FRUIT CAKE

Fruit Cake image

Provided by Food Network

Categories dessert

Time 3h5m

Yield 10 servings

Number Of Ingredients 15

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup lard
1 heaping cup brown sugar
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups "wholemeal" (whole wheat) flour
1 1/4 cups self-rising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon molasses
2 pounds mixed candied fruit
1 lemon, zested
1 orange, zested and juiced
1/4 cup sherry
1 tablespoon brandy
1 tablespoon milk

Steps:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
In a mixing bowl, with a paddle attachment cream the butter and lard together. Add the sugar and continue creaming. Add the eggs gradually and mix until well incorporated.
Then, add each ingredient one at a time and blend in. Turn batter out into a loaf pan (best for doorstops) lined with parchment paper. Bake 1 hour and 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 300 degrees F and bake an additional 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Let cool in the pan. Wrap in plastic and let mature a few days. If you like, you can dip it or baste it with brandy, wrap it in cheesecloth, and store in a cool place for months (maybe even decades).