Grandma Leone’s Fruit Cake

Ingredients

• 3 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups raisins
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound pecan halves
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 1/2 cups canola oil
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 3 cups candied fruit

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 8×8-inch baking pans.

Bring water and raisins to a boil in a saucepan; cook until raisins are plump, about 2 minutes. Drain and cool raisins; reserve raisin water.

Mix 3 cups flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Place pecans and 2 tablespoons flour in a resealable plastic bag; close and shake bag until pecans are coated. Pour pecans into a colander and shake off excess flour.

Whisk sugar, oil, eggs, and cooled raisin water together in a bowl; fold in candied fruit. Stir flour mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, into sugar mixture until fully incorporated; fold in raisins and pecans. Fill the prepared pans a little over half full.

Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Lower temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C); bake until a knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 more hour.