By popular demand, here is Mom’s Applesauce Fruitcake recipe, taken from a long ago edition of the Farm Journal. Note: We like these best baked in cupcake size. If you bake some, let me know in the comments!
3 cups thick applesauce
1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
1 lb dates, pitted and chopped
1 lb raisins
1 lb walnuts (4 cups), chopped
¾ lb candied fruit (red and green cherries, pineapple), chopped
Save some whole walnuts and cherries to decorate tops of fruitcakes.
4 ½ cups flour
4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp nutmeg
½ tsp ground cloves
1 tsp salt
*Boil applesauce, shortening, and sugar together five minutes, stirring occasionally. Be careful, it will pop out of pot. Let stand until cool.
*Line pans with waxed paper or grease and flour.
*Mix fruit and nuts together. Mix dry ingredients together and mix with fruit and nuts until each piece of fruit is coated.
*Stir in cooled applesauce mixture. Spoon into pans.
*Bake at 250˚ in loaf pans for 2 hours (less for small or cupcake pans) until wooden pick comes out clean.
*Peel off paper while cakes are still warm (or it won’t want to come off at all). Cool on racks. Pour glaze over cold cakes (recipe below). Store in plastic bags for two weeks to mellow. (Or gobble them up right now, they’re just as good either way!)
Fruitcake Glaze
*Bring to a boil:
½ cup light corn syrup
¼ cup water
Cool to lukewarm, pour over cold cakes for a shiny glaze. Decorate immediately with whole candied fruit and whole nuts.
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