World War I Cake

From the kitchen of Valerie Smith

Ingredients

4 cups white sugar
4 cups raisins
1 cup shortening
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 1/2 teaspoon all spice
1 Tablespoon salt
6 cups flour
1 cup currants
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup cherries cut in half*

Directions

In the evening, mix the together the first 9 ingredients in a large pot. Bring 4 cups water to a boiling point. Pour hot water over mixture and boil for 5 minutes. Let stand overnight to cool. Next morning sift together twice the flour and baking soda, and stir into cold mixture. Add currants and cherries. Pour into 4 loaf pans and bake at 325 degrees for about 1 1/2 hours. Cool completely then wrap in tinfoil. * I used green and red cherries.