MRS. HARVEY'S WHITE FRUITCAKE RECIPE - (3.8/5)

Steps:

• Chop nuts and fruit in medium size pieces; dredge with 1/4 c. flour. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. Sift together remaining flour and baking powder; fold into butter - egg mixture. Stir in vanilla and lemon extracts. Blend in fruit and nuts. Grease a 10 inch tube pan. Line with parchment, waxed paper or foil; grease again. Pour batter into prepared pan or pans. Place in cold oven and bake at 250 degrees for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or 2 hours in 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pans. Check cakes 1 hour before done, again in 30 min. When done, remove from oven; cool in pans or cake rack. Makes 5 pounds of fruitcake. NOTE; In 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 x 1 1/2 inch baby loaf pans. bake for about 1 hr. For 1 pound cakes in 2 pound coffee cans, bake about 2 hours. In 5 ounce custard cups, the baking time is about 1 hr.. And in ungreased foil bonbon cups, baking time is about 30 min. When fruitcake time rolls around, she tosses out her can of baking powder and buys a fresh one. "You don't want to mess up the fruitcake because the baking powder isn't right," she cautions. She prefers loaf pans to tube pans. She likes 2 ounces each of vanilla and lemon extract. While the cakes are cooling on a wire rack, she uses a small paintbrush- reserved for fruitcake garnishing only - to slather on apricot brandy. After wrapping the cooled fruitcakes in 2 sheets of aluminum foil, she begins what she calls a "ripening" process. For the next 2 weeks, the cakes are basted in brandy and kept at room temp. Then into Frig for chilling and easier slicing.