Caribbean Sunset Rum Fruit Cake

This is delicious! It's just a little different way to enjoy fruit cake, and it'll feel a little like being in the Caribbean Iles! It's chock full of goodies! You can enjoy this all year around and try using different types of healthy ingredients like dried fruits and different nuts.

• Ready In: 1 hr 35 mins
• Yields: 1 fruit cake

Ingredients

• 3  cups self-rising flour (*or 3 C. all purpose flour, 1/2 tsp. soda, 2 tsp. baking powder and dash of salt blended together)
• 1 1⁄2 cups unsalted margarine or 1 1⁄2 cups butter
• 1 1⁄2 cups granulated sugar
• 1  teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3  eggs
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons  grated lime zest (grated pulp and rind)
• 1  cup heavy whipping cream
• 3⁄4 cup dark rum
• 1⁄2 cup  tropical  trail mix (chop dried banana chips into smaller pieces)
• 1⁄2 cup dried cherries
• 1  cup  chopped  dried apricot
• 1  cup  coarsely chopped pecan halves
• 1⁄3 cup  walnut  chips
• 1⁄2 cup  coarsely chopped  almonds
•  powdered sugar, for dusting cake
•  additional rum for sprinkling  cake (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F Combine butter and sugar and cream until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs and stir until blended. Beat in the lime zest and then add the rum and mix. Gradually add the flour, alternating with the cream and ending with the flour. Blend mixture until just combined; do not over blend. Add dried fruit and nuts and fold into mixture. Pour batter into a well-greased and floured 10-cup tube pan and bake for almost one hour. Test doneness with a skewer inserted halfway between the sides of the pan and the tube. Cool and turn the cake out of the pan. Sprinkle with additional rum if desired and dust the top with the confectioner's sugar. If you sprinkle with additional rum, let sit for one day to absorb flavor of rum.
2. Note**It is best to refrigerate this cake because of the cream in the ingredients.