Fruitcake often gets a bad rap, and usually deservedly so! One of the nastiest deserts on the planet is the fruitcakes often sold as fundraisers. What makes them so bad is the huge percentage of candied fruit. This recipe is my mother's recipe (handed down from HER mother) that only has a cup of candied fruit....which may still be about a cup too much, but it can be eliminated and this becomes a raisin-date-nut spice cake...


1 1/2 cups raisins
1 1/2 cups dates (cut into small pieces)
2 cups sugar
2 cups boiling water
5 Tbs shortening

Place raisins, dates, sugar, water & shortening in saucepan & simmer gently for 20 min. Let cool.

3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp salt
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup mixed candied fruit

Sift flour once before measuring, then add soda, cinnamon, cloves & salt. (hold a small amount of flour mixture aside) Add flour mixture to raisin & date mixture. Add nuts & candied fruit after coating with flour mixture which you set aside. Pour into well greased & floured Angel Food cake pan or two loaf pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.