Cookbook:Holiday Cake (Spiced Fruitcake Loaf)

| United States | Cake

The original recipe contributor submitted the following information:"'This is from an old recipe book of my mother's. There's a little note on the page: 'fruitcake—only better'. It's tricky to get right but it's well worth the time and effort. We usually make it around Christmastime.'"

Ingredients

 * 1 cup (240 ml) pitted dates
 * 2 cups (480 ml) maraschino cherries
 * ½ cup (120 ml) cherry juice
 * 1 cup (240 ml) butter
 * 3 cups (720 ml) brown sugar
 * 5 large eggs, separated
 * 1 cup (240 ml) milk
 * 2 tsp vanilla
 * 3 ½ cups (830 ml) sifted flour
 * 4 tsp baking powder
 * ½ tsp cloves
 * ½ tsp allspice
 * ½ tsp nutmeg
 * 1 tsp cinnamon
 * 1 tsp salt
 * 2 ½ cups (600 ml) chopped nuts

Day 1

 * 1) Cut dates and cherries into small pieces and soak them in cherry juice overnight.

Day 2

 * 1) Preheat oven to 250°F (120˚C).
 * 2) Cream butter, add half of the sugar. Beat until fluffy.
 * 3) In another bowl beat egg yolks until thick. Add remaining sugar.
 * 4) Combine the two mixtures and beat together.
 * 5) Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, and spices.
 * 6) Add dry ingredients and milk alternately to wet mixture, beating well after each addition.
 * 7) Fold in stiffly-beaten egg whites.
 * 8) Add in fruit and nuts dredged lightly with flour.
 * 9) Bake in lined loaf pans in slow oven for 3 hours.