Sharon's Brandied Fruit Cakes

Easier to work with. The original recipe called for brandy or grape juice, but I found that if you substitute the orange juice concentrate, it has a nicer flavour.

Yields:	1 cake
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	Preparation	15 minutes
	Cooking	1 hours
	Ready In	4 - 5 weeks

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Ingredients

4 1/2	cups	raisins, seedless
2 1/4	cups	currants
1/2	pound	butter	or margarine, softened
1/2	pound	vegetable shortening	soft
2	cups	sugar
1	tablespoon	vanilla extract
1	tablespoon	almond extract
12	large	eggs
1	cup	frozen orange juice concentrated
1/2	cup	honey
4 1/2	cups	flour, all-purpose
2	teaspoons	baking powder
1	teaspoon	baking soda
1	teaspoon	salt
1	teaspoon	nutmeg
1/2	teaspoon	cloves	gound
1	cup	dates	cut up
2 1/4	cups	candied cherries
1	cup	almonds	halved

Directions

Use 2 tube pans 10x4 each, or 5 loaf pans.

Line pans with 2-3 thicknesses of brown paper or 1 thickness of heavy foil; grease well with unsalted shortening.

Wash raisins and currants and dry thoroughly between paper towels.

Beat butter and shorteningtogether very thoroughly; when smooth and fluffy, add sugar gradually, beating continuously.

Blend in vanilla and almond extract.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.

Beat in orange juice and honey.

Sift together remaining dry ingredients.

Mix prepared fruits and almonds in large mixing bowl; add sifted dry ingredients, and mix well to coat pieces.

Scrape egg and butter mixture into bowl, and, using hands, combine very thoroughly.

Fill each pan 3/4 full.

Preheat oven to 275F.

Bake cakes 1-1/2 to 3-1/2 hours, depending on size of pans used.

After first hour or so, place pan of water on bottom of oven to prevent cakes from drying out.

When cakes test done, remove from oven, and let pans stand on racks until cakes are completely cooled.

Remove from pans, and peel of paper linings.

Let ripen 4-5 weeks before serving.

When they come out of the oven, I let them sit for a few minutes and then take them out of the pans while still fairly hot.

Let them cool for maybe 15-20 minutes and then pack them while still warm.

Pour 1/4 to 1/2 cup brandy (apricot, orange, or cherry) onto the cakes, wrap in double thickness of Handy wrap, then wrap in tin foil securely.

I then store them in the basement where it is cool and every couple of days I turn them to make sure that the brandy diffuses throughout the whole cake.