Gumdrop Fruitcake

1 cup butter or margarine
2 cups white sugar
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups applesauce
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon hot water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
16 ounces gumdrops (no black ones)
3 cups raisins
1 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans or a 10 inch tube pan.

Mix the flour, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt together in a bowl. Cut the gumdrops in fourths. Brown the pecans in the 1 tablespoon butter or margarine.

Mix the pecans, raisins, and gumdrops together then roll them in 3/4 cup of your flour and spices mixture.

In a separate bowl, cream together 1 cup butter sugar. Mix in the beaten eggs. Mix in the flour and spice mixture alternately with the applesauce. Dissolve the soda in hot water and stir it into batter. Stir in the vanilla. Stir in nuts, gumdrops, and raisins last.

Bake for 2 hours. (Baking time for a tube pan will be about 30 minutes longer). Cool. Wrap in foil to store.