MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

Title: California Fruit Cake
Categories: Cakes
Yield: 1 Cake

2 c Dried sliced apricots *
1 c Dried figs; cut small
2 c White raisins
1 1/3 c Dark raisins
2/3 c Dried cherries or maraschino
-cherries; cut small.
-Marinate dried cherries in
-Kirsch
2/3 c Orange peel; cut small
2/3 c Lemon peel; cut small
2/3 c Citron; cut small
1 c Pecans; up to 2 c, broken
24 Pineapple cubes; cut in
-1/4's and drained well
4 1/2 c Flour
4 ts Baking powder
1 ts Salt
1 c Butter
1 1/2 c Sugar
4 tb Corn syrup
5 Eggs; well beaten
1 1/3 c Fruit juices; use syrup from
-apricots, plus pineapple
-juice, plus whatever juices
-you have

MMMMM-------------------------THIN SYRUP------------------------------
1/2 c Sugar
1 c Water

Boil dried apricots 1 minute in thin syrup, cool, and dry.

Dust fruit mixture with some of the flour and set aside covered until
ready to add to batter. It is even better if the fruit is left
overnight like this. Mix remaining flour and dry ingredients (minus
the sugar) and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar well. Add the
corn syrup and beat well, then mix in well beaten eggs. Add the flour
mixture alternately with the mixed fruit juices, beating well between
each addition. Then add fruits, mixing well past each addition. Pour
into prepared pans **.

Bake at 325°F for 10 minutes then reduce heat to 275°F. If you have
used 2 tube pans, continue baking for another 2 hours. If you have
used 1 large angel food pan, bake for 5 hours longer. When done, cool
completely in the pans. Remove cakes from the pans when cool, but
leave paper on the cakes until ready to serve. Wrap and store.

** Use two 9x3" tube pans or one large angel food cake pan. Line
sides with greased brown paper: I use brown paper bags. Fill pans
1/2 to 2/3 full.

Notes: This recipe came down from my grandmother through my mother. I
have changed a few things from the original. The original called for
maraschino cherries but since dried cherries have become so widely
available, I have begun using those. I marinate them in Kirsch for
several hours.

I have contemplated adding dried plums or adding another dried
fruit.. like dried nectarines. The apricots add a lovely tartness to
it... that redeems it from being totally sweet. I think another tart
dried fruit would do well too.

I have also contemplated using dried pineapple for the canned
pineapple chunks. Haven't done it yet, but if someone wants to try it
before I make this next, I would be interested in seeing what happens.

The juices I tend to add now, are fruit nectars. Like apricot nectar,
peach nectar.. something like that.

If you want to soak this fruitcake afterwards, I would not go for a
heavy spirit. Something lighter would seem more appropriate, like
sherry. This is NOT a dark fruitcake, and as such, seems to call out
for lighter flavors.

Recipe by Christine Dabney's Grandmother

Recipe FROM: <https://web.archive.org/web/20170328103602/
http://recfoodcooking.org/sigs/Christine%20Dabney/
California%20Fruit%20Cake.html>

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