NOVA SCOTIA BLACK FRUIT CAKE

Nova Scotia Black Fruit Cake image

Categories Fruit

Number Of Ingredients 21

1 pound Candied pineapple, shredded
1 pound Golden raisins
1/2 pound Seeded raisins
1/2 pound Candied cherries, halved
4 ounces Candied citron
4 ounces Currants
2 ounces Candied lemon peel, coarsely chopped
2 ounces Candied orange peel, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup Dark rum, cognac or sherry
4 ounces Almonds, blanched & shredded
4 ounces Walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped
2 cups Flour
1/2 teaspoon Mace
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Baking powder
1 tablespoon Milk
1 teaspoon Almond extract
1/4 pound Butter
1 cup Granulated sugar
1 cup Brown sugar, packed
5 Eggs

Steps:

Mix fruits. Add rum, cover and let stand overnight
Preheat oven to 275 F. Grease one 10-inch tube pan or 2 9x5x3 inch loaf pans. Line with wax paper and grease the paper.
Combine fruits, nuts and 1/2 cup flour
Sift together remaining flour, mace, cinnamon & baking powder.
Mix milk with almond extract.
Cream butter until smooth, adding sugars gradually.
Add eggs, mix well and add the milk mixture.
Add flour mixture and mix well.
Pour batter over the fruits and nuts and mix thoroughly.
Fill pans and press batter down firmly.
Bake tube cake about 4 hours, loaves about 3 hours.
Let cakes stand 30 minutes then turn out onto a rack and peel off the paper.
Wrap cooled cakes in cheesecloth soaked in the rum. Place in a crock or deep kettle and cover tightly.
As the cloth dries, dribble a little of the same liquor over it. Let ripen 1 month before frosting.