LET THE BAKING BEGIN......

Nothing lifts my spirits, like something baking in the oven. That being said, the recipe search is beginning early this year.

This one is so easy you have to try it.    I haven't baked it yet, but I will.......

The World's Best Fruitcake

By CaramelPie on May 31, 2005

Photo by Lorrie in Montreal

5 Reviews

• 
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 1 1/2 hrs
• Serves: 48, Yield: 2 loaves

About This Recipe

"My dad started making this fruitcake about 30 years ago. Everyone who hates fruitcake likes this, and everyone who likes fruitcake LOVES this. Many people say this is the ONLY fruitcake they will eat. I hope you'll try this. Just follow the directions EXACTLY, and you'll have the most wonderful fruitcake ever!"

Ingredients

• 14 ounces sweetened flaked coconut
• 8 ounces chopped sugar rolled dates
• 16 ounces pecan pieces
• 8 ounces candied cherries
• 8 ounces diced candied pineapple
• 2 (14 ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk

Directions

1. Place coconut, dates, and pecan pieces in a very large (7 quart or larger) bowl. With your hands break up chunks of dates & coconut, and stir those 3 ingredients together.
2. Add the cherries, pineapple, and sweetened condensed milk. Stir thoroughly. (I wear non-powdered surgical gloves, and stir it with my hands because the mixture is very stiff.).
3. Let set at room temperature while you prepare the pans. Spray 2 - 9"x5" loaf pans with Pam. Line the pans with waxed (or parchment) paper. (We cut parchment paper in 4 1/4"x 16 1/4" strips for this. You want the paper to come up past the short sides of the pans after the mixture is packed into the pans.) Now spray the paper (after you've pressed it into the pans) with Pam.
4. Stir the ingredients well again.Divide the ingredients equally between the 2 loaf pans.
5. Pack VERY TIGHTLY and smoothly into the pans. (I wet my hands & press, pack down, & smooth top, using both hands. Wetting your hands keeps them from sticking to "batter".).
6. Place the pans on the middle rack of the oven and bake at 300 degrees F for 1 hour, or until lightly browned. (If the cakes have baked for an hour, or look a little brown around the edges, take them out of the oven & lift edges of paper a little to see if sides look brown enough. If they're brown on sides, but not on top, you may broil the tops for a few minutes-watch carefully.).
7. Remove cakes from oven and let cool for 10 minutes in the pans.

Page 2 of 2The World's Best Fruitcake (cont.)

Directions (cont.)

8. Gently lift the edges of the paper a couple of times on each side - kind of a rocking motion. (Sometimes I have to run a sharp knife down the edges of the pan.) Turn pans upside down onto a paper-lined cookie sheet. Lift pans from the cakes. Remove paper from bottom of cakes IMMEDIATELY.
9. Let cool completely. Place in a large container (don't wrap yet) and refrigerate overnight.
10. Turn cake upside down to slice. After slicing, wrap in waxed (or parchment) paper, then in heavy duty aluminum foil.
11. May be refrigerated up to 3 months or frozen up to 1 year.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 (43 g)
Servings Per Recipe: 48

Amount Per Serving

% Daily Value

Calories 190.1

 

Calories from Fat 100

52%

Amount Per Serving

% Daily Value

Total Fat 11.1g

17%

Saturated Fat 4.0g

20%

Cholesterol 5.6mg

1%

Sugars 20.5 g

Sodium 51.9mg

2%

Total Carbohydrate 22.0g

7%

Dietary Fiber 1.4g

5%

Sugars 20.5 g

82%

Protein 2.4g

4%