Holiday Fruitcake

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup salad oil
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons molasses
4 eggs
2 bananas, chunked
1 cup chopped dates
1 pound mixed fruit
2 cups pecans, chopped

Instructions

Mix all ingredients except dried fruit, pecans, candied fruit and dates. Beat 3 minutes with mixer on high speed. After mixing well, stir in the remaining ingredients. Line 2 loaf pans (9 x 5 x 3) with waxed paper and grease well. Pour in mixture and bake at 275 degrees for 2-1/2 to 3 hours. Cover with foil last hour to keep from over-browning. Remove from pan and cool completely. Freeze this if you wish; thaw slowly. Yield: 2 loaves of fragrant, delicious Christmas cakes.