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1
Finely chop up the dried fruits and nuts.
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2
In a clean, dry glass or ceramic jar, add the chopped dry fruits and nuts and the rum.
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3
Mix well together with a wooden spoon.
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4
Seal the jar with a lid and keep in a cool, dry place away from sunlight.
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5
Every two or three days, give the fruit a mix and add about 1/4 cup more rum if it looks too dry.
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6
You can throw in any dried fruit of your choice.
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7
I used dates, sultanas, a mixture of golden and black raisins, dried figs, dried apricot, and cashew.
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8
Candied Ginger and Orange are quite often added to the traditional cakes, but these don't favor my palate and hence I have left it out.
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9
Feel free to add in case you like these flavors.
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10
I have soaked Cashew along with the dried fruit.
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11
You really don't need to.
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12
If you like your nuts crisp, chop them and add along with an assortment of other nuts directly into your cake batter.
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13
You can also use Whiskey, Brandy, or good quality Port or Sherry to replace the rum used in the recipe.
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14
If you are looking at an alcohol-free version of cake, you can soak the dried fruit and nut in freshly squeezed orange juice.
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15
But please remember that such a cake will have a short shelf life as opposed to the cake containing alcohol soaked fruits.
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16
Please remember to use only glass or ceramic jars to soak the fruits.
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17
Metallic or plastic containers may not be your best choice as the alcohol may react with the metal or plastic which could be harmful.
