How to make a German Christmas Cake

This old-fashioned German Christmas cake recipe is flavored with molasses and chocolate as well as with a blend of spices, a tiny bit of whiskey, candied fruit and nuts. None of these flavors predominate, but they all add up to something far more complex (and much tastier) than the more traditional sort of fruitcake that we've all come to know and dread.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 1 1/2 c. sugar
• 1/4 c. (1/2 stick) butter
• 9 eggs
• 2 tbsp. whiskey
• 1 c. molasses
• 2 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp. allspice
• 2 oz. bittersweet, semisweet, or German chocolate
• 1 c. chopped citron or candied orange or lemon rind
• 2 c. pecan pieces, broken
• 3 c. flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 9"x13" baking pans
• Waxed paper
• Powdered (confectioner's) sugar (optional)
• Lemon juice (optional)

1. Beat the butter until soft. Stir in the sugar, continue beating until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.

2. Stir in the molasses and whiskey. Then add the cinnamon, cloves, and allspice, stirring to combine.

3. Grate the chocolate and chop the citron, lemon, or orange peel as finely as possible. Stir the fruit and chocolate into the cake mixture along with the pecans.

4. Mix the flour with the baking powder. Stir the flour into the cake mixture.

5. Line the cake pans with waxed paper. Divide the cake mixture between the pans.

6. Bake the cakes at 375 degrees for one hour. Check them towards the end to make sure they don't dry out.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure you have enough eggs-this recipe contains 9 of them and you don't want to have to dash out to the grocery store while you're in the middle of baking