Holiday White Fruitcake

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 275

2. Line a 10 inch tube pan with parchment paper: On a piece of parchment paper, draw an 18 inch circle and cut out. Set pan in center and trace outline of base of pan and tube. With pencil lines outside, fold paper circle into eighths, snip off tip, to leave a circle that fits the tube of the pan. Unfold circle, cut along folds just to second circle. Grease pan, fit circle into pan. Smooth paper into the pan, and grease the paper well.

3. Prepare fruit mixture: split cherries in half. In very large bowl, mix fruit and nuts. Stir 1/2 cup flour into fruit and mix well. Put aside while you make the batter.

4. Batter: in large mixing bowl, cream butter at medium speed. Gradually add sugar, beating until light, 3-4 minutes. Add salt, then add eggs, one at a time, beating well between each egg, until light and fluffy.

5. Mix milk, sherry and almond extract. At a low speed, add 1/4 of the flour and then 1/3 of the milk mixture, beating until combined. Add another portion of flour, then the next third of the milk, and continue alternating until you have added all of the milk, and finishing with the flour. Mix just until combined.

6. Pour batter over fruit mixture, and stir gently until fruit and batter are combined.

7. Turn batter into prepared pan, smoothing down fruit and batter firmly. Bake 3 hrs, until tooth pick or tester inserted in center come out clean.

8. Cool in cake pan on a rack for 1 hour, invert on rack, remove paper and cool completely.

9. Soak a large piece of cheesecloth in 1/3 cup,brandy or sherry, and wrap cake well. Overwrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it as the flavor develops. Brush weekly with additional sherry or brandy.

10. Cake is better after aging at least 2 weeks. May be iced with a layer of rolled marzipan, and then fondant.