds candied fruit (typically sold in 1 pound containers)

½ cup honey

1 tablespoon ginger

1 cup shredded coconut

1 to 2 cups of pecans

½ cup orange juice (cherry or other fruit juice)

½ cup dark rum

5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup softened butter

1 cup softened margarine

2½ cups brown sugar

PREPARATION

• In a large bowl that can be covered, combine raisins, candied fruit, honey, ginger, shredded coconut, pecans, orange juice, and dark rum. Stir, coating all of the ingredients in liquid. Cover and let soak overnight.

• The following day, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

• In a separate large bowl, combine butter, margarine, brown sugar. Beat these ingredients together until light, about 4 minutes, blend in just until combined; 10 large eggs, one at a time.

• Gradually incorporate dry ingredients. The batter will get heavy, so the last of the dry ingredients may have to be incorporated by hand. Gradually stir in the soaked fruit by hand.

• Preheat oven to 220°F.

• Line and heavily grease with vegetable shortening-not oil, a parchment paper lined two-part tube pan covering the post, base and sides. (Mom usually used a heavy brown grocery bag to line the pan, writing facing away from the batter.)

• Bake for 3½ hours or until firm. Try to avoid opening the oven too much to avoid cracking.

• Partially open the oven door and let the cake in the pan cool gradually for about 30 minutes.

Take out and cool completely, leaving paper sealing, pour evenly over the top of the cake, ½ to ¾ cup of a combination fruit juice and rum.

• Refrigerate.

Stacey Adger contributes a beloved family recipe for Homeplate for the Holidays. (Canstock)