Bourbon Pecan Cake

2 cups whole red candied cherries
2 cups white seedless raisins
2 cups bourbon
2 cups softened butter (1 lb.)
2 cups white sugar
2 cups dark brown sugar, firmly packed
8 eggs, separated
5 cups sifted all-purpose flour
4 cups pecan halves
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground nutmeg

Combine cherries, raisins, and bourbon in a large mixing bowl.  Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight. 

 

Drain fruits and reserve bourbon.   Grease 10 in. tube pan.  Line with parchment paper.  Beat butter until smooth and fluffy.  Add sugars gradually and beat until well blended.  Add egg yolks, beating until well blended.  Combine 1/2 cup of the flour with pecans.  Sift remaining flour with baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.  Add 2 cups of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix thoroughly.  Add reserved bourbon and the remainder of the flour.  Add drained fruits and floured pecans and blend thoroughly.  Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry.  Fold gently into cake batter.  Do not over mix or the egg whites will fall.  Pour cake batter into prepared pan to within 1 inch of the top.  Pour any extra batter into greased and lined loaf pan.

 

Bake at 275 degrees for 4 1/2 to 5 hours or until cake tester in center comes out clean.  (Two hours for loaf pan)  Cool 2 to 3 hours.  Remove from pan.  Peel off wax paper.  Wrap cake in cheesecloth saturated with bourbon.  Then wrap in foil or plastic wrap and store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for several weeks.  Cut into thin slices to serve.

This is like fruitcake only MUCH better.   Even people who don't care for fruitcake like this cake, and it has a great holiday appearance and flavor.  In years when I get the Christmas spirit in November, I make this cake.  Its nice to have on hand, because my Christmas spirit has usually run out by Christmas when it starts that early.