Fruitcakes
A selection of Fruit Cake recipes from 1911.
From: 1912 C.E. To: 1911 C.E.
Note: This article has been excerpted from a larger work in the public domain and shared here due to its historical value. It may contain outdated ideas and language that do not reflect TOTA’s opinions and beliefs.
From Canadian Farm Cook Book, The Woman’s Department, Canadian Farm, 1911.
Fruit Cake.—½ cup butter, ½ cup molasses, ½ cup sour cream, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 cup raisins, 1 cup currants, ½ nutmeg, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon cloves, 1 large teaspoon soda, 3 cups flour.—Mrs. Jay Walker, Uhthoff P.O., Ont.
2.—1½ cups sugar, 1 cup shortening, ¾ cup molasses, 1 cup sour milk, 1 teaspoon soda, 1 teaspoon ground cloves, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon seeded raisins, 1 pound currants, 3 eggs, 5 cents' worth peel, enough flour to make a stiff batter. — Mrs. T. C. Sabin, Newmarket, Ont.
3.—½ sugar, ½ cup butter, 4 tablespoons molasses, ¼ teaspoon soda dissolved in it, 4 eggs, ½ cup citron cut fine, ½ pound seeded raisins, ¼ pound well- washed currants, 1 grated nutmeg, 1 teaspoon cloves and cinnamon, 2 cups sifted flour; flavor with essence of lemon, and at the very last add the whites of the eggs. Bake in a moderate oven for 1 hour.—Mrs. Jonas Grant, Maynooth Station, Ont.
4.—1 pound butter, 1 pound sugar, 1 pound flour, 2 pounds raisins, 2 pounds currants, pound mixed peel, ½ pound almonds, 8 eggs, spices to taste. Beat butter and sugar to a cream, add eggs gradually, then spices, fruit and flour; beat well, add peel and almonds. Just before baking add the soda.—Mrs. Jacob M. Cline, Mapleton, Ont.
5. — 6 eggs, 2½ cups cooking sugar, ½ teaspoon each of ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, 10 cents' worth mixed peel, 25 cents' worth raisins, 10 cents' worth dates, ½ cup nuts, ½ pound butter, ½ teaspoon soda, ½ cup sour cream, ½ cup blackstrap, flour to make a stiff batter.—Mrs. Arthur D. Boyle, Northwood, Ont.
6. — 1/2 dozen eggs, 1½ pounds butter, 1½ pounds sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground cloves, 1 nutmeg, 1 pound lemon peel, 3 pounds raisins, 2 pounds seedless raisins, 3 pounds currants, 2 pounds flour, 2 pounds almonds, 1 teaspoon soda, 2 teaspoons vinegar, 1 wineglass brandy. — Mrs. J. L. Guest, Fanshawe, Ont.
Also contributed by Ada Wesley, Jarvis, Ont.
Buttermilk Fruit Cake.—1½ cups brown sugar, ½ cup butter, 1 cup currants, 1 cup raisins, 1 ½ cups buttermilk, 2 teaspoons soda, 2 teaspoons spices (according to taste), 3 cups flour. Bake in a moderate oven.—Beatrice Duke, Mono Mills, Ont.
Cream Fruit Cake.—1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup sour cream, 1 egg, butter size of an egg, 1 teaspoon each of soda and cinnamon, 1 small nutmeg, 2 cups flour, 1½ cups seeded raisins cut in two.—Mrs. A. J. Thomson, Camrose, Alta.
Drop Fruit Cake.—1 cup sugar, ⅔ cup butter, 1½ cups flour, 2 eggs, 1 cup each chopped English walnuts and dates or raisins, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon cloves, 1 teaspoon soda. Mix all together and drop on a greased pan.—Mrs. Jno. Harris, Boston, Ont.
Excellent Fruit Cake.— 6 eggs, 2 cups white sugar, 2 cups rich sour cream, 2 cups blackstrap, 1 pound butter, beat thoroughly; 1½ teaspoons soda, 2 tablespoons cloves, 2 tablespoons cinnamon, 6 nutmegs, 3 pounds currants, 3 pounds raisins, 2 ounces each lemon, orange and citron peel, 1 cup walnuts or butternuts, ½ cup chopped suet, flour enough to make stiff dough. Bake 3 hours in slow oven.—Mrs. Thos. Baker, Box 1, Easton's Corners, Ont.
Extra Good Fruit Cake.— 1 pound butter (2 cups), 1 pound sugar (2 cups), 12 yolks eggs, 2 cups molasses, 1 pound flour (4 cups), 1 teaspoon each of soda and cloves, 2 teaspoons each of mace and cinnamon, whites of 12 eggs, 2 pounds seeded raisins, 2 pounds sliced citron, 2½ pounds currants, ½ pound candied peel chopped, ¼ pound chopped blanched almonds. Bake in 2 round sponge-cake pans, with tube, about 2 hours and 40 minutes. Each loaf weighs 5 pounds.—Mrs. Jas. Keith, Bender, Sask.
Farmer’s Fruit Cake.—3 cups dried apples, 2 cups molasses, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup butter, 1 cup buttermilk, 4 cups flour, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, spices. Cake Filling.—½ pound figs or dates chopped fine, ⅔ cup water, ½ cup white sugar. Cook until it thickens.—Mrs. J. T. Corbett, Malta, Ont.
House of Refuge Fruit Cake. —2 cups yellow sugar, 2 cups sour milk, 1¼ pounds currants, 1½ pounds raisins, 1 pound dates, 5 cents' worth shelled almonds or walnuts, 3 cents' worth lemon peel, 2 teaspoons soda, ¼ teaspoon cloves, ¼ teaspoon allspice, teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon vanilla, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, nutmeg grated, 4 cups flour. This cake must bake very slowly. — Mrs. Wm. Pulun, Sweaborg, Ont.
Jelly Fruit Cake.—1 ½ cups sugar, 3 cups flour, 3 teaspoons baking powder, ⅔ cup butter, 1 cup milk, 3 eggs, flavor with vanilla. To half the cake add I tablespoon molasses, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon cloves, ½ teaspoon allspice, ½ nutmeg, 1 cup chopped raisins. Bake in jelly tins, two layers light and two layers dark. Place the layers alternately, having a light one on top; spread jelly between the layers and over all spread white icing.—Mrs. Geo. Stead, Hopetown, Ont.
Fruit Jumble Cake.— 2 eggs, 1 cup brown sugar, ½ cup butter, ½ cup lard, ¼ cup sour milk, ½ teaspoon soda mixed into the milk, 5 cents' worth walnuts chopped fine, 1 pound dates, nutmeg to taste, 2½ cups flour.—Mrs. Geo. Rooke, Dereham Centre.
Layer Fruit Cake.—3 eggs, 1 cup brown sugar, ¾ cup butter, ½ cup sour milk, 2 cups chopped seeded raisins or 1 pound chopped dates (the dates are much nicer), 1 teaspoon each cloves and cinnamon, a little nutmeg, 1 teaspoon soda, 1 teaspoon lemon extract, flour to make a soft batter. Bake in layers and use any kind of nice filling.—Miss N. Thompson, Mt. Forest, Ont.
Light Fruit Cake.— 2 eggs, 1 cup sweet milk, 2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, butter size of an egg, 2 teaspoons cream tartar, 1 teaspoon soda, 1 cup each currants and raisins.—Miss W. Pearl Frizelle, Bealton, Ont.
Rich Fruit Cake.—1 quart sugar, 1 pound butter, 1 dozen eggs, 1½ pounds flour, 1½ pounds mixed peel, 1 pound blanched almonds, 3 pounds currants, 2 pounds raisins, 2 pounds sultanas,½ ounce rose water, ½ ounce mixed spice, 3 teaspoons baking powder, ½ pint sherry, ½ pint brandy, juice of 2 oranges and 3 lemons. Bake very, very slow for 6 hours. This is extra good.—Amy E. Martin, Forestville, Ont.
Pittsburg Fruit Cake.— Take ½ cup butter, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1 cup New Orleans molasses, 1 cup chopped apples, 1 cup sour milk with which 2 teaspoons baking soda have been mixed, add flour enough to make a batter, the same as you would for any ordinary loaf cake. Bake in a square pan with a slow fire about 45 minutes. When baked, it is moist. Frost if you like.—Mrs. J. Stephen, Uxbridge P.O., Ont.
Plain Fruit Cake.—1 cup butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup molasses, 1 cup sweet milk, 3 cups sifted flour, teaspoons cream tartar, 1 teaspoon soda, 2 pounds raisins chopped fine, 1 nutmeg. Bake in a slow oven.—Mrs. Fred. Kells, Winfield, Ont.
2.—½ pound well-washed currants and ½ pound raisins, 1 cup butter beaten to a cream, 1 cup white sugar, 1 cup milk, 3 cups flour, 3 eggs and 3 teaspoons baking powder. Paper a dish and bake 1 hour.—Annie Marshall, Guysboro, Norfolk Co., Ont.
3.—1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup molasses, 1 cup shortening, 1 cup milk, 3 eggs, 1 pound seeded raisins, 1 teaspoon soda, flour to make a good batter.—Mrs. Geo. S. Sharpe, Lower Millstream, King's Co., N.B.
Poor Man’s Fruit Cake.—1 cup butter, 2 cups brown sugar, 2 cups sour milk, 1 lemon peel, 1 pound raisins, 1 teaspoon soda, flour enough to make a batter which will rise in the centre and not fall over. Bake in a slow oven 1 hour.—Mrs. Sarah Lloyd, Pottageville P.O., Ont.
Premium Fruit Cake.—3 cups sugar, 1 ½ cups butter, 6 eggs, 1½ cups sour cream, 2 teaspoons saleratus or soda, 1 pound currants, 1½ pounds raisins, ¼ pound citron peel, 1 nutmeg, flour to make stiff. Beat the eggs thoroughly, then add sugar and butter; beat till smooth, dissolve the soda in a little warm water, put in the cream, make the cake quite thick with flour; cut the raisins in halves and remove seeds. When put in pan one layer of cake and one of citron peel, etc.—Miss C. A. Moore, Box 253, Orillia, Ont.
Prize Fruit Cake.—4 cups raisins, 3 cups sugar, 4 cups currants, ½ pound lemon peel, 1 cup molasses, 2 cups buttermilk, 1 pound butter, 1 teaspoon soda, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon each of cloves and nutmeg. Bake with slow fire. White Part.—1 cup granulated sugar, a saltspoon salt, butter size of an egg, ½ cup milk, 1½ cups flour; fold in the whites of 3 eggs beaten light, 1 teaspoon baking powder. Bake in layers, put together with fruit part, ice with caramel frosting.—Mrs. Chas. Eagar, Presque Isle, Ont.
Small Fruit Cake.— ½ cup butter, 1 cup sugar, ½ cup molasses, 3 cups flour, ½ cup sour milk, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon soda, fruit, cloves and nutmeg. Bake in moderate oven.—Mrs. Geo. Stead, Hopetown, Ont.
White Fruit Cake.—1 cup butter, 1½ cups sugar (1 cup white and ½ cup brown), 4 eggs, ½ cup orange juice, ¾ cup milk, small teaspoon vanilla, ½ nutmeg, grated rind of orange, Y pound blanched almonds cut fine, ½ pound figs cut fine, ¼ pound citron peel cut fine, 1 pound sultana raisins, 1 large cup currants, 1 pound cocoanut put in at the last, 2 ½ cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder. Bake in tin lined with paper for 2 hours.—Mrs. A. H. Robinson, Box 134, Stonewall, Man.
2. — 1 cup sugar, ½ cup butter creamed, add yolks of 2 eggs, beat till well mixed, ½ cup milk, sift into this 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder; when well mixed, beat with an even stroke so that air will get into it to make it light, add beaten whites of 2 eggs, ½ cup raisins, ½ cup walnut meats. Bake in bread tin. — Sadie Grantham, Campania P.O., Ont.
Fruit Cake Without Eggs.—1 cup butter, 2 cups sugar, 2 cups raisins, 2 cups currants, 2 cups buttermilk, 1½ teaspoons soda, 4 cups flour and spice to suit the taste.—Mrs. L. A. Potter, Bowling Green, Ont.
2.—2 cups brown sugar, 2 cups sour milk, 4 cups flour, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon soda, ½ cup strong coffee, 2 pounds currants, 2 pounds raisins, ½ pound mixed peel, 1 pound dates, ¼ pound almonds, 1 tablespoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon cloves, teaspoon nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt. This makes 2 good loaves and is excellent.—Miss Edrie Nott, Fingal, Ont.
The Woman’s Department, Canadian Farm Cook Book, Canadian Farm, 1911.
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