The recipe my mother used for fruit cake came from my Grandmother Male and it was passed down by her ancestors when they came to the US from England.
I don't have a recipe to give,but in general,the batter was mixed,fruits and nuts added, steamed,then when cool wrapped in gauze, put in our then cool pantry,taken out about once a week, and basted with whiskey or whatever,it could also be Scotch, since my father plowed driveways near us in the winter and would be given a bottle of this or that as a Xmas present even though he didn't drink hard stuff.
It was made by Thanksgiving time to be ready for Xmas.
Carolyn,who also still has a wonderful box of Xmas that has a picture depicting folks bringing their fruit cakes on sleds to a hole in the ice and dumping them in.
That's Edward Gorey for you for those who know about him.
https://www.google.com/search?q=Edwa...&bih=815&dpr=1
And yes I have cards of several of his illustrations,I love them all.