Dried Fruit Cake

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan and set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, add butter, sugar, baking powder, salt and beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl as needed.
4. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Beat in vanilla and almond extracts.
6. Alternately add flour and orange juice, beat on low speed after each addition until just combined.
7. Add the nuts and dried fruits and mix well.
8. Spoon batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly.
9. Bake for 60-75 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in cake comes out clean.
10. Cool in pan for 15 minutes; Then remove from pan and cool completely on wire-rack.
11. Wrap cake in cheesecloth soaked in rum or orange juice.
12. Wrap cloth-wrapped cake in aluminium foil; refrigerate overnight or at-least 8 hrs.

Notes:

1. To prevent over-browning, cover cake with aluminium foil during last 15 to 20 minutes of baking.
2. Keep the wrapped cake in refrigerator up to month, moistening cheesecloth with additional rum or juice once a week.
3. How to Blanch Almonds?
   • Bring a small pot of water to a boil.
   • Add raw almonds into the boiling water and boil for exactly one minute. Don't boil for any longer.
   • Drain the almonds immediately and rinse them with cold water to cool them.
   • Squeeze the almonds between your thumb and index finger and the peel comes right off.
   • Once you remove the skins, let the almonds dry off completely. Done!