Recipe - Dark Christmas Cake

1 pound Blanched almonds
3 pound Seedless raisins
2 pound Currants
1 pound Candied cherries,
Cut in half
1 pound Dried figs, chopped
1 pound Dates, cut up
1 One half pound Chopped mixed candied peels
1 pound Candied pineapple, cut up
1 cup Allpurpose flour
3 cup Soft butter
3 cup Brown sugar, packed
12 lg Egg yolks
5 One half cup Sifted allpurpose flour
1 teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoon Cinnamon
2 teaspoon Mace
2 teaspoon Allspice
2 teaspoon Nutmeg
1 teaspoon Cloves
3 teaspoon Baking soda
Three fourths cup Prune juice
One fourth cup Brandy
12 lg Egg whites

This recipe makes a very large amount (about 28 cups) of fruit cake batter
and can be baked in a number of different sizes of pan. If you want to make
several small cakes for gifts you can divide the batter among 9 8x4x3 inch
loaf pans using a generous 3 cups of batter for each. Or if you wish to use
larger loaf pans you can put the batter in 6 9x5x3 inch pans using a
generous 4 One half cups batter in each. Bundt pans make attractive cakes and
this amount of batter is enough for 3 12 cup Bundt pans using a generous 9
cups of batter in each. If you use 10inch tube pans you can make 2 cakes
using 12 cups of batter for each and an 8x4x2 One half inch loaf pan with the
remaining batter. Of course you can also use any combination of these
sizes. For example, you can make a large cake in a Bundt pan, two 9x5x3in
loaves and three 8x4x3inch loaves. If you wish you can prepare half the
batter and bake it in three 9x5x3inch loaf pans or in one 12cup Bundt pan
and one 9x5x3inch loaf pan. Line greased pans with greased heavy brown
paper, except for the Bundt pan which should be greased and floured.
COMBINE nuts and fruit in a very large bowl or roasting pan. Add 1 cup of
flour and toss by hand to coat fruit with flour. CREAM butter well ( you
can use your electric mixer for this part of the recipe). Add sugar and
beat until fluffy. Beat in egg yolks. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.
Sift 5 One half cups flour with salt, spices and soda and add to creamed mixture
alternately with prune juice and brandy. Mix with a wooden spoon. Add this
mixture to the fruit and nuts and blend well.The easiest way to blend this
large amount of mixture is with your hands. Beat egg whites until stiff and
fold into mixture. MEASURE into prapared pans and press well into the
corners. Heat oven to 275'F. Bake cakes in 8x4x3inch pans for about 3
hours, in 9x5x3inch pans or Bundt pans for about 3 hours and 15 minutes
and in 10inch tube pans about 3 One half hours or until a toothpick stuck in
the center comes out clean. Let stand in pans a few minutes, then turn out
on racks and cool. Strip off paper and wrap cakes in cheesecloth dampened
with brandy and then in foil and store in a cool place. MAKES 15 LBS OF
FRUIT CAKE.

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini