On Wednesday, December 14, 2022 at 12:10:42 PM UTC-10, Cindy Hamilton wrote:
> On 2022-12-14, dsi1 <dsi...@hawaiiantel.net> wrote:
> > On Wednesday, December 14, 2022 at 7:00:56 AM UTC-10, Thomas wrote:
> >> With 20 plus cups of ingredients, what does one half tsp of baking soda do?
> >
> > It's used as a leavening agent. I suppose you could make the
> > fruitcake without the baking soda, it would probably be a little
> > weird - or would it?
> It probably isn't leavening. As Thomas points out, 1/2 teaspoon
> is bupkis.
>
> Baking soda is a readily available acid neutralizer.
>
> --
> Cindy Hamilton

It seems like an alright amount to me. I never heard of adding baking soda to cake to neutralize acid. That's kind of goofy.

On Wednesday, December 14, 2022 at 12:26:05 PM UTC-10, Dave Smith wrote:
> On 2022-12-14 5:10 p.m., Cindy Hamilton wrote:
> > On 2022-12-14, dsi1 <dsi...@hawaiiantel.net> wrote:
> >> On Wednesday, December 14, 2022 at 7:00:56 AM UTC-10, Thomas wrote:
> >>> With 20 plus cups of ingredients, what does one half tsp of baking soda do?
> >>
> >> It's used as a leavening agent. I suppose you could make the
> >> fruitcake without the baking soda, it would probably be a little
> >> weird - or would it?
> >
> > It probably isn't leavening. As Thomas points out, 1/2 teaspoon
> > is bupkis.
> >
> > Baking soda is a readily available acid neutralizer.
> >
> He compared it to the total amount of ingredients. As a leavening agent,
> it's only really acting with the flour, so 5 1/2 cups, not 20. But
> you're right, it balances the acidity of the fruit. Seems to me it is
> pretty much standard to use baking soda when there is fruit or acidic
> ingredients in a recipe. This cake has a rich, dense texture so you
> don't want a lot of leavening.

Indeed baking soda is typically used in baked goods if there's an acid component to react with. That's baking 101 right there. Baking powder contains it's own acid and needs no added acid. Heat also causes baking powder to produce the CO2 leavening effect i.e., "double-acting.'

On 12/14/2022 9:58, Dave Smith wrote:
>
> Mom’s Fruit Cake
>
> 3 cups Seedless white raisins
> 2 cups red glazed cherries
> 2 cups green glazed cherries
> 2 cups candied pineapple
> 2 cups pitted dates (optional)
> 1 cup coarsely ground pecans (optional)
> 5 ½ cups All purpose flour
> ½ tsp Baking Soda
> ¾ tsp. Salt
> ¼ tsp. mace
> 2 cups soft butter
> 2 cups granulated sugar
> 8 eggs
> ½ pint sour cream
> 2 tsp. Vanilla
> 2 tsp. Grated lemon rind
> 3 Tbsp. Lemon juice
>
> - Blend butter and sugar and add eggs one at a time. Add sour cream,
> vanilla, lemon juice and granted rind.
>
> - Place the fruits in a large bowl, sift dry ingredients over the fruit
> and stir together. Add liquid mixture to the dry and stir to mix
> thoroughly.
>
> - Line loaf pans with paper and pour batter into pans to a little more
> than half way. NB. Recipe makes enough for 6-7 loaf pans.
>
> - Bake at 300 degrees for 2 hours.
>
> Allow loaves to cool. Sprinkle a little brandy, rum or sherry over each
> loaf, wrap them individually in aluminium foil and let them sit for at
> least a few days before eating. If not using them within two weeks they
> should be frozen.

Thank you! I'm glad it's not in Canadian measurements. ;)

On 12/14/2022 10:33, Cindy Hamilton wrote:
>
> Here's my recipe. First the original as I received it, then the way
> in which I modified it to suit my particular taste.
>
> Gretchen's Fruitcake
>
> 1 cup raisins
> 0.5 cup citron, chopped
> 0.5 cup candied lemon peel, chopped
> 0.5 cup candied orange peel, chopped
> 0.5 cup candied pineapple, chopped
> 1 cup dried, shredded coconut (unsweetened)
> 1 cup coarsely chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc.)
> 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
> 1 teaspoon baking powder
> 0.5 teaspoon salt
> 0.5 cup butter
> 1 cup sugar
> 3 eggs plus 1 yolk
> 0.5 cup brandy or rum
> 2 tablespoons sherry
> 3 tablespoons orange juice
>
> The dry team:
> Combine candied fruit and nuts.
> Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
> Combine flour mixture with fruit mixture.
> The wet team:
> Cream butter and sugar.
> Beat eggs and add to butter/sugar.
> Add booze and orange juice to butter/sugar/eggs.
> Add the wet team to the dry team and stir.
> Fill some unspecified number of greased loaf pans.
> Bake at 250 F for 1.5 hours or until the cake shrinks from the sides
> of the pans. Let cool, de-pan, then wrap in brandy- or rum-soaked
> muslin, then aluminum foil.
>
>
>
> Cindy's Fruit Cake
>
> As above, only with these substitutions:
> No candied fruit. Instead:
> 0.5 cup dried cherries
> 0.5 cup dried, sweetened cranberries
> 0.5 cup chopped dried apricots
> 0.25 cup dried blueberries
> (Or any other dried fruit that seems enticing)
> Soak the dried fruit in a little hot booze to plump it.
> Where brandy, sherry, and orange juice are specified, use bourbon,
> rum, or any other congenial spirit of choice.
> Use mini-loaf pans and fake the cooking time.

"Fake the cooking time"?

On 2022-12-15, dsi1 <dsi123@hawaiiantel.net> wrote:
> On Wednesday, December 14, 2022 at 12:10:42 PM UTC-10, Cindy Hamilton wrote:
>> On 2022-12-14, dsi1 <dsi...@hawaiiantel.net> wrote:
>> > On Wednesday, December 14, 2022 at 7:00:56 AM UTC-10, Thomas wrote:
>> >> With 20 plus cups of ingredients, what does one half tsp of baking soda do?
>> >
>> > It's used as a leavening agent. I suppose you could make the
>> > fruitcake without the baking soda, it would probably be a little
>> > weird - or would it?
>> It probably isn't leavening. As Thomas points out, 1/2 teaspoon
>> is bupkis.
>>
>> Baking soda is a readily available acid neutralizer.
>>
>> --
>> Cindy Hamilton
>
> It seems like an alright amount to me. I never heard of adding baking soda to cake to neutralize acid. That's kind of goofy.

The pH of a batter or dough affects the texture of its crumb.

You think it's goofy only because you're ignorant of food science.

--
Cindy Hamilton

On 2022-12-15, Michael Trew <michael.trew@att.net> wrote:
> On 12/14/2022 10:33, Cindy Hamilton wrote:
>>
>> Here's my recipe. First the original as I received it, then the way
>> in which I modified it to suit my particular taste.
>>
>> Gretchen's Fruitcake
>>
>> 1 cup raisins
>> 0.5 cup citron, chopped
>> 0.5 cup candied lemon peel, chopped
>> 0.5 cup candied orange peel, chopped
>> 0.5 cup candied pineapple, chopped
>> 1 cup dried, shredded coconut (unsweetened)
>> 1 cup coarsely chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc.)
>> 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
>> 1 teaspoon baking powder
>> 0.5 teaspoon salt
>> 0.5 cup butter
>> 1 cup sugar
>> 3 eggs plus 1 yolk
>> 0.5 cup brandy or rum
>> 2 tablespoons sherry
>> 3 tablespoons orange juice
>>
>> The dry team:
>> Combine candied fruit and nuts.
>> Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
>> Combine flour mixture with fruit mixture.
>> The wet team:
>> Cream butter and sugar.
>> Beat eggs and add to butter/sugar.
>> Add booze and orange juice to butter/sugar/eggs.
>> Add the wet team to the dry team and stir.
>> Fill some unspecified number of greased loaf pans.
>> Bake at 250 F for 1.5 hours or until the cake shrinks from the sides
>> of the pans. Let cool, de-pan, then wrap in brandy- or rum-soaked
>> muslin, then aluminum foil.
>>
>>
>>
>> Cindy's Fruit Cake
>>
>> As above, only with these substitutions:
>> No candied fruit. Instead:
>> 0.5 cup dried cherries
>> 0.5 cup dried, sweetened cranberries
>> 0.5 cup chopped dried apricots
>> 0.25 cup dried blueberries
>> (Or any other dried fruit that seems enticing)
>> Soak the dried fruit in a little hot booze to plump it.
>> Where brandy, sherry, and orange juice are specified, use bourbon,
>> rum, or any other congenial spirit of choice.
>> Use mini-loaf pans and fake the cooking time.
>
> "Fake the cooking time"?

If you use mini loaf pans rather than full-sized ones, you have
to cook the fruitcake for less time. I've never quantified it.

It's a recipe for an experienced cook.

--
Cindy Hamilton