Instructions: On the bottom of a well buttered skillet or pan, (I use cast iron) arrange: prunes, apricots, raisins and pecans. Heat the fruit juice, honey, butter and ginger together to make a nice thick syrup and pour over the fruits in the skillet. To prepare the batter: cream the shortening and sugar together. Add a small amount of the measured flour to the butter sugar mixture. Beat the molasses and spices into this. Beat the eggs until they are light and foamy and add to this mixture. Sift the flour, salt and soda together. Stir the dry ingredients into the other mixture and quickly beat the boiling water into it. Pour the batter over the fruit in the pan and bake in a slow oven, 300 , for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Loosen the sides of the cake from the pan and turn it onto a wire cake rack until the first steam is dispelled. Serve it warm with coffee cream to which a sprinkle of nutmeg has been added.

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