Candied Fruit Cake

Here is a great fruitcake recipe that our family loves so much they think it is not Christmas without it. You too will get hooked once you try it. It is more candy than traditional fruit cake. --Betty

Ingredients:

• Three 7 1/4 ounce pkgs (or 1 lb pkg plus one 7 1/4 oz pkg) pitted dates
• 1 lb. candied pineapple
• 1 lb whole candied cherries
• 2 tsp double acting baking powder
• 2 C sifted all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 lbs. pecan halves

Instructions:

1. Prepare two (2) 9-inch springform cake pans (9x5x3). Grease pans and line with brown paper ( I use the paper grocery sacks or brown paper for packaging). Grease the paper on top and on the bottom. Turn on oven to 275 degrees.
2. Cut the pitted dates and candied pineapple into small pieces in a very large mixing bowl. Leave the cherries whole and add to fruit mixture.
3. Sift the flour and measure two (2) cups. Place this flour into the sifter again and add the baking powder and salt.
4. Sift this on to the fruit. Mix fruits well with fingers so all pieces are separated and coated with flour.
5. Beat the four eggs until frothy and gradually add the sugar. Beat until well blended.
6. Add this to the fruit mixture and mix well with fingers or spoon.
7. Add the pecan halves (should be about 8 cups of nuts), Mix with hands until nuts are evenly distributed in the fruit and all are coated well with the batter.
8. Pack this into the pans with fingers, rearranging pieces to fill up all empty spaces.
9. Bake at 275 degrees about 1 to 1 1/4 hours (loaf pans a little longer). When done, the tops should look dry. If there is doubt, leave a litte longer.
10. When done, remove and cool on racks about 5 minutes before removing the cakes from the pans. Turn over and pull off paper.
11. Cool. Store in foil and keep airtight. If stored this way, they keep several weeks. They can be kept indefinitely in the freezer and taste good long afterwards.