Caribbean Rum Fruit Cake Recipe

450 g/1 lb dried mixed fruit (fruit cake mix)
225 g/8 oz sultanas (golden raisins)
100 g/4 oz raisins

100 g/4 oz currants
50 g/2 oz glace (candied) cherries
300 ml red wine
225 g/8 oz/1 cup butter or margarine, softened
225 g/8 oz/1 cup soft brown sugar
5 eggs, lightly beaten
10 ml/2 tsp black treacle (molasses)

225 g/8 oz/2 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
50 g/2 oz ground almonds
5 ml/1 tsp ground cinnamon

5 ml/1 tsp grated nutmeg
5 ml/1 tsp vanilla essence (extract)
300 pt rum

Method:

Place all the fruit and the wine in a pan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to minimum, cover and leave for 15 minutes, then remove from the heat and leave to cool. Cream together the butter or margarine and sugar until light and fluffy, then gradually mix in the eggs and treacle. Fold in the dry ingredients. Stir in the fruit mixture, vanilla essence and 45 ml/3 tbsp of the rum. Spoon into a greased and lined 20 cm/8 in cake tin (pan) and bake in a preheated oven at 160°C/325°F/gas mark 3 for 3 hours until well risen and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack to finish cooling. Pierce the top of the cake with a fine skewer and spoon over the remaining ruin. Wrap in foil and leave to mature for as long as possible.