December 22 marks the 50th anniversary of the Dobsons, and the fruitcake holds a special place in the Clark County couple’s story.
When the two wed in 1973, white cake was the wedding norm. Janet Dobson, however, opted to honor her mother’s heritage with traditional British Canadian wedding fare — fruitcake.
Economic necessity required Janet to find ways to cut her wedding costs, so using an old family recipe, her Canadian-born mother baked four layers of dark fruitcake laden with raisins and currants and covered with a thick layer of almond paste. An area decorator prepared three layers for display, while the fourth was cut, wrapped, and tied up with bows for wedding favors. The couple carried a basket with the wedding favors and personally presented them to the 120 guests who attended their wedding. They both say it enabled them to speak with everyone who attended and was the best part of their wedding day reception.
“The wedding ceremony only lasted 7 minutes,” Janet Dobson remembered. She knew the timing because she sometimes performed as an organist for weddings held at St. John’s Evangelical Protestant Church in Columbus where they wed.
After the reception, held at the Germania Singing and Sport Society, they kept the top tier of their wedding cake, as was tradition.
They boxed it and put it in the freezer with intention to enjoy it on their first anniversary. But when they opened the cake in 1974, still perfectly frosted and beautiful, they decided to save it for their 25th anniversary. Back to the freezer it went.
They pulled it out again in 1998 and, surrounded by family, found the cake looked exactly the same as on their wedding day. Even more surprising, it also tasted the same after 25 years. Everyone agreed it was delicious, they said.
After consuming three quarters of the top layer, the group voted to save the last quarter for the Dobsons’ hoped-for 50th anniversary, which the Springfield Twp. couple will mark Friday.
Their first encounter, as 13-year old eighth-graders attending Franklin Heights Junior High in Grove City, Ohio, held no hint of their future together.
“I disliked her immediately,” John Dobson said. “She was talking about all the courses she signed up for, and I thought she sounded like a know-it-all.”
During high school, John dated all of Janet’s girlfriends, and another turn of events made their future together seem even less likely.
He enrolled in Ohio State University, and she went off to Michigan State University.
Between their freshman and sophomore years at college, the tide turned and the two started dating. Both entered the medical field.
John Dobson became an orthopedic surgeon, and Janet Dobson completed her pre-med studies at OSU and became a pathologist. They moved to Springfield when he received a job offer with the first physician group practice established in town in 1984.
Janet Dobson worked as a medical consultant with a law firm in Columbus and then as office manager for John Dobson’s medical practice. Since retiring, she has immersed herself in art, earning statewide recognition for her realistic watercolor work before directing her skills into complex copper and enamel abstract creations that now absorb her creative talents.
“Turns out,” John admitted, his first impression of Janet might actually have had some merit. “I found out she actually does know it all.”
Both of the Dobsons have a wealth of knowledge and continue to be avid students of life-long learning.
Since retirement from his practice, John Dobson has devoted himself to photography, focusing much of his work on nature macrophotography. His work has been featured in the Ohio Division of Wildlife Wild Ohio calendar.
Their lives have been “charmed” they say.
“We were both lucky to have been born to loving parents who valued education and encouraged our talents,” Janet Dobson said.
As they celebrate their golden anniversary this week, they will be sharing the final portions of the wedding cake with family members who live nearby and others coming from Colorado, Washington state and Milwaukee.
They two also admitted they may still save a few morsels of the cake to share on some future special celebration.
Perhaps their 75th anniversary?
Janet Dobson shared the recipe for her mother’s wedding cake. John Dobson warned they cannot guarantee anyone else’s will last for 50 years.
Wedding Cake (Dark Fruit Cake) for 150
Ingredients:
2 lb dark raisins
2 lb golden raisins
2 lb currants
1 lb candied peel
1 lb candied cherries
2 lb blanched slivered almonds
1 lb all purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1 lb butter
1 lb sugar
½ C molasses
½ C corn syrup
1 t cinnamon
1 t allspice
2 t nutmeg
1 lb eggs
1 t vanilla
1 t lemon extract
1 C brandy or orange juice
Optional almond paste
Directions:
In 8-qt container, combine all the fruits and almonds. In separate bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda. Stir this mixture into fruit. Combine gently but thoroughly.
Over low heat, melt butter in 2-quart saucepan. Add syrups and spices to butter and mix thoroughly. Do not allow to boil or burn. Remove from heat and stir into fruit mixture.
In large mixing bowl combine eggs, vanilla and lemon extract. Beat well. Stir in brandy OR orange juice. Pour mixture over fruit and combine thoroughly.
Fill prepared pans (see below) ¾ full. Lay a piece of foil loosely on top of each pan for first 2 hours of baking. Bake 4-6 hours at 275°F. Cake is done when broom straw comes out clean or cake feels firm and finger leaves no imprint.
Let cake cool in pans. Remove oiled paper, wrap in plastic wrap, and store in a cool place such as a refrigerator for several weeks. Almond paste may be applied at any time. To apply almond paste, roll it about 1/2″ thick and cut it to fit the top of the cake. Brush the cake lightly with corn syrup, then lay the sheet of paste on top and gently press it down.
How to prepare pans:
Line pans with two to four layers of buttered or oiled paper extending 1″ above top of pan.
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