FRUITCAKE - EVER SO EASY!

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 300°. Grease and flour a 10" Bundt pan, or spray with PAM that has flour already in it, like Baker's Joy.
• 2. Combine the flour and baking soda; set aside.
• 3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Stir well.
• 4. Blend the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring well. The batter will be VERY stiff. Just continue to work it in, until all is moistened and well-blended.
• 5. Turn the batter into the prepared Bundt pan.
• 6. Bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Test doneness with a wooden pick or a strand of spaghetti. Don't overbake! ... it will dry out your cake.
• 7. Allow to cool in the Bundt pan for a good 15 minutes, then turn the cake out onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
• 8. Glaze and garnish cake as desired. I sometimes pour an orange juice glaze over it; it gives it a nice glossy sheen and helps seal in the cake's moisture. For Orange Juice Glaze: In a small saucepan, mix together 1/2 cup orange juice and 1/2 cup sugar. Stir well to dissolve sugar, while bringing to a boil. Allow mixture to stay at a soft boil for about a minute or more. Remove from heat and set aside. Mixture will thicken a bit as it cools. Use a pastry brush to paint the glaze onto the cake, thereby sealing in the cake's moisture.
• 9. When completely cooled, store fruitcake in a cake storer that has a nice, tight seal, so cake will stay moist.