Mom’s Fabulous Fruit Cake Recipe from: Sandra Taillieu, Camrose, AB

4-5 lbs California Baker’s Fruit Medley
1-2 lbs dried pitted cherries
juice of 1 large lemon
1 large can crushed pineapple & juice
1/2-1 cup apple juice

5 cups flour
2-3 lbs of raw slivered almonds or raw mixed nuts
3/4 cup of butter
2 cups sugar
12 large eggs
2 tsp. baking powder

Mix 6 pounds total fruit in a very large bowl, add crushed pineapple and lemon juice. Add part of a cup of apple juice, depending on how dry the fruit is, use enough to make the fruit moist. Mix and cover. Allow to rest overnight on the counter.

The next day, mix flour and nuts together with fruit. Line approximately 6 loaf pans with tinfoil and grease with butter.

In a separate bowel cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and baking powder and beat. Mix together with the fruit.

Fill pans (to the depth you wish your cakes to be as they do not raise) and add a small dish of water in the oven with the cakes to keep the air moist.

Bake at 300 degrees F for 2-3 hours.

Remove from oven when toothpick comes out clean and cakes are nicely browned. (Be careful not to burn!)

Cool. Remove tin foil from cakes, cut each cake into 2 or 3 portions and wrap in wax paper. Bag and freeze.

NOTE: This is a large batch and you will need an extra large size bowl to mix it in! For a smaller batch (4 loaves), use 4-5 lbs total dried fruit, 2 lbs nuts, 4 cups flour and 10 eggs.

Enjoy the REAL taste of fruit in this fabulous festive cake!

• Almonds – Blanched, Slivered