Prohibiton Fruit Cakes

Prohibiton Fruit Cakes (Not as much of an oxymoron as one might think) [During Prohibition, substitute liquids had to be found for the traditional but now forbidden liquor in fruit cakes. This recipe, from Every Woman's Cook Book by Mrs. Chas. A Moritz, published by the Cupples & Leon Company in 1926, still lists the traditional ingredients, but also suggests legal substitutes.]
                        FRUIT CAKE
  1 lb. butter                                 12 eggs
  1 lb. sugar                                   1 teaspoon ground cloves
  1 lb. flour (sifted)                         1 teaspoon ground allspice
  1 lb. seeded raisins                       1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  2 lbs. currants                            1/4 teaspoon ground mace
1/2 lb. shelled almonds (cut fine)   1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 lb. shelled pecans (cut fine)        1 teaspoon soda (sifted)
1/2 lb. citron (cut fine)                     1 wineglass wine
1/4 lb. crystalized pineapple (cut       1 wineglass whisky (grape juice
       fine)                                               may be substituted for liquor)
2/3 pkg. dates (cut fine)            1/4 lb. candied cherries (cut fine)
 
  Wash and clean currants, dry in warm place.  Separate raisins.
Dry all fruit by rubbing with an extra one-quarter cup flour.
  Cream butter soft, add sugar gradually, mix until light, add well-
beaten egg yolks.  Add stiffly-beaten whites.  Add wine, whisky,
or grape juice alternately with flour.  Stir in spices and salt.  Add
nuts and fruits alternately until all are used and well mixed in.
  Sift in soda with teaspoon flour that was reserved.  (Do not add
soda until just before putting cakes in oven or they will fall.)
  Bake in very slow oven three and one-half to four hours.  This
quantity will make one large cake or two medium size ones.
  When cakes are done, invert pans on large plate or board, do not
force from pans, they will drop out.  After standing a day to harden,
cakes should be wrapped in cloth saturated whisky, if they are
to be kept for a long time.  Cakes should always be kept in tin box.
Apple peeling put in cake-box will keep fruit cake moist.  Cakes may
be steamed in oven five hours, then dried out one hour if preferred.
[notes: It is probable that "seeded raisins" refers to white raisins, white grapes being, to the best of my knowledge, the only seedless kind at this time.
Use small eggs, or about 8-9 medium ones.
"very slow oven" -- Probably about 250-275 degrees F., judging by similar recipes.
"wine" -- Other recipes in this book specify "home made wine," an acknowledegement that the store-bought kind wasn't available.]