Christmas Cake

Christmas fruitcake is one of those classic treats that you probably hated as a kid, but you eventually grow a taste for as an adult. It's a real classic in our family, especially among my grandparents, so I am so happy to finally have my grandma's recipe in my collection. I really look forward to having a piece or two at Christmastime, especially if it is served with some marzipan.

Mix the fruit and nuts together with the 1/2 cup of flour:

Mix up the batter:

Stir the batter into the fruit and nut mixture:

It will look like the batter is mostly fruit and nuts. That's ok.

Place the cakes in the oven and place a baking sheet of water on the lower rack to create steam:

Grandma Weber's Christmas Fruitcake

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 5 eggs
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1/4 cup rum
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 cups dark raisins
• 1/2 lb candied fruit peel
• 1 1/2 cups candied cherries
• 4 cups chopped and toasted walnuts, tossed in 1/2 cup flour
• Plain marzipan (almond paste) to serve alongside the fruitcake

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees F
2. Butter two heavy loaf pans and line them fully with aluminum foil 
3. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and eggs. Add the molasses, rum and flavouring. 
4. Sift flour, baking soda, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon and salt, and stir into the egg mixture.
5. Mix your prepared nuts and fruits in a large bowl, and carefully stir the batter into them.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pans, and bake at 250 to 275 degrees F for 2 1/4 hours, keeping a pan of water in the oven on another rack for the first hour to create steam. Test the cakes - they should be slightly firm to the touch and a toothpick should come out clean. But be careful not to overbake them as they will become hard.
7. Let the cakes cool completely and then wrap in sealed plastic bags or set in an airtight container. For ideal results, let your cakes ripen on the counter or in the fridge for 1-2 days before serving.
8. For a real treat, serve the cake with thinly sliced marzipan, or when you take the cake from the pan, roll out a thin sheet of marzipan over it like icing.

Enjoy!