Japanese Fruit Cake Recipe

A FAVORITE RECIPE OF ROSALYNN CARTER JAPANESE FRUIT CAKE 1 cup butter 2 cups sugar 3 cups flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 cup milk 4 eggs, separated 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon cinnamon 2/2 teaspoon cloves 3/4 cup raisins Cream butter and sugar until light. Add egg yolks and beat well. Sift flour and baking powder together. Add flour mixture to batter alternately with milk. Beat in vanilla. Beat whites until stiff. Fold into batter. Line bottom of two 9-inch cake pans with wax paper. Spoon about 2/3 of batter into one pan. Fold nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and raisins into remaining batter and spoon into second pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes, until cakes are done. Cool on wire racks in pans for 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks and cool completely. Split each layer in half. Place raisin-filled layer, cut side up, on bottom. Cover with 1/2 of filling. Top with plain layer; top with another the of filling. Repeat, ending with filling. Or filling can be used between layers and top of cake can be glazed. FILLING: 4 tablespoon cornstarch 2 cups sugar 1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple packed in its own juice 2 lemons, grated rind and juice Water 2 cups grated unsweetened coconut Mix cornstarch thoroughly with sugar. Drain pineapple thoroughly. There should be about 1-1/3 cups juice. Add enough water to juice to make 2 cups liquid. Mix liquid with sugar mixture along with lemon juice and rind. Add pineapple and cook, stirring, until mixture thickens; about 5 to 7 minute Remove from heat; stir in coconut and cool thoroughly. Use to fill and frost cake (or just for filling, if glaze is used.) GLAZE: 3 cups confectioners' sugar 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons water, approximately Mix ingredients well, adding more water if necessarv. so that alaze hr