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.

• Preparation Time: 10 mins
• Cooking Time: 60 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins
• Calories: 210 Calories

Ingredients

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

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch tube pan and one 9x5 inch loaf pan.

Step 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.

Step 3

Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the crown of the cake comes out clean.

Step 4

Cool cake and decorate with walnut halves and candied cherry halves.