Vegetarian Christmas Cake
Ingredients
1 pound candied pineapple
1/2 pound citron
1/4 pound candied citron
1/4 pound candied orange and lemon peel
1/4 pound candied cherries
1 1/2 pound raisins
1/2 pound currants
1/2 C. grapefruit juice
1/4 pound whole mixed nuts without peanuts
2 C. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 C. shortening
1 C. white sugar
1 C. brown sugar
5 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. almond extract
6 Tbsp. grapefruit juice
Cooking Instructions
Combine pineapple, citrons, peels, cherries, raisins and currants in a large bowl. Add 1/2 C. grapefruit juice, mix very well. Cover and let stand overnight. The next day, add the nuts and 1/2 C. of the flour to the fruit mixture and mix well. Combine the rest of the flour with the baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a separate bowl, and mix well. In a third bowl, beat the shortening for 30 seconds. Gradually add the sugars, creaming well as you add them. Stir in the cornstarch. Add the beaten shortening and sugars to the fruit. Gradually stir in the flour mixture. Add the almond extract and the rest of the grapefruit juice, stirring well until the mixture is well combined. Preheat oven to 275. Grease a 10 inch square cake tin. Line with brown paper and grease the paper. Transfer the cake mixture to the cake tin. Press down gently. Bake for 3 hours. Check after two hours. If the top is browning too quickly, cover with some waxed paper. After it is cooked, remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes. Gently remove cake from the tin and peel away the paper. Let cool on wire racks till completely cooled. Wrap in waxed paper and keep in a cool place. If icing the cake, layer with marzipan and then decorate as desired.
My tears have been my food day and night, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” (Psalms 42:3)