Created by HeatherFeather on December 27, 2012
Step 1: Preheat oven to 325 F; grease and flour a 9x5" loaf pan.
Step 2: Beat together sugar and eggs well.
Step 3: In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt using a whisk.
Step 4: Gently stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture until combined, leaving no dry patches.
Step 5: Stir in the fruit and nuts to combine well.
Step 6: Scrape this thick mixture into the prepared baking pan, placing the reserved 5-6 whole candied cherries in top.
Step 7: Bake approximately 1 1/4 -1 1/2 hours, until a toothpick comes out with only streaks of melted chocolate, not gobs of wet batter; DO NOT OVERBAKE.
Step 8: Let cool 10 minutes in pan, then allow to cool fully on a cooling rack.
Step 9: Place in a plastic zip-top bag overnight (sliced or left whole) to allows the spices to really blend into the cake well; this always tastes better at least 1 day after baking.