-
1
Soak overnight the raisins and cherries in the bourbon.
-
2
When ready to bake the cake, heat oven to 300 degrees.
-
3
Cream until light the butter and sugar; add the egg yolks and beat well.
-
4
Add soaked fruit and whiskey, along with the soaking liquid.
-
5
Sift the flour, baking powder and nutmeg. Add to the batter, along with the pecans. Stir well to combine.
-
6
Fold in the beaten egg whites. (Mrs. Roberts's recipe doesn't include this, but I always stir in about a third of the whites to lighten the batter before folding the rest.)
-
7
Bake in a large, generously buttered tube pan for three hours, or in two loaf pans lined with parchment (make a sling coming up the two long sides) and well buttered at the ends, for about 1 1/2 hours, or until a tester comes clean.
-
8
Let cool thoroughly. Wrap in cheesecloth soaked in whiskey and store in a tightly covered container.
-
9
Slices best when cold.
-
10
Enjoy!! ;o)
-
11
N.B. You can use candied cherries instead of dried cherries, if you like. Reduce the whiskey by about 1/4 cup.
-
12
Also, if you don't own a sifter and don't wish to buy one, try to borrow one to use when making this. With this much flour to be sifted twice, it's well worth using a sifter and not a sieve, as many seem wont to do these days.
