Wedding Fruit Cake

This is the traditional dark rich fruit cake.

1 pound shortening
1 pound brown sugar
1 cup molasses
12 egg yolks, well beaten
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons cinnamon
4 teaspoons allspice
1 1/2 teaspoons mace
1/3 cup flour
3 pounds seeded raisins, cut in pieces
2 pounds sultana raisins
1 1/2 pounds candied citron, sliced thin and cut into strips
1 pound dried currants
1/4 cup chopped preserved lemon rind
1/2 cup chopped preserved orange rind
1 cup brandy
4 ounces chocolate melted (optional)
12 egg whites, beaten stiff
1/4 teaspoon baking soda, dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water

Line 4 large loaf pans with aluminum foil. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

Cream shortening until light and fluffy. Beat in the brown sugar little by little. Stir in molasses and egg yolks.

Sift together 3 cups flour, cinnamon, allspice, mace and nutmeg. Add to the first mixture. Mix 1/3 cup flour, seeded raisins, sultana raisins, citron, currants, preserved lemon rinds and orange rinds. Add to the batter. Add brandy and chocolate. Fold in egg whites. Just before putting the batter in the pans, add the baking soda dissolved in the water. Fill the pans and cover tops closely with aluminum foil. On the oven bottom place several shallow pans filled with hot water to a depth of 1 inch. Set the pans of fruit cake on the shelf above. Bake 3 hours, remove the pans of water, and remove the aluminum foil from the tops of the cakes.

Bake 1 1/2 hours more to dry out the cakes.