Rumkage

Description
Makes 1

Ingredients

 * 1 pound candied cherries
 * 1 pound candied pineapple
 * 1 pound seeded raisins
 * ½ pound candied citron
 * 1 pound currants
 * ½ pound candied orange peel
 * 1 pint rum
 * 1 pound butter
 * 2½ cups sugar
 * 1 teaspoon cinnamon
 * 1 teaspoon cloves
 * 1 teaspoon nutmeg
 * 12 eggs
 * 2 pounds almonds -- chopped
 * 1½ pounds filberts -- chopped
 * 5 cups flour -- sifted
 * 2 teaspoons baking powder

Directions
Halve or coarsely chop all of the fruits, combine them with the rum and let soak overnight.

Cream the butter, the sugar and the spices well together. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add nuts to the fruit mixture and sprinkle with ½ cup of the flour. Add baking powder with the rest of the flour and (using your hands) blend well into the mixture. Combine with butter, sugar and egg mixture.

Fill greased and floured loaf pans (9×5×3) ¾ full of the batter. Bake in a preheated 275º oven about 3 hours (more or less is your pans are larger or smaller than standard loaf tins). To prevent scorching while baking, set loaf pans into shallow pans ¼ full of water.

Cool completely and wrap with brandy-soaked cloths. If you wish to store these cakes for some time, moisten them now and then with additional brandy or rum.