Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup cold black coffee
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon brandy extract (your choice) or 1 teaspoon cherry extract (your choice)
• cranberries or diced apple

Instructions

1. Bring to a boil the fruit, nuts, extract, salt, sugar, shortening and coffee.

2. Continue to cook until raisins swell and liquid becomes syrupy; cool completely.

3. Stir together the flour, baking soda and baking powder.

4. Add to fruit mixture and combine thoroughly.

5. Pour into a greased 10-inch tube pan and bake at 325° about an hour (if heavy with fruit). Check with tester to be sure cake is done.

6. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.

7. At this point I soak a clean piece of cheesecloth in liquor; brandy, rum, even wine.

8. Wrap the cake with the cloth and in foil--store in COLD place--check often, resoak as needed.

9. There are no exact measurements for the fruit in this recipe--the original recipe stated "fruits, nuts & peels-whatever you have on hand".

10. This was done because it was wartime and things for fancy baking were not always available.