Mattie Clayton’s Fruitcake

Makes 12 pounds of fruitcake.

Preheat oven to 250°. Cream butter and sugar. In separate bowls, separate egg whites from egg yolks. Combine the yolks with the butter and sugar mixture. Add 1 pound flour to butter and sugar mixture. Beat egg whites until they are stiff. Add egg whites to butter and sugar mixture. Meanwhile, in a large separate bowl, combine pecans, English walnuts, almonds, black walnuts, raisins, candied cherries and candied pineapple and ½ cup flour. Stir together. Pour butter and sugar batter over fruit and nuts and mix well. Line loaf pans or cake pans with greased brown paper, cut to the size of the pans. Fill pans three-quarters full with batter. Bake for 1 hour at 250°, then raise temperature to 275° and cook for an additional hour. After removing cakes from oven, pour small amount of rum over them. Let cakes sit overnight. The next day, wrap them in wine cloth and then in aluminum foil and then seal them in plastic bags.