Caribbean black cake

Method

1. Put the dried fruit and citrus peel in a large bowl, then pour over the rum,  cherry brandy and Angostura bitters. Cover with cling film, then set aside in a cool, dark place to soak for 24 hours (or see tips).
2. The next day, heat the oven to 150°C/130°C fan/gas 2. Grease and line a deep 23cm diameter loose- bottomed cake tin with baking paper.
3. Heat the 250g demerara sugar in a saucepan over a medium heat until it dissolves and turns a dark caramel colour (about 5 minutes). Take the pan off the heat and stir in the freshly boiled water – be careful as it will bubble and spit a little. Return the pan to the heat and continue to stir until you have a smooth, syrupy caramel sauce. Set aside.
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5. Transfer the soaked fruit along with any remaining alcohol in the bowl to a food processor and pulse briefly – don’t overdo it as you want to keep a few chunks in the mixture.
6. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, mixed spice and lemon zest. In a separate large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy. Beat the eggs into the butter mixture, one by one, until well combined, then stir in the vanilla extract and almond essence.
7. Using a large metal spoon, gradually fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until fully combined. Fold in the blended fruit, followed by the caramel sauce. Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake tin, then transfer to the oven and bake for 31⁄2-4 hours until a skewer pushed into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
8. Remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 20 minutes. Turn out onto a cooling rack, then brush the top of the cake generously with extra dark rum. Allow the rum to soak in and the cake to cool completely before serving, icing or storing (see make ahead and tips).