Tropical Fruit Cake

This Tropical Fruit Cake recipe uses different types of fruit than you're used to when making a fruitcake.

What you will need:

• 1 pound dried pineapple rings, cut into eighths
• 1/2 cup candied cherries, halved
• 1/2 cup rum
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 6 eggs
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pound pecans (4 1/2 cups), coarsely chopped
• 7 ounces flaked coconut
• crystal glaze (recipe below)

What you do:

Combine pineapple, cherries and rum in a large bowl; let stand overnight, stirring occasionally.

Grease a 10-inch tube cake pan and dust with flour, tapping out any excess.

Sift together 3 cups of the flour with baking powder.

In a separate bowl, beat butter or margarine and sugar until light and fluffy with electric mixer at high speed.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Beat in ginger and vanilla extract.

Drain fruit; add drained rum to butter-sugar mixture.

Add sifted flour mixture, beating only until blended.

Toss remaining 1 cup of flour with chopped fruit, pecans and coconut; fold into batter.

Spoon batter into prepared pan, smoothing top.

Bake at 325 degrees F for 1 hour, 45 minutes, or until cake tester or toothpick comes out clean.

Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes.

Loosen around edges and tube; invert onto wire rack; cool completely.

Wrap cooled cake in cheesecloth that has been soaked in rum. Wrap tightly with aluminum foil; store in plastic bag or airtight container.

Brush with crystal glaze and decorate with fruits and nuts.

Crystal Glaze:

• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 2 tbsp brandy OR orange juice

Heat the corn syrup and brandy (or orange juice, if using) in a small saucepan until bubbly, stirring often.

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