Christmas Fruit Cake

Its a rich fruit cake, makes with fruits soaked in rum for couple of weeks. Specially made on Christmas.

Ingredients:

All purpose flour- 2 cups (1/2kg )

Sugar - 2 +1/2 cup

Butter - 1 cup

Eggs - 6 nos

Dates - 1 cup

Raisins -1 cup

Candied fruits - 1/2 cup
Cashews - 1 cup
Gold rum - 1/2 cup
Baking powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon powder - 1/2 tsp
Clove powder - 1/2tsp

Nutmeg powder - 1 tsp

Dry ginger powder - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
Orange juice- 2 tbsp

1)Dice the fruits and coat them with 1 of flour.
2)Add rum and mix well.
3)Keep this for 2-3 weeks or atleast overnight.
4)Dice or crush the nuts into small pieces..
5)Place the eggs and butter at room temperature the night before you make the cake.
6)Preheat the oven to 350 degree F.
7)Measure and keep ready the flour, sugar and the flavorings.
8)Place 1/2 cup of sugar in the saucepan, boil it on high flame until a caramel color forms.
9)Immediately, remove the pan from the stove and add 1/2 cup of water to the caramel.
10)Stir its well to dissolve the caramel. Keep  aside.
11)Sift flour and baking powder, a couple of times and keep ready.
12)In a container, whisk butter first and then add 4 cups of sugar and whisk again, until it is creamy.
13)Add eggs one by one and whisk well.
14)Pour in the caramel syrup, the flavoring powders, orange juice,salt and vanilla extract and mix everything together.
15)Add the flour-baking powder mix and fold this in with a  spatula or spoon.
16)When they are well mixed, add the candied fruits and nuts and mix again.
17)Butter a 10 inch non stick loaf pan and spoon this into the pan .
18)Bake for 1 hour at 350 degree F. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the middle of the pan. If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done. If not, bake for another 5-10 mins and check again.
19)Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a cooling rake.Remove it from the pan only after it is allowed to cool completely.