Heavenly Holiday Cake
Cindy Krueger 1995
All measurements are level. Assemble ingredients and let stand at room temperature 1 hour.
8 ounces dried cherries
8 ounces dried cranberries
8 ounces dried blueberries
1 pound candied pineapple ( 2-1/2 cups, cut in coarse pieces)
1 pound whole candied cherries (2 cups), plus some for garnishing
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder (make sure it is fresh, buy new if it is over a year old)
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2 pounds (8 cups) pecan halves, plus some for garnishing
White corn syrup
TO MAKE THE CAKE
Use two 9"x5"x3" loaf pans or two 9" springform pans; or use on of each. Generously grease pans with butter or spray on canola oil and line bottoms and sides with wax paper cut to fit; then grease paper. (If you have only one pan, let 1/2 the batter stand in bowl while baking one cake. After removing first cake, wash and dry pan before baking second cake.)
In large bowl mix dried fruit ( about 3-3/4 cups) and candied pineapple. Add 1 pound whole candied cherries. Sift then lightly spoon flour into measuring cup. Level top with spatula. Put 3 cups sifted flour into sifter. (Do not use cake flour or self-rising flour.) Add baking powder and salt. Sift onto fruit. Mix fruits and dry ingredients well with fingers, separating pieces of fruit so that all are well coated with dry ingredients. With electric mixer or rotary beaters, beat eggs until frothy. Gradually beat in granulated sugar. Add to fruit mixture; mix well with large spoon. Add pecan halves. Mix with hands until nuts are evenly distributed and are coated with batter.
Pack into pans, pressing down with palms of hands, if necessary rearrange pieces of fruit and nuts to fill any empty spaces. Decorate tops with rows of whole cherries and pecan halves. After assembling ingredeints let stand at room temperature 1 hour.
Turn on oven; set at 275 degrees F, preheat for 10 minutes. Bake in springform cakes about 1-1/4 hours, loaf cakes 1-1/2 hours. (Tops of cakes, where batter is visible, should look dry but will not be brown. If there is any doubt, leave cakes in oven a few minutes longer, as a little extra baking does no harm.) When cakes are done, remove from oven and put on cake racks. Let stand about 5 minutes. Turn out on racks and carefully peel off paper. Turn top side up brush with corn syrup; cool.
TO STORE THE CAKE
Wrap loosely in foil and store airtight in a cool place. Stored this way, cakes will keep several weeks. If wrapped well in plastic freezer wrap and stored in freezer, cakes will keep indefinitely. If placed in a Tupperware freezer container they will retain much better flavor.
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This page was updated December 2004