Traditional Fruit Cake

The longer this cake aging, the better the taste as the rhum's sipped through the cake and make it more moist.

Every year, each time I bake this cake, I will have to wait until late in the night so I can concentrate on working - specially after having a kid - waiting until everyone's fast asleep, then I can start my uninterrupted work. It usually takes me close to Dawn to finish all the process as per batch could give me up to 6 loaves of fruit cakes.

INGREDIENTS:

- 2 Cup(s) of dried fruit cake mix

- 2 Cup(s) dried pineapple wedges(can be replaced with orange peel if you don't have pineapple wedges)

- 2 Cup(s) red and green dried cherry

- 2 Cup(s) currant or dark raisins

- 1 Cup(s) pitted, dried dates

- 2 Cup(s) mixed of slivered almonds, whole pecans and whole walnuts (don't crush)

- 1 Cup(s) all-purpose flour

- ½ Cup(s) cocoa powder

- ¾ Cup(s) granulated sugar

- ¾ Cup(s) light brown sugar

- ½ Cup(s) butter, melted or softened

- 6 small to medium eggs, or 5 large eggs

- 1 Tsp cinnamon

- 1 Tsp Allspice

- 1 Tsp baking soda

- Brandy or Rhum

DIRECTIONS:

- One or two night ahead, soak all the dried fruit and nuts in a large plastic bowl (not wood, please - as it will absorb the brandy/rhum) with rhum or brandy. Soak deep enough to wet all the mix.

- The next day; heat the oven to 325 degree.

- Line the bread/loaf pans with wax paper neatly.

- Beat the eggs and sugar on high speed (medium-high for stand mixer) until white, then slow the speed.

- Add soft/melted butter while mixing, then slowly add the flour, cocoa, baking soda, spices and salt.

- Turn off the mixer, gently fold in the mixed fruit into the batter. Stir gently.

- Pour into the loaf pans, cover with aluminum foil.

- Bake for 30 minutes on the 325 degree temperature, then reduce the temperature to 300 degree and bake again another 30 minutes and again reduce the temperature to 275 degree, bake for another 30 minutes then reduce the temperature to 250 and bake for one hour or until cooked (when you insert the wire, the batter will not stick to the wire).

- Cool the cakes on the rack. Sprinkle some rhum or brandy to the cake then wrap tightly with cheesecloth or aluminum foil until its ready to be served.

TIP: leaving it aging for few weeks or months is a good option to make it tastier...