Title: Randi's Natural Fruit Cake > Original
Categories: Cake Holiday Fruit Blank
Yield: 10 Pounds

MIXTURE #1
1/2	lb	Dried apricots; cut into small chunks
1/2	lb	Dried pears; small chunks
1	lb	Dried figs; small chunks
1	lb	Dried dates; small chunks
1	lb	Dark raisins
1	lb	Light raisins
2	lb	Currants
4	c	Grape juice
1	c	Brandy
MIXTURE #2
1 1/2	lb	Butter
2	ts	Vanilla extract
2	ts	Lemon extract
2	ts	Almond extract
		Grated rind of 1/2 orange
3	c	Honey
10		Eggs; separate the whites and yolks
MIXTURE #3
6	c	Soft [cake and pastry] wheat flour
2	c	Rice flour
1	c	Oat flour
1	ts	Baking soda
2	ts	Baking powder
2	ts	Sea salt
2	ts	Cinnamon
2	ts	Nutmeg; or mace
1 1/2	ts	Ground cloves
1 1/2	ts	Ground ginger
OTHER INGREDIENTS
1	c	Walnuts; chopped
1	c	Almonds; whole, blanched
1	c	Filberts; whole
1	c	Brazil nuts; chopped
1	c	Sour milk; or
1/2	c	Milk; plus
1/2	c	Yogurt
		;Heavy brown paper
		Oil to grease the paper
4		Apples; cored

Two days ahead, combine ingredients for mixture #1 in a large bowl. Cover and keep cool. Mix twice daily.

In a large bowl, cream butter, blend in the other ingredients in mixture #2 EXCEPT the eggs and beat until light and fluffy. Beat the egg yolks until thick and gradually add to the butter-honey mixture. Egg whites will be used later.

Add soaked fruits to honey-butter mixture and stir in all the nuts. Line four 9 inch loaf pans that have 3 inch sides with 2 or 3 thicknesses of heavy brown paper. brush on oil so that the paper is well greased. Pre-heat oven to 325 F.

Sift and blend the ingredients in mixture #3. Add these dry ingredients gradually to the fruit-butter-honey mixture alternatively with sour milk. Beat the egg whites until stiff, then fold beaten whites into the batter.

Fill pans 3/4 full. In the pre-heated oven, place a pan of hot water on the bottom rack. Always keep this pan full of water to prevent the cakes from drying out while baking. Bake cakes 2-3 hours until golden on top and until a toothpick pulls out from the centre clean, with no sticky batter clinging to it. Note: You may want to put foil on top for the final 1/2 hour to prevent top from burning. Cool cakes in pans 1/2 hour; remove from pans and then cool cakes completely. Peel off the brown paper. Wrap cakes in cheesecloth soaked in sweet wine; place a cored apple on top of each to prevent drying out. Seal cakes in tins or plastic containers. Age in a cool place or refrigerator at least two months.

Recipe by: Randi Cherry, Ottawa Source: A leaflet from Rainbow Natural Foods Store Reprinted by: Ron Eade, Food Writer, The Ottawa Citizen Uploaded by: Jim Weller

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