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Grandma Leach's Fruitcake


"My grandmother and mother made these cakes for years. They are moist but don't contain eggs. Applesauce is the secret ingredient. I sold these at bake sales for years and we had many customers who returned every year just to get one."
Original recipe yield: 48 servings.
Prep Time:
10 Minutes
Cook Time:
1 Hour
Ready In:
1 Hour 10 Minutes
Servings:
48

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ground cloves
  • 3 cups unsweetened applesauce
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 1 cup chopped pitted dates
  • 1 pound candied mixed fruit
  • 2 cups chopped walnuts
  • 1/2 cup walnut halves
  • 1 cup halved candied cherries

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch tube pan and one 9x5 inch loaf pan.
  2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves into a large bowl. Stir in the applesauce and oil, then mix in the raisins, dates, mixed fruit and 2 cups of walnuts. Pour into the prepared pans. Pans should be about 3/4 full if using mini pans, or an assortment.
  3. Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the crown of the cake comes out clean.