Grandma Leach's Fruitcake

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 0.25 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground cloves
• 3 cups unsweetened applesauce
• 0.75 cups vegetable oil
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup chopped pitted dates
• 1 pound candied mixed fruit
• 2 cups chopped walnuts
• 0.5 cups walnut halves , Optional
• 1 cup halved candied cherries , Optional

Instructions

1. 1

   Gather all ingredients. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch tube pan and one 9x5 inch loaf pan.

2. 2

   Sift flour, sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves into a large bowl.

3. 3

   Stir in applesauce and oil, then mix in raisins, dates, mixed fruit, and 2 cups of walnuts.

4. 4

   Pour into the prepared pans, about 3/4 full.

5. 5

   Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the crown of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour.

6. 6

   Cool cake and decorate with walnut halves and candied cherry halves.