The recipe is as close as I can possibly get to Emily Dickinson’s black cake. I make only one concession to modern taste and availability of ingredients. Instead of using all citron, I blend several kinds of candied fruit. I make this on Thanksgiving weekend, wrap it in cheesecloth dipped in brandy and serve it on Christmas Eve. Cut the recipe in half or one-quarter if you must, but DO NOT call it a fruitcake! Yield: 1 very large cake
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10minutes
Cook Time 3hours
Total Time 3hours10minutes
Servings 12servings
Calories 2282kcal
Author Stephanie Stiavetti
Ingredients
2pounds (8 cups)flour
2tablespoonsbaking soda
2wholenutmegsgrated (4-6 tablespoons, ground)
2tablespoonscinnamon
1 1/2tablespoonmace
1 1/2tablespoonclove
1 1/2teaspoonsalt
2pounds (4 cups)butter
2pounds (4 cups)sugar
19largeeggs
1/2pint (1 cup)brandy*
1/2pint (1 cup)molasses
5poundsraisins
1 1/2poundscitron
1 1/2poundscurrents
Instructions
Preheat oven to 250°F (121°C). Butter a large angel food pan.
Sift together flour, soda, spices, salt. In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar, adding eggs a few at a time and beating after each addition. Add brandy, mix well, and add flour mixture, again mixing well. Add molasses and sprinkle in fruit slowly as you stir. Pour into greased pan.
Bake for 3 hours, then remove cake from pan to cool. Wrap the cake in cheesecloth dipped in brandy. Store in an air-tight container for several weeks, dribbling on more brandy from time to time. Again, slow baking and thorough basting are key.