Sharon's Jamaican Fruit Cake

Ingredients

• 2 cups butter
• 2 cups white sugar
• 9 large eggs
• 0.25 cups white rum , Optional
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 grated zest of one lime
• 2 pounds chopped dried mixed fruit
• 2 cups red wine
• 1 cup dark molasses
• 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 0.5 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 0.5 teaspoons ground allspice
• 0.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch salt

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.

2. 2

   Place butter and sugar into a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

3. 3

   Beat in eggs; add rum, lime juice, almond extract, vanilla, and lime zest.

4. 4

   Stir in dried fruit, wine and molasses.

5. 5

   Sift flour, baking powder, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl; gently fold into fruit mixture. Pour batter evenly into the prepared pans.

6. 6

   Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 80 to 90 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.