Everyone who hates fruitcake likes this, and everyone who likes fruitcake LOVES this. Many people say this is the ONLY fruitcake they will eat. I hope you’ll try this. Just follow the directions EXACTLY, and you’ll have the most wonderful fruitcake ever!
The World's Best Fruitcake Ever (Makes 2 Loaves)
- 14 ounces sweetened flaked coconut
- 8 ounces chopped sugar rolled dates
- 16 ounces pecan pieces
- 8 ounces candied cherries
- 8 ounces diced candied pineapple
- 2 (14 ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
- Place coconut, dates, and pecan pieces in a very large (7 quart or larger) bowl. With your hands break up chunks of dates & coconut, and stir those 3 ingredients together.
- Add the cherries, pineapple, and sweetened condensed milk. Stir thoroughly. (I wear non-powdered surgical gloves, and stir it with my hands because the mixture is very stiff.).
- Let set at room temperature while you prepare the pans. Spray 2 – 9″x5″ loaf pans with Pam. Line the pans with waxed (or parchment) paper. (We cut parchment paper in 4 1/4″x 16 1/4″ and 8″x 12 1/2″ strips for this. You want the paper to come up past the sides of the pans after the mixture is packed into the pans. It seems like a lot of work, but it’s well worth the effort!) Now spray the paper (after you’ve pressed it into the pans) with Pam.
- Stir the ingredients well again.Divide the ingredients equally between the 2 loaf pans.
- Pack VERY TIGHTLY and smoothly into the pans. (I wet my hands & press, pack down, & smooth top, using both hands. Wetting your hands keeps them from sticking to “batter”.).
- Place the pans on the middle rack of the oven and bake at 300 degrees F for 1 hour, or until lightly browned. (If the cakes have baked for an hour, or look a little brown around the edges, take them out of the oven & lift edges of paper a little to see if sides look brown enough. If they’re brown on sides, but not on top, you may broil the tops for a few minutes-watch carefully.).
- Remove cakes from oven and let cool for 10 minutes in the pans.
- Gently lift the edges of the paper a couple of times on each side – kind of a rocking motion.
- Turn pans upside down onto a paper-lined cookie sheet. Lift pans from the cakes. Remove paper from bottom of cakes IMMEDIATELY.
- Let cool completely. Place in a large container (don’t wrap yet) and refrigerate overnight.
- Turn cake upside down to slice. After slicing, wrap in waxed (or parchment) paper, then in heavy duty aluminum foil.
