Texas Cowboy Cake
Submitted by Sue Lowes on Feb 27, 2013

Cake made with dates, raisins and pecans, with a little bourbon or rum

Servings:
10

Complexity:   
Very Easy

Total Time:
2 hours

Ingredients:
3 cups sugar
1&1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp cloves, ground
2 cups water
1 cup strong brewed coffee
1 box raisins (15 oz)
1 box dates, chopped (8 oz)
3/4 cup butter
4&1/2 cup all purpose flour
1&1/2 tsp baking soda
1&1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 cup pecans, halved
2 tbsp. bourbon or rum

Directions:
Combine first eight ingredients in a saucepan and bring to low boil while stirring continually. Reduce heat and let simmer 5 minutes. Remove to cool.

Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Once cooled to lukewarm, slowly stir the liquid spice/fruit mixture into the dry ingredients. Pour into two well-greased loaf pans.

Arrange pecan halves in a decorative pattern on the top of the loaves.

Bake 1 hour at 300 degrees

Before the hour is up, gently apply a coat of corn syrup over the cakes. (a few tablespoons of bourbon or rum may be added to the corn syrup.

Continue baking for the hour, or until a toothpick comes out of the cakes clearly. Cool.

Cook's Notes:
This cake primarily contains only ingredients a ranch would have readily available. It's the perfect "non-fruitcake lovers" fruitcake.