Print Recipe
Aunt Isabel's Bishop's Cake
 
recipe image
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 60 Minutes
Ready In: 90 Minutes
Servings: 20
This is a very old recipe, that my Aunt Isabel (born 1900) used to make every year at Christmas. She made it for as long as I can remember. I was told it was a Methodist tradition. It is a dense, somewhat dry fruitcake, with chocolate bits in it. It is supposed to be sliced very thin. Well. I updated the recipe. I put the ingredients in order and gave better directions. The first time I made it, I was not doing it very smoothly, in fact, it was a disaster.
Ingredients:
1 cup dates (chopped)
1 cup pecans (toasted, chopped)
1 cup maraschino cherry (sliced in half)
1 (12 ounce) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 eggs (well beaten)
1/2 cup butter (melted)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups flour (sifted)
Directions:
1. Chop the dates, pecans, and cherries and set aside in individual prep bowls.
2. Dust dates lightly with about 1 teasp. flour or less.
3. Combine eggs and butter.
4. Sift together dry ingredients and add to egg mixture.
5. Stir in other ingredients one at a time, first the dates, then pecans, then cherries, and last the chocolate chips.
6. Make sure to stir thoroughly after each addition.
7. Pour into greased loaf pan, I used Pam and then lined with parchment paper.
8. Bake 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. (I baked it for 1 3/4 hours).
9. Let it rest and cool! The first time I tried to take it out of the pan - I cannot begin to tell you of the mess I made. Then I decided it was not done, as I had only baked it 1 1/4 hours, so I tried to stuff it pack into the pan. That was not easy, but I did it, baked it another hour, and pried it out after letting it cool. It was ugly all the way around, but very good! So good that I am making lots more for sharing.
By RecipeOfHealth.com