Holiday Fruitcake

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sour cream
1 cup chopped dates
2 cups raisins
1/2 cup chopped glazed cherries
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups all-purpose flour (divided into 1/4 cup and 1 3/4 cups)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg, room temperature
Grated rind of one orange
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325°F. In a small bowl, mix together the baking soda and sour cream; set aside.

Combine the dates, raisins, cherries, and nuts with 1/4 cup of the flour and toss to coat the fruit and nuts. Set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugar. Mix in the egg, then the orange rind, then the sour cream/baking soda mix. Add the flour and the salt and mix together. Combine fruit/nut mixture with creamed ingredients and mix well to distribute the fruit and nuts evenly.

Pour batter into a prepared loaf pan (see note) and bake at 325°F for one and a half to two hours or until a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Place a pan of water in the oven when the cake goes in. Water may need to be replenished during baking.

Wrap tightly with aluminum foil and plastic wrap to store. If you want, you can sprinkle on a few ounces of Bourbon, especially if you would like to store the fruit cake for a while.

Makes one loaf.

Note:

Line the loaf pan with greased parchment paper or brown baking paper, cut to fit the pan. Place one piece to run the length of the pan and stand up above the rim about an inch. Place the other piece or pieces to cover the other sides. When the cake comes out of the oven, you can easily remove it by holding the sides of the paper and lifting the cake out of the pan. Once the cake has cooled completely, you can pull off the paper.