Margaret Trudeau's Wedding Cake

Total Time: 28 hrs Preparation Time: 24 hrs Cook Time: 4 hrs

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup boiling water
• 2 lbs currants
• 1 lb sultana raisin
• 2 lbs seedless raisins
• 1 lb chopped mixed candied peel
• 3/4 lb candied cherry, halved
• 1/2 lb blanched slivered almond
• 1/4 lb slivered brazil nut
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh lemon rind
• 7 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon clove
• 1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 2 2/3 cups soft butter
• 2 3/4 cups sugar
• 12 eggs
• 1/2 cup brandy
• 1/3 cup bottled grape juice

Recipe

• 1 prepare fruit and nuts before you make the cake.
• 2 put in a large bowl and pour brandy over.
• 3 mix well.
• 4 let stand at room temperature for at least 8 hours.
• 5 put 1/4 c sugar in a heavy skillet.
• 6 heat over moderate heat stirring constantly until melted and brown.
• 7 remove from heat and stir in boiling water gradually (be careful of steam).
• 8 return to low heat and stir just until any lumps of sugar are melted.
• 9 (do not boil) remove from stove and immediately pour into a cup or bowl so cooking ceases.
• 10 cool.
• 11 generously grease a set of pans (1 ea- 8" sq, 6" sq, 4" sq) and line with heavy greased brown paper.
• 12 sift together flour, salt, and spices, and sift one cup of mixture over fruit/nut mixture.
• 13 toss together so fruit is coated.
• 14 cream together butter and sugar thoroughly.
• 15 add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition (most of the mixing can be done with an electric mixer- but batter must be transferred to a very large bowl).
• 16 blend in dry ingredients alternately with the mixture of grape juice and cooled caramel mixture.
• 17 add fruit/nut mixture and blend thoroughly (hands are the easiest) preheat oven to 300f.
• 18 place a pan of hot water in the bottom of the oven.
• 19 put batter in prepared pans using following amounts: 8"- 10 cups, 6"- 5 cups, 4"- 2 cups (or 2/3 full).
• 20 cooking times- 8" in 4 hours, 6"- 3 1/2 hours, 4"- 2 1/2 hours.
• 21 test for doneness with a tooth pick.
• 22 remove cakes from pans, cool thoroughly.
• 23 strip off paper, wrap in cheesecloth.
• 24 wet with brandy (or dark rum).
• 25 wrap in heavy duty aluminum foil.
• 26 store for at least 2 weeks in a cool place (longer is better).