I’m glad to share it. It’s my favorite recipe, both for the flavor, and the love represented by the various hands it had to pass through to make its way back to me.
This fruitcake recipe has an interesting history: Back in the early 1990’s, I originally got the recipe from my friend Avis (who later passed away). I lost my copy of the recipe, and thought it was lost forever. I only rediscovered it when my sister found a copy in my late Mother’s recipe cards.
Here are pics of my Mom’s cards:
and here is the typed out original version (with notes on how I changed the execution):
Brazil Nut Fruitcake
This recipe came from Avis van Swearingen, a caving friend of Mike’s. This is a copy from Mike’s Mom’s recipe cards. Just enough batter to hold the fruit and nuts together, and none of those fakey dried fruit chunks found in some fruitcake recipes. Mike recommends using the tiny cake pans.
3/4 C. Flour
3/4 C. Sugar
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1 lb Brazil Nuts, peeled
1 lb Whole Dates
1 C. Drained Maraschino Cherries
3 Eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla
Leave all fruit and nuts whole.
Grease & line with waxed paper 2 small or 8 mini fruit cake pans.
Mix first 4 ingredients. Place fruit & nuts in large bowl. Sift dry ingredients over them and mix until all are coated.
Beat eggs until foamy and add vanilla. Pour over fruits and mix well.
Bake at 300 degrees 1 1/2 hours (for small) or 45 minutes (for mini pans) or until done.
Cool in pan 15 min, pull off paper, cool on rack. Wrap and freeze.
Mike’s Mods:
- You can buy pre-peeled brazil nuts at Sprouts - great time saver
- 8 mini pans, not the six mentioned on the card
- Pack nuts and fruit tightly into pan
- Cut dates in 1/3rds at the start - packs better into pan and can search for missed pits that way
- Use oil and flour (or Bakers Joy) instead of waxed paper. Slip knife around pan edge before de-panning
- Slice thin to serve - it is quite rich
