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Cream together the butter and sugar well.
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Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition until light and fluffy.
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Beat in the vanilla, coconut and almond extracts.
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Sift together the flour and baking powder.
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Fold dry ingredients into the creamed mixture alternately with the evaporated milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. As a general rule, I add the dry ingredients in 3 portions and the milk in 2 portions.
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Toss all of the dried fruit with the 1/4 cup of flour and fold into the batter well along with the chopped nuts and the dried coconut.
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Bake in greased and floured spring form pan, tube pan or loaf pans lined with parchment paper. Bake at 300 degrees F for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours depending upon the size of your pan. (See NOTE below.)
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Baking times vary greatly on this recipe so rely on the toothpick test to ensure that it is properly baked. When a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, its done. Be careful not to go past this stage or the cake will be dry.
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Let the cake cool in the pan/s for an hour before transferring it, right side up, to a wire rack to cool completely.
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At this point, when cooled, you can poke small holes in the top and bottom of the cake with a fork and pour on 4 - 8 ounces of light rum, coconut rum or brandy; half on the top, wait ten minutes, then flip it over and pour the remaining half on the bottom.
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Soak several layers of cheesecloth in additional rum or brandy if you like and wrap completely around the cake, then cover with several layers of plastic wrap and store in a COOL place for a couple of weeks at least.