½ cup milk
To Freshen and Tenderize Fruit: Heat molasses and water to boiling point. Gradually stir in fruit and nuts to coat each piece with syrup. Slowly cook until all liquid is absorbed by fruit (about 5 minutes). Stir constantly. Place fruit on large platters to completely cool. Stir occasionally. Just before adding fruit to cake batter, mix fruit with the ¼ cup flour.
To Mix Cake: Sift together flour, soda, and spices. Cream together butter or margarine, sugar, and chocolate. Beat in 3 eggs. Stir in ½ cup flour mixture; beat in remaining 3 eggs. Add remaining dry ingredients alternately with milk. Stir in freshened fruit. Line bottoms and sides of 2 greased, tube cake pans, (measuring 8 inches across bottom). Grease paper well. Pour batter into pans. Bake 3 hours in very slow oven (275° F.), keeping a large, flat pan of hot water on rack underneath cakes to prevent them from baking too dry. Turn cakes out on wire cooler; remove brown paper. Store in tightly closed tin box when cold.
YIELD: 8 pounds.
TOPPINGS • FROSTINGS • SAUCES
OLD ENGLISH HARD SAUCE
⅓ cup butter or margarine
2¼ cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon milk
2 tablespoons GRANDMA’S MOLASSES