All for the love of fruitcake

I don't know how many years it's been since I made fruitcake.  My mother discovered a fruitcake recipe back in the 50's that was second to none.  Most of the family loved it.  I had to stop making it because I ended up eating 75% of it, and by the time November rolls around each year, my jeans are already bursting at the seams.  A fruitcake would necessitate buying at least a size larger clothing by the time it was gone.  

Last year I ordered a two-pound fruitcake from Collin Street Bakery.  I paid almost $30 for it, but I figured if I ate it all myself, at least it was only two pounds rather than seven.  It was good, high-quality stuff.  But it wasn't my mother's fruitcake.

Today I realized that if I am ever going to taste my mother's fruitcake again, I'd better be making one, wardrobe be damned. Who knows how many more Christmases I have left?  So I found the recipe this morning and wrote down all the ingredients.

I spent $38 on all this stuff, but I won't be using all those nuts, raisins, pans, and dates in the making of one fruitcake.  This time of year you can't have too many nuts, raisins, and little disposable loaf pans.  

I was somewhat confused about the fluffy white icing, because back when Mother made her fruitcake, and even the last time I made it, the recipe called for Betty Crocker Fluffy White icing that was a dry mix, and we mixed it up ourselves with a mixer.  Today I could only find Betty Crocker Fluffy White Frosting in a can, ready-mixed.  I hope it's the right amount to make the cake stick together, but just in case, I bought an extra can.  I just now took the required Betty Crocker Spice Cake out of the oven, and as soon as it's cool, I'll be making my "Mystery Fruitcake".  I did not know that was the real name of it until I began Googling to see if the recipe could be found online.  This is pretty much my mom's recipe, except that she used one cup of regular raisins and one cup of golden raisins.  Oh, and she was liable to use a variety of nuts:  English walnuts, black walnuts, and pecans.  

Back in the fifties, I believe Mother bought her candied fruit at Kresge's, downtown Kansas City, where you could buy the exact amount you needed by the pound so there was no waste.  

Ah, Kresge's.  Those were the good old days.