Reserve some of the candied fruit and a few pecan halves to decorate the tops o f the fruitcakes. Mix flour and spices thoroughly, then mix the flour mixture w ith the fruit so that each piece of fruit and each nut is coated lightly with f lour. I usually do this part the first day and set it aside until the next mor ning.
Cream butter (or margarine); add sugar gradually. Add eggs, mixing thoroughly. Stir in flour and salt until well blended. Pour batter over fruit-nut mixtur e. Mix with hands until fruit and nuts are well coated with batter.
Spread mixture in a greased roasting pan (17 x 11 1/2 x 2 1/4 inches). Bake in preheated moderated oven (350�F) for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to slow (325�F) an d continue baking for 1 hour. Watch the heat carefully; do NOT overbake. Afte r 45 minutes of second baking, remove roaster from oven and quickly stir mixtur e, breaking up the top crust, scraping sides and bottom of pan. Continue bakin g 15 minutes. When done, the batter will lose its gloss and be brown and crumb ly. In the meantime, grease pans you wish to use: Loaf pans, muffin pans, cof fee cans, decorated tins, etc. I have also lined them with paper baking liners .
[Get reliable help for this part if you can! It has to be done quickly and the cake has to be packed firmly.] Spoon cake, while hot, into one pan at a time, making a layer about 3/4-inch thick, pressing firmly, adding another layer, pr essing, and so on until pan is full. If the batter gets too cold to mold proper ly, put the roaster pan back in the oven to heat for a few minutes, but watch i t carefully to avoid overcooking. Decorate while hot with crystallized fruit a nd nuts. If packed carefully, this cake may be sliced very thin.
Optional storage: Cut pieces of clean, washed but not starched, cloth to 16 x 20 inches, or whatever size you need for your cakes. Soak cloth in brandy. I have used Napoleon brandy and I have used apple brandy. Wrap the cake tightly with the soaked cloth. Place in a ziplock plastic bag and store airtight. Che ck periodically, and renew the brandy if necessary.
I usually bake these at Thanksgiving or thereabouts for Christmas giving, and t hey store nicely using the above method. If I were going to keep one for month s, I'd freeze it--but my mother has successfully stored them in brandy cloths f or up to 6 months.
like t he mini-bundt pans, 1-pound loaf pans, paper-lined cookie tins, and 1-pound cof fee cans. I've given a ton of these as Christmas gifts, and fruitcake connoiss eurs love them.