Fruit Cake An Old German Recipe

2 c Of sugar

1 c Butter or shortening*

2 Eggs, slightly beaten

1 1/2 c Applesauce (unsweetened

-and unseasoned) 1 t Vanilla

4 c Flour

1 t Soda

1 t Cinnamon

1/4 ts Nutmeg

1/4 ts Cloves

1/4 ts Salt

1 lb Fairly coarse nut meats

1 lb Raisins **

2 lb Gumdrops ***

* Reserve 1 Tbsp butter for frying nut meats ** Bleached small white raisins are better than puffed, seeded. *** Gum drops cut more evenly if scissors are first dipped into hot water. Use only a few green as their flavor is so strong, and NO BLACK. Cream sugar and butter. Add slightly beaten eggs. Add applesause and vanilla. Sift next 6 dry ingredients and reserve 1 cup. Add dry ingredients (except for the 1 cup) and mix well. Fry nut meats, heat well but do

not brown, stir constantly. Flour nut meats, chopped gum drops and raisins in the reserved flour mixture. This is best done by placing all ingredients into a strong paper bag and shaking vigorously. Mix with batter. Line cake pans* with waxed paper. Do not fill pans more than 2/3 full. Bake in SLOW oven (275 degress) until done. Baking time depends upon size of cake. 8 1/2 X 4 inch load requires about 2 hrs. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Cake should be farely moist when done. Remove waxed paper immediately after removing cake from oven after baking. Immediately rewrap COMPLETELY in fresh waxed paper or cellophane. This will seal in moisture. (Paper in which cake is baked will become set on cake and difficult to remove later when cold.) *This recipe makes approximately one 8 1/2 X 4 inch loaf cake and one 8 inch square cake. Cake should keep an indefinite length of time.