Light Fruit Cake

Ingredients

This recipe harkens from the 1950's. The use of crushed pineapple and coconut gives it a more tropical flavour than the traditional dark and spicy fruitcakes.  I usually make double or triple the quantities of the original recipe and make several cakes in loaf pans.  This cake does not need time to ripen and can be eaten almost immediately!

Original Ingredient Quantities

1/3 cup butter
2/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose (high grade) flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, NOT drained
1 2/3 cups bleached (light) sultana raisins
2 cups shredded (dessicated) coconut
3/4 cup chopped citron peel
1/3 cup slivered almonds
1/3 cup halved candied cherries (tip: wash and pat dry before halving)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 Tablespoon (or more!) brandy or fruit juice

Directions

Cream butter and sugar well. Add eggs one at a time beating after each addition.  Sift 1/2 cup flour with baking powder.  Combine fruits and nuts with remaining 1/4 cup flour.  Add sifted dry ingredients alternatively with crushed pineapple to butter mixture.  Add flavourings and fruit and nut mixture.  Combine well.

Bake in pan lined with double thickness of heavy brown paper, which has been oiled, at 145C   for about 2 1/2 hours.  (If you are using wooden fruitcake boxes, adjust your cooking temperature and time accordingly.)

You can poke some fine holes in the cooked fruitcake and drizzle with more brandy if desired!

(I decorate the top of the cake with whole almonds and cherries before baking, then glaze with warmed sieved apricot jam after dowsing the cake with brandy when it comes out of the oven.)



Makes approx. 1 kilo of fruitcake.