Holiday Fruit Cake

Recipe No. 68 from the U.S. Army’s WWII cookbook — Cakes and Cookies. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.

Ingredients

• Raisins, seedless — 1½ pounds (1⅛ No. 56 dippers)

Currants — 1½ pounds (1¼ No. 56 dippers)

• Pineapple, candied, diced — 1½ pounds (¾ No. 56 dipper)
• Citron — 1½ pounds (1¼ No. 56 dippers)
• Cherries, candied — 1½ pounds (1¼ No. 56 dippers)
• Lemon juice — 3 ounces (6 mess kit spoons)
• Orange rind, grated — 4 ounces (⅓ mess kit cup)
• Cider or fruit juice — 1 pint (½ No. 56 dipper)
• Butter or shortening — 2 pounds (1 No. 56 dipper)
• Sugar, brown — 2 pounds (1½ No. 56 dippers)
• Eggs — 20 eggs (1 No. 56 dipper)
• Molasses — 4 ounces (8 mess kit spoons)
• Flour, sifted — 2¼ pounds (2¼ No. 56 dippers)
• Baking powder — ¼ ounce (⅔ mess kit spoon)
• Cinnamon — 1 ounce (4 mess kit spoons)
• Cloves, ground — ½ ounce (2 mess kit spoons)
• Allspice — ¼ ounce (1 mess kit spoon)

Directions

Key ingredients

Baking Soda & Baking Powder · Cinnamon · Molasses

1. Combine fruits, lemon juice, orange rind, and cider. Cover and allow to stand overnight.
2. Stir shortening until soft and smooth.
3. Add brown sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy.
4. Add unbeaten eggs a few at a time, beating after each addition until well mixed; continue beating until light and fluffy. Add molasses and mix well.
5. Sift flour, baking powder, and spices together twice; add gradually to sugar mixture, beating after each addition until well mixed. Add fruit with last amount of dry ingredients; mix well.
6. Mix thoroughly but avoid overmixing.
7. Place in greased loaf pans lined with greased paper. Bake in slow oven (200° F.). Increase heat gradually to moderate (325° F.) during last half of baking period. Time will vary from 3 to 4 hours according to the size of the loaves.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Raisins, seedless — 2 oz Currants — 2 oz Pineapple, candied, diced — 2 oz Citron — 2 oz Cherries, candied — 2 oz Lemon juice — about 1½ tsp Orange rind, grated — about 2 tsp Cider or fruit juice — 2½ tbsp Butter or shortening — 2½ oz Sugar, brown — 2½ oz Eggs — 1⅔ eggs Molasses — about 2 tsp Flour, sifted — 3 oz Baking powder — a pinch Cinnamon — about ½ tsp Cloves, ground — a pinch Allspice — a pinch

This recipe makes seven loaf pans (9⅞ by 4¼ by 2¾ inches).

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 68, Cakes and Cookies. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.