Sorry, but this is going to have to be in English. I don't want any fruitcake disasters out there. This recipe is for 1/2 of the amount of my own recipe. This will make 2 large loafs or 4 small loafs.

This recipe is not extremely exact. I try different dried fruits each year. The cake is mostly filled with raisins though. Therefore it is not as colorful (or sticky) as some fruitcakes. I also try different spices.

1. In a very large bowl, mix the following fruits and sprinkle a little flour over them so that they don't stick together:
   * 1 bag or box (about 500 grams) of dark raisins
   * 1 bag or box (about 500 grams) golden raisins
   * 1 bag or box (about 500 grams) currants
   * any other dried fruit you like (about 500 grams): I use dried pineapple chunks, dried cherries, date pieces, dried persimmon, a small amount of candied orange peel or lemon peel, a little candied ginger
   * 1 bag (about 250 grams) of chopped walnuts
   * 1 or 2 jars of maraschino cherries, drained and cut in half (optional)
2. In a second bowl, beat 5 large eggs until smooth and thick.
3. In a third large bowl, mix 2 sticks of butter (225 grams) and 1 cup (240 ml) of brown sugar together until smooth.
4. Pour the eggs into the butter mixture and mix together until smooth.
5. Mix the following spices into the batter:
   * 2.5 ml ground cinnamon
   * 2.5 ml ground nutmeg
   * 1.25 ml salt
   * 2.5 ml ground ginger (if you like it)
   * 1.25 ml ground cloves (if you like it--expensive in Japan, though and not necessary)
6. Measure out 2 cups (470 ml) of unsifted white (or unbleached) flour and 1 cup (240 ml) of brandy.
7. Beat some of the flour into the batter, and then half the brandy, then more flour, and then the rest of the brandy. Mix the batter until smooth.
8. Taste. Does it need a little more cinnamon? Perhaps some nutmeg. You decide.
9. Pour batter over the fruit mixture. Blend well. (A rice paddle is useful at this point to make sure that there are no dry pockets of fruit.)
10. Grease and flour baking pans. (In my mother's day, she also lined her pans with wax paper. If you do that normally when you bake cakes, follow the same procedure. I have heavy-duty non-stick pans, and I just grease and flour them; I don't need to use wax paper.)
11. Spoon the batter equally among the pans. Shake the pans to level out the batter and remove any air pockets.
12. Bake at a medium oven temperature (325F 160C). This temperature is a little lower than you use for regular cakes. Because the batter is dense, it will take longer to cook than a normal cake and you must cook it at a lower temperature to cook all the way through. The length of time to cook will depend on the type of pan. It is usually about 45 minutes to an hour. You will smell it. When the top is golden brown and begins to crack, it is ready.
13. Let cool. Remove from pans.
14. Dampen (not soaking wet!) cheese cloth with brandy. Wrap around each cake and store in a tin or Tupperware or wrap with aluminium foil.
15. A week later, check. If the cheesecloth is dry, moisten it again.