Mama’s Chip and Cherry Cake
Chip and Cherry cake was my mama’s invention. This was my mama. She passed away quite a few years ago, and she was the keeper of the family traditions. One of the traditions my grandmother insisted on was eating fruit cake on Epiphany. It was supposed to bring you luck and prosperity.
Epiphany is on January 6, every year. In 2021 it will be Wednesday. Epiphany is the celebration of the Magi or Wise Men visiting baby Jesus. So, it makes sense that celebrating it would bring both luck and prosperity!
The problem is my mother HATED fruit cake and passed those genes along to my sister and me and to my daughters, too. I don’t know what it is about those weird neon colored supposedly fruit that is so disgusting that even soaking it rum doesn’t kill the taste!
So, when I was little, my mother put together some of the things that we loved and put them in a “Fruit Cake”. Instead of the wildly weird neon green cherries she used Maraschino Cherries. I mean who didn’t love a Shirley Temple. Chocolate Chips and Pecans were a given and to give some respect to the original, dates. We all decided that we could tolerate dates and some of us secretly love them.
Chip and Cherry Cake became our new Epiphany tradition and I am going to share it with you!
Ingredients:
3 Whole Eggs, Well beaten
1 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Butter, Softened
1 1/2 Cups Flour
1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking powder
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
12 ounces Chocolate Chips
2 Cups Pecans, chopped
1 Cup Dates, coarsely chopped
1 Cup Maraschino cherries, stemmed and patted dry
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325
Beat eggs, butter and sugar together
Mix dry ingredients
Add cherries and dates to egg mixture
Add chocolate chips and pecans to dry mixture
Combine mixing well – the batter is really really thick, sometimes I use my hands
Line loaf pan with parchment paper or spray extremely well
Bake at 325 for 1 1/2 hours or until crusty brown and toothpick comes back clear
Let cool completely before removing from pan
Sift powder sugar over top or frost with cream cheese icing or leave plain, it’s very sweet as is!
3 Comments
Anne Wisdom · January 4, 2021 at 8:10 pm
New aged fruit cake! I loooooove it! Everything makes a come back and this is no exception!! The cherry and cholo are combo is perfect for Valentine’s Day too! ❤️❤️
Joyce Green · January 4, 2021 at 8:14 pm
A cake truly fit for a King!!!!! So delicious!
Kathy Gaunt · January 7, 2021 at 5:29 pm
Just made this cake! Wow…Super Yummy. I left out the nuts…Still FAB!!!!!!