Moist Applesauce Fruitcake

I know that fruitcake gets a bad rap these days, but Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without my mom making a batch of grandma's famous fruitcake. My grandfather loved this so much, that it's all he took with him on the deer hunt. Feeling nostalgic, I made my first batch today and it turned out pretty well. The first loaf is gone already!

1 cup shortening
2 cup sugar
4 eggs
3 cup unsweetened applesauce
3 cup raisins (boiled, cooled and drained)
1 lb walnuts (or pecans)
1lb. fruitcake mix
1 lb gumdrops
1 T. vanilla

Sift together:
4 1/2 cup flour
4 t. soda
1 t. nutmeg
2 1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ground cloves
1 t. salt
2 T. cocoa (optional)


Cream shortening and sugar. Add slightly beaten eggs. Add alternately the applesauce and flour combination and mix. Add vanilla, gumdrops, fruitcake mix, nuts and raisins and mix well. Pour into greased and floured loaf pans and bake at 325 for 1 hour. Makes 3 loaves.

Note: Also makes great cupcakes. And my mother has successfully substituted whole wheat flour for 1/2 of the white.

Pin It