Christmas fruit cake ~ merry christmas!!!

Ingredients

• Flour 2 cups
• Baking Powder ½ teaspoon
• Dry Fruits 1 cup (figs, apricots, dates, raisins, currants and sultanas), chopped
• Candied Peel ¼ cup
• Tutti Fruity ¼ cup
• Mixed Nuts ½ cup(Walnuts, Cashews, Almonds), chopped
• Dark Rum 1 cup (optional - you could use 2 tbsp Lime Juice to soak the dry fruits)
• Light Brown Sugar 1 ¼ cup
• Eggs - 4
• Oil ¾ cup
• Cloves - 3
• Cinnamon Powder 1 teaspoon
• For the Caramel
• Sugar ½ cup
• Boiling Hot Water ¾ cup

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Preparation

• Soak the dry fruits, candied peel and tutti fruiti along with the cinnamon powder and cloves in 2/3 cup rum for anywhere between 24 hours and 1 year. Do remember to remove the cloves before using the fruits.
• When you are ready to bake the cake, start by making the caramel. In a heavy bottomed pan, place the ½ cup of sugar and heat slowly. The sugar will begin to melt.
• Stir this mixture with a spoon slowly as the caramel forms. When all the sugar crystals have melted, slowly add the boiling water and stir to form a smooth mixture. Cool this completely.
• Sift the flour along with the baking powder. In a mixing bowl, add the oil/butter, eggs and brown sugar and beat well. To this, add the flour mixture, the fruits and the nuts by turns. Whisk well and then add the cooled caramel.
  
• Grease and line two 8 inch baking tins and divide the batter between the two. Bake at 190 C/375 F for about 50 minutes.
• When baked, make small slits in each cake and pour the remaining rum over them. While this cake is delicious straight out of the oven, try storing it for a week before consuming it.