American Christmas Cake recipe wanted

This is a Christmas cake, in the American tradition, that was sent to us by the mother of a friend. It's so different to the traditional British/Australian Christmas cakes, which are full of currants and sultanas. This is chock full of glace cherries, chunks of pineapple and whole brazil and pecan nuts. It's fabulous and I love it! What I didn't love so much, however, was the the batter around all the nutty fruity stuff was pretty dry and cardboardy (I've heard this can be a problem with these sorts of cakes).
I'd really, really love to make a few for Christmas next year, but would appreciate a recipe that has been tried and tested to be moist and good for keeping; there's never enough time or stomach room to eat so much cake at Christmas itself! Therefore, I ask you out there who may be reading this post and have a great recipe that you've been eating or making since a little kid in pigtails, or something you've found recently to be really great, to please satisfy my curiosity. If you would like to pass it on, please do! I'd love to be able to make a well-loved Christmas recipe from the US (to add to the British and European specialities that are usual in Australia).