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Well, let me tell ya, about this here… uh… Chinese cake fruit thingy.
I ain’t no fancy baker, mind you. I just make stuff that fills the belly and tastes good, ya know? Like them… whatchamacallits… fruitcakes. Yeah, that’s it. But these ain’t your grandma’s fruitcakes, I tell ya. Not the ones with all that sugary stuff that makes your teeth hurt.
These Chinese ones, they’re… different. I saw some folks makin’ them down the road, and I thought, “Well, shoot, I can do that!” So I did. Sorta.
First off, they use all sorts of fruit, not just them… uh… candied cherries. They got pineapple, and… and… somethin’ called “citron.” Sounds fancy, but it’s just fruit, I reckon. And they chop it all up, not too fine, not too big, just right. Like when you’re choppin’ vegetables for stew, ya know?
Then, they throw in some flour. Just a cup or so, over the fruit and nuts. Yep, nuts too. All kinds. Makes it crunchy, I guess. Then, they add more stuff. Eggs, lots of ‘em. Makes the cake soft, they say. And other things… sugar, I guess, and maybe some… uh… spices? I ain’t sure. I just throw it all in a bowl and mix it up good.
- Chop the fruit
- Add flour and nuts
- Mix everything together
- Bake it in the oven
Now, the bakin’ part is tricky. You gotta cook it low and slow, they say. Like… 275 degrees for an hour and a half. And you can make two at a time! That’s good, ‘cause one ain’t never enough. Especially if you got hungry grandkids around.
I hear tell these cakes are real popular in places with lots of… uh… Chinese folks. Like them “Chinatowns.” Never been to one myself, but I seen ‘em on TV. They got all sorts of food there, I bet. But I reckon my cakes are just as good, even if I don’t know all the fancy names for things.
These ain’t your pretty cakes, mind you. They ain’t got all that frosting and sprinkles. But they’re good. They’re hearty. They fill you up. And they got all that fruit in ‘em, so they gotta be good for ya, right? That’s what I tell myself, anyway.
Why I like makin’ these Chinese fruit cakes? Well, they’re easy, once you get the hang of it. And they last a long time. You can keep ‘em in a tin, and they’ll stay good for weeks, even months. That’s handy, when you got a big family and you don’t wanna be bakin’ every day.
And the taste… oh, the taste! It’s sweet, but not too sweet. And you got that crunch from the nuts, and that chewiness from the dried fruit. It’s… it’s just good, ya know? It’s like a little bit of sunshine in every bite.
So, if you’re lookin’ for somethin’ different to bake, somethin’ that ain’t too fussy, somethin’ that’ll fill you up and make you smile, try makin’ one of these Chinese cake fruit thingies. You might just surprise yourself. And if you don’t like it… well, more for me, I guess!
I ain’t got no fancy recipe to give ya. I just kinda throw things together, ya know? But that’s the best kinda cookin’, in my book. Cookin’ from the heart. Cookin’ with love. And cookin’ with whatever you got on hand. That’s how my mama taught me, and that’s how I’ll keep on cookin’, till the day I can’t lift a spoon no more.
So go on, give it a try. You might just find yourself a new favorite cake. And if you do, don’t forget to share it with your neighbors. That’s what good folks do, ya know?
And that’s all I got to say about that. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I gotta go check on my cakes. I think they’re about ready to come out of the oven.
Oh, one more thing! Some folks call these things “wife cakes,” ain’t that somethin’? I reckon that means they are so good, you’d marry someone over them! Or maybe it means they are good enough to make your wife happy. Either way, it’s a good name, I think.
Tags: [Chinese Fruit Cake, Asian Fruit Cake, Wife Cakes, Chinese Bakery, Fruit Cake Recipe, Dried Fruits, Nuts, Baking, Easy Recipe, Homemade Cake]
