Japanese Fruit Cake

Back some 40 years ago my Dutch sister-in-law met a Japanese family while she was representing The Netherlands at (I think) the World Fair in Japan. (Maybe it was Expo 70?) That same Japanese family still sends Christmas greetings every year to our Dutch family. Actually they send greetings to my email, since I took over my mother-in-law's correspondence with them several years ago.

I have never met the family in Japan, and I doubt that they would know the following cake recipe as being Japanese. But that is what my mom calls it in her Just Plain Cooking cookbook, so we will leave it at that. The cake is delicious, in any case.

The Japanese Fruit Cake was another cake in Memaw's Christmas collection, so I guess this fits in perfectly with the Japanese family Christmas cards!

Japanese Fruit Cake (Memaw's)

1 1/2 cup orange, grind whole orange

1 cup chopped nuts

1 1/2 cup raisins, ground

2 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup shortening

3 whole eggs

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups flour

1 cup sour milk or buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream sugar and shortening.

Add eggs and beat well.

Blend remaining ingredients and mix well. Bake in three layers.

Bake in 350 degree F oven until done.

Cool and frost.

Filling/Frosting:

2 cups sugar

1 small can crushed pineapple

1 whole coconut grated or 1 can coconut

4 tablespoons flour

Mix sugar, flour, and pineapple and boil until thickened. Add coconut. Whip and spread between layers and on top of cake.