Jamaican fruit cake

1 lb Butter or margarine, softened
1 lb Dark brown sugar
1 doz eggs
1 lb Flour
2 tsp Vanilla extract
2 tsp Baking powder
2 tsp Baking soda
2 tsp Burnt sugar
Cinnamon and nutmeg to taste
1/3 cup Rum
2 cups fruit mixture
1 lb Prunes
1 lb Raisins
1 lb Currants
1 lb Cherries
Method
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together until pale yellow. Add 2 eggs at a time, mixing. Add vanilla and burnt sugar.
In a medium bowl, sift together all dry ingredients. Add slowly to the large bowl, mixing well. Once the batter has become very heavy, add 2 cups of the fruit mixture. Mix well. Pour into greased and floured cake tins. Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 mins or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Once the cake is cooled (do not remove it from the tin), pour approximately 1/4 cup of rum over it. Cover tightly with aluminium foil. Check the cake every 2 days. If it becomes “dry” add some more rum. Continue in this manner for 1 month.
Fruit Mixture: Chop fruit in blender or food processor. Put into a jar which can be tightly sealed. Cover the contents with rum and seal the jar.
Keep in a cool, dark place. This should be done at least 1 month in advance of the cake. If you don’t use all of the fruit mixture, don’t worry…it will keep for years! It’s also a great topping for vanilla ice cream