Jamaican Christmas Cake / Rum Cake

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup butter

1/2 Cup brown sugar

1 Tbsp. browning

2 Tsp. lime juice 

1 Tsp. lime zest

2 Tsp. vanilla extract

1 Tsp. almond extract 

8 Eggs

2 Cups flour

1 Tsp. baking powder

1/4 Salt 

1 Cup white rum

1 Cup port wine

3 Cups mixed fruits (raisins, prunes, citron, currants, cherries and dates)
3 Cups water

Prepare fruits:

1.  Cut prunes raisins and currants in halves. 
2. Place fruits in a glass jar with tight-fitting lid.
3. Cover fruits with a mixture of rum and port wine. 
4. From time to time, examine fruits and add more rum and wine if necessary.

* Fruits can be soaked anywhere from overnight up to a year. 

Instructions:

1. Blend soaked fruits, citrons, cherries and dates and set aside. (Blend in port wine and rum left over from the jar. Add more rum and wine mixture if necessay)
2. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Mix in browning, vanilla extract, almond extract, lime juice and zest. 
4. Add eggs one at a time and mix well. Add blended fruits and incorporate well.
5. Mix flour, baking powder and salt.
6. Prepare baking pan by lining bottom and sides with parchment paper and grease with margarine.
7. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. 
8. Pour cake mixture in baking pan 3/4 way and bake for 1hr 45 to 2 hours.
9. In a separate pan, add water and place in the oven under the cake. 
10. Serve by itself or with wine.