Rosella's Fruitcake

1 lb butter, at room temperature 3 cups demerara sugar 12 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 1 lb candied or dried cherries 4 lbs raisins and currants 1 lb mixed fruit, such as chopped apricots, figs or dates 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp cinnamon 2 tsp nutmeg 2 tsp allspice 2 tsp cloves 1 lb whole almonds 1 lb whole or chopped walnuts or pecans 1 ¼ cup rum, plus more to pour over cake

Preheat the oven to 325˚F and line about 9 foil loaf pans with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat well.

Place the fruit in another large bowl and dust with some of the flour. In another bowl, stir together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves. Add a third of the flour to the butter-sugar mixture, stirring

just until combined. Add half the rum, another third of the flour and stir. Then add the remaining rum and remaining flour and stir again. Stir in the dried fruit and nuts, and scrape the thick batter into the loaf pans, smoothing the tops.

Bake for an hour, then reduce the heat to 300˚F and bake for another 2 ½ hours (3 ½ hours total). Cool. When wrapping up the cakes, pour about ¼ cup rum over each cake. Wrap in waxed or parchment paper

and then in foil, and then place in a zip-lock bag. Store, checking occasionally and dousing with more rum as needed. Makes about 9 fruitcakes.