It may be fruitcake — well, it is fruitcake. But whatta fruitcake.
Not just any old, run-of-the-mill fruitcake, mind you. No siree bobdog and not hardly.
Longtime Forum helper-outer Rosemary Barrett over there in Freeland on Whidbey Island applies a “great” label to this glorious, tube-pan take on a cake that’s studded with usual and unusual ingredients (not to mention both brandy and sherry).
She tells us, “I have been baking this recipe for Martha Washington’s great cake for the holidays since the 1980s, so I’m sharing it with others.”
Rosemary says it’s her husband Gene’s favorite fruitcake, and adds that it was originally taken from a Southern Living cake cookbook. Be forewarned: You might need to really scurry to find all of the ingredients (or suitable substitutes) because you’ll also need to begin soaking the fruit mix today.
It’ll be worth it, though … you’ll wind up with a spectacular dessert start to 2009 and, at the same time, possibly even start a whole new family tradition with:
MARTHA WASHINGTON’S GREAT CAKE
1package (15 ounces) golden raisins
1package (10 ounces) currants
2packages (4 ounces each) chopped candied orange peel
2packages (4 ounces each) chopped candied citron
3/4cup chopped candied lemon peel
1/3cup candied red cherries, chopped
1/3cup candied green cherries, chopped
1/3cup candied angelica, chopped (optional)
1/2cup brandy
2cups butter or margarine, softened
2cups sugar
10eggs, separated
2teaspoons lemon juice
41/2cups all-purpose flour
1teaspoon ground mace
1/2teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3cup sherry
Candied red cherries
Angelica (optional)
Combine the raisins, currants, orange peel, citron, lemon peel, red and green cherries, angelica and brandy; stir well, cover and let stand overnight.
Cream butter in a large mixing bowl; gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in lemon juice.
Combine flour, mace and nutmeg; add to creamed mixture alternately with sherry, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix well after each addition. Stir in reserved fruit mixture.
Beat egg whites (at room temperature) until stiff peaks form; fold into batter.
Spoon batter into a well-greased and floured 10-inch tube pan. Place a large pan of boiling water on lower oven rack. Bake cake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes; reduce temperature to 325 degrees and bake an additional 1 hour and 40 minutes or until cake tests done.
Cool cake completely in pan. Remove from pan and garnish with candied red cherries and angelica, if desired.
Makes one 10-inch cake.
The next Forum will appear Friday. Meanwhile, Happy New Year!
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