from Weekend Magazine No. 44, Sudbury Star, 1965
1 cup currants
1 1/2 cups seeded raisins
1 1/2 cups mixed red and green candied cherries, halved
1 cup cut-up dates
1 1/2 cups diced mixed candied fruit (I use diced mixed candied peel)
1/2 cup diced candied pineapple
1 cup pecans
1 tbsp finely chopped candied ginger
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
1/4 tsp mace
1/4 tsp cloves
1 cup butter
1 1/4 cups brown sugar, packed
6 eggs
1/4 cup molasses
1/3 cup cold strong coffee
Heat oven to 300 degrees. Line a 10-inch tube pan with greased heavy brown paper.
Mix fruit, nuts and ginger in a large bowl. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and spices together over fruit mixture, mixing well so that all the fruit is well coated with flour.
Cream butter, add sugar and cream until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in molasses.
Add fruit-and-flour mixture to creamed batter alternately with coffee, beginning and ending with fruit-and-flour mixture and mixing thoroughly after each addition.
Pour into prepared pan and bake 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
Note: To mellow cake and store without danger of moulding, cool completely, then peel off paper. Soak several thicknesses of cheesecloth in sherry, rum or brandy. Wrap cake tightly in cloth, then in aluminum foil. Store in an airtight container for several weeks. If cloth dries out, moisten it again.
