I know, I know. Fruit cake has such a bad reputation. (The ol’ doorstop.) And people either love it or hate it. Additionally, folks have serious opinions about dried fruit like raisins. But why don’t you hold those thoughts for a minute and consider trying this gorgeous gem of a fruit cake. This isn’t like anything you’ll find at the store. It’s almondy and sweet and soft. It’s the perfect Christmas fruit cake! Instructions say to “bake now for holiday serving”, so we better get to it!
I got this recipe from the same article as the Hot Holiday Toddy from Day 10: the El Paso Times from Texas dated December 18, 1943 accessed via Newspapers.com. It was written by Mrs. Alexander George. She knew what she was talking about with these recipes!
A good fruitcake all starts with the fruit mix: lemon rind, candied pineapple, candied cherries (I didn’t have those so I used maraschino cherries patted dry - excellent choice! So cheery!), white (or golden) raisins, and blanched almonds of some kind. I used slivered, blanched almonds - you know the kind like little sticks. Shortening is used as the fat, which is important to maintain its pale color. I realized I should have folded my cherries in at the end as they tinged the loaf a pale pink. It was pretty but not “white.” I didn’t really care though, because this cake tasted amazing. My whole family loved it.
This recipe is a keeper. I’m going to be putting it in my binder of holiday favorites! I do hope you at least try this one. Fruitcakes have a wonderfully long history and were popular treats to send to loved ones in the military during the war. You might consider making a loaf of this beautiful White Fruit Cake and sending it to someone you love! Let’s change the world’s mind one fruit cake at a time.
Join me tomorrow for Day 6!
Ohhh, the cherries really do add a delightul color pop!
Thank you for this recipe. I love a good fruitcake. By the way, are you familiar with gdonna.com? She posts about ways she and her husband choose to live like the past. Some years they choose a year from the past and with much research, make lifestyle and food changes duplicating chosen year. For example, in 2017 they ‘journeyed’ into 1942. I think you would enjoy and appreciate her blog.