• waxed paper
• 2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3 Tbs. orange marmalade
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• cup plus 4 Tbs. rum or brandy, plus extra for glaze
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup pitted dates, chopped
• 1/2 cup dried figs, chopped
• 3/4 cup candied cherries, plus extra for garnish
• 3 slices candied pineapple
• 2 Tbs. light corn syrup
• 1/3 cup pecan halves, for garnish

Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter a latching tube cake pan or bundt cake pan or 2 8x4 inch loaf pans. Line the inside pan walls with strips of buttered waxed paper. Thoroughly dust pan with flour. Sift flour together with next 6 ingredients in a mixing bowl. Set aside. Combine softened butter with both sugars in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Stir in marmalade. Stir baking soda into buttermilk and immediately add half this mixture to the beaten sugar and egg mixture. Add half the flour mixture and mix until incorporated. Repeat with remaining buttermilk and flour mixtures. Combine with flour and creamed mixture. Add liquor and mix until batter is smooth. Gently fold in next 5 ingredients. Place pineapple rings in bottom of pan, placing a candied cherry in the center of each ring. Pour batter into pan(s). Bake on center rack about 2 hours or until a tester comes out clean when inserted in center. Unlatch tube pan and carefully remove to wire cooling rack. Gently peel away wax paper. Combine 2 Tbs. hot water (or liquor) with corn syrup and use a pastry brush to apply over fruitcake. Use corn syrup mixture to stick pecan halves and additional cherries on top for garnish.

This recipe serves 16 people. Due to the nature of this recipe, it adjusts the number of servings in multiples of 16 only.

Per serving: calories 427, fat 13.7g, 28% calories from fat, cholesterol 39mg, protein 4.9g, carbohydrates 74.3g, fiber 3.5g, sugar 56.2g, sodium 106mg, diet points 9.5.

Dietary Exchanges: Milk: 0.1, Vegetable: 0.0, Fruit: 1.6, Bread: 0.9, Lean meat: 0.2, Fat: 2.6, Sugar: 1.9, Very lean meat protein: 0.0

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