Recipe Swap - Rescued Recipe : Fruitcake from 1974

By: By Michael Hastings | JOURNAL FOOD EDITOR
Published: November 25, 2009

Caroline Schock of Boonville asked for the fruitcake recipe that Beth Tartan, the Winston-Salem Journal's former food editor, printed in her Best Recipes of 1974 booklet.

Unfortunately, I can't find a copy of the booklet.

But Shirley Mickey of Westfield did send me a clipping dated Dec. 1, 1974. It contained a recipe for what Tartan called the "1974 Fruit Cake." Tartan credited this to a Mrs. David Wyatt.

Tartan noted that she made this cake with fewer nuts, just 1 pound, 4 ounces, so feel free to reduce the amount if desired. Tartan also said that using both green and red candied cherries makes for a prettier cake.

1974 Fruit Cake

2 cups sifted flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 pound candied cherries

1 pound candied pineapple, cut up

1½ pounds dates, cut up

4 eggs

1 cup sugar

2 pounds pecans, coarsely chopped

1. Heat oven to 275 degrees. Sift flour; measure into bowl. Add baking powder and salt; stir well.

2. Add cherries, pineapple and dates. Mix until all fruit is coated with flour.

3. In a bowl, beat eggs until frothy. Gradually beat in sugar. Add egg mixture to fruit; mix well. Stir in pecans.

4. Grease brown paper and line 1 large round tube pan or two 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pans. Press cake mixture firmly into pan or pans.

5. Bake for 1½ hours or until done. Let cool in pan.

Help

□ Bertha Williams of Rural Hall would like a recipe for sweet-potato bread.

□ Recipe Swap would like a recipe for venison chili.

Send requests or recipes to Recipe Swap, c/o Michael Hastings, Food Editor, Winston-Salem Journal, P.O. Box 3159, Winston-Salem, NC 27102; or e-mail to mhastings@wsjournal.com. Please include name, address and a daytime telephone number.