Fruit Cake

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
3/4 cup chopped nuts
3 cups diced candied fruits and peels
3/4 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup molasses
2 eggs

Set oven for low, 300°. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch tube pan. Line with waxed paper and grease the paper.

Sift together flour, soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add and mix in nuts, fruits and peels.

Cream butter thoroughly. Gradually add and beat in sugar; continue beating until well blended. Add molasses; mix well. Beat in eggs, one at a tim. Gradually add fruit and flour mixture; mix thoroughly. Turn batter into prepared pan. Bake cake about 3 hours or until cake tester inserted into center comes out clean. Remove cake from oven and let stand in pan about 1/2 hour. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack. Peel off the paper. Store cake in airtight container several days before serving. Makes a 3 1/2 pound fruit cake.

Prepare the batter for Fruit Cake, above. Arrange 6 slices candied pineapple in the bottom of the greased tube pan. Bake cake; remove pan and paper as directed, above. Leave cake upside down on rack and decorate with 6 candied cherries, inserting one into center of each slice of pineapple. Cool cake thoroughly. Store several days before serving.

Published by –COOKINDEX– Division of H.S. Stuttman Co., Inc. New York ©Copyright 1958 Tested Recipe Institute, Inc. New York