Fruit Cake

Ingredients

• 1 lb butter
• 1 lb figs
• ½ lb English walnuts (shelled)
• 2 lbs raisins
• ½ lb citron
• ¼ lb candied orange peel
• ½ lb almonds (shelled)
• lemon peel
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup brandy or wine
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cloves
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ lb brown sugar
• ½ lb flour

Directions

1. Chop all fruit except citron and nuts using a coarse meat chopper. Cut citron into thin strips and halve the nuts.

2. Cream the butter and brown sugar together. Add beaten egg yolks and buttermilk with dissolved baking soda.

3. Sift flour and baking powder together. Gradually add half the flour alternately with beaten egg whites.

4. Dredge the chopped fruit in the remaining flour and gradually mix into the batter. Stir in the nuts and half of the wine.

5. Pour the mixture into a well-greased baking pan lined with two layers of paper. Layer strips of citron on top until the pan is nearly full.

6. Place the cake near the top of the oven with a large pan of boiling water beneath it to keep the cake moist.

7. Bake slowly for four hours. Once cooled, pour the remaining ½ cup of wine over the cake.

8. Store in a covered tin box for several months, adding mellow apples to keep it fresh.