Bourbon Cake

2 cups red candied cherries, chopped
1 1/2 cups light seedless raisins
2 cups bourbon
1 1/2 cups butter or margarine
2 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 1/3 cups firmly packed brown sugar
6 eggs, separated
5 cups sifted cake flour
4 cups pecans (about 1 pound)
2 teaspoons nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking powder

Combine cherries, raisins and bourbon. Cover and let stand overnight.

Drain fruits; reserve bourbon. Cream butter or margarine and sugar together until light. Add egg yolks and beat well.

Combine 1/2 cup flour and pecans. Sift remaining 4 1/2 cups flour, nutmeg and baking powder together. Add flour mixture and bourbon alternately to butter or margarine mixture, beating well after each addition.

Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Fold egg whites into flour mixture. Fold soaked fruits and pecan-flour mixture into batter. Turn into greased 10-inch tube pan lined with greased wax paper. Bake at 275 degrees F for 4 1/2 hours. Cool. Remove from pan. Fill center with cheesecloth saturated with bourbon.