Dried Fruit Cake

Instructions

1. Line a 9-inch (22 cm) round cake pan with parchment paper (I didn't grease the sides of the pan, just placed a circle of paper covering the bottom and 2-3 cm of the sides. Once the cake cooled, I simply ran a knife between the cake and the pan, and it came out easily).
2. In a saucepan, combine butter, sugar, dried fruit, lemon and orange zest, orange juice, and rum. Heat until everything melts and combines. Remove from heat and let it cool for 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and cinnamon. Set aside.
4. Once the fruit mixture has cooled, stir in the ground almonds, then add 3 eggs. Add the flour mixture and mix until you get a smooth batter.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes in a preheated oven at 300°F (150°C). Then reduce the temperature to 275°F (140°C) and bake for another 60 minutes. The cake should have a nice brown color. Adjust baking time according to your oven, and check if the cake is done by inserting a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, the cake is done.
6. While the cake is still hot, brush it with rum or cherry liqueur. Let the cake cool overnight at room temperature. Remove the pan rim, dust with powdered sugar, and serve.
7. For a non-alcoholic version, you can replace the alcohol with cold fruit tea or fresh orange juice, and for brushing the cake, you can mix a little rum flavor with water. You can also use different types of dried fruit according to your preference.