Jen's Grandma's Fruitcake

I have been friends with the lovely Jennifer Noonan Smoker since she and I were young in junior high. We have kept in touch through email and other technologies and I saw her at my 20th high school reunion in October. I was talking about holiday recipes (really, what else do I talk about?) and she mentioned her Grandmother had been in the news for her fruitcake recipe. Her Grandma is still alive at 98, and Jen shared these great photos with me. Thank you, Jen! I love original clippings like this.

I did my best to copy the article from December 4, 1956, but am not sure of a few things. Do you think the baking soda in the recipe is 1/2 cup?

Mrs. Noonan Gives Fruit Cake Recipe

Christmas isn't Christmas without the traditional and tempting cakes and delicacies and of course, a fruit cake garnished with holly and berries as the dessert supreme.

A fruit cake that is simple to make, good and inexpensive, is offered by Mrs. Joseph Noonan of Port Chester.

And it's suggested by Mrs. Noonan who has made this cake for friends, if you prefer you can make individual fruit cakes by baking them in empty coffee tins. They make nice gifts, too!

Needed are:

1 cup fruits and peels (canned or bottled)

1 cup raisins and 1 cup walnuts

2 cups sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. cloves

1 tsp. salt

1 cup shortening

2 cups boiling water (the boiling is crossed out with water written next to it)

2T Baking soda or 1/2 cup (can't make that out for certain)

A tube pan, preferred, and cherries and nuts for decorating the top of cake

Place all but the water in a pan. Pour in the two cups of boiling water and boil all together until the mixture comes to a boil. Set aside and cool.

In another bowl, sift thoroughly four cups of all-purpose flour. Add the flour to the cooled mixture. Mix well.

Add two teaspoons of baking soda and blend in one half cup of boiling water and add this to the flour and fruit mixture.

Mix well and pour into a lined and greased tube pan or, as suggested, in coffee tins for individual cakes.

Decorate the top of cake with cherries and walnuts and bake until brown or for about one hour in a 350-degree oven.