Holiday Cake (Spiced Fruitcake Loaf)
This spiced fruitcake loaf comes from a contributor's mother's recipe book, where a note on the page calls it "fruitcake, only better." Dates and maraschino cherries soak overnight in cherry juice, so the fruit is plump and sweet before it meets the batter. Brown sugar, cloves, allspice, nutmeg and cinnamon give it a deep holiday flavor, and a long bake at low heat keeps the loaves tender.
Instructions
Cut the dates and cherries into small pieces and leave them to soak in the cherry juice overnight.
Heat the oven to 250°F (120°C) and line your loaf pans.
Cream the butter with half of the brown sugar and beat until the mixture turns fluffy. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks until thick, then add the remaining sugar.
Combine the two mixtures and beat them together until well blended.
Sift the flour, salt, baking powder and spices together. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture in batches, alternating with the milk and beating well after each addition.
Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold them into the batter. Toss the soaked fruit and the nuts lightly in a little flour, then fold them in as well.
Spoon the batter into the lined loaf pans and bake in the slow oven for 3 hours.
Make it personal.
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