Fruitcake (Granny's)

Everyone hates fruitcake - thinks they do. For generations, fruitcake has been the butt of many holiday jokes: likened to a less tasty doorstop, given as a gift to someone you actually hate, etc. The concept of fruitcake reappears in sarcastic holiday conversations year after year. It's loathed, but it doesn't have to be. In fact, I've never quite understood why it gets such a bad wrap. Perhaps because my Granny was English and made a delightful cake that was never dry. Like this one.

½ lb (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
2¼ cups sugar
6 eggs
2 Tbsp. brandy or wine (1 oz)
4 cups all-purpose flour, unbleached, unbleached, divided
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1½ tsp. sea salt
3 cups pecans, chopped
12 oz candied pineapple, diced
6 oz candied red cherries, diced
6 oz candied green cherries, diced
8 oz dark raisins
8 oz white raisins
light corn syrup, such as Karo

Preheat an oven to 275°F (140°C/120°C fan, Gas Mark 1). Grease and flour a tube pan.

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat well. Add brandy.

Sift 3 cups of flour along with nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Add to the creamed mixture. Mix thoroughly.

Sift remaining 1 cup of flour over the nuts, candied fruits and raisins. Bland together and add to the cake batter gently and gradually.

Add the cake batter to the prepared pan. Top with pieces of red and green cherries forming a holly and leaf design in the 3 clusters on top of teh cake.

Bake for 3 hours or until the cake tests done. Use a pastry brush to glaze the top of the cake with Karo syrup for teh last 30 minutes of baking time.

Remove the cake from the oven and cool completely in thepan before removing. Wrap with cloth and brush with brandy, if desired.

Store in an airtight container and keep in a cool place.

Makes one 10" cake.