Seal the jar with a lid and keep in a cool, dry place away from sunlight.

Every two or three days, give the fruit a mix and add about ¼ cup more rum if it looks too dry.

You can throw in any dried fruit of your choice. I used dates, sultanas, a mixture of golden and black raisins, dried figs, dried apricot, and cashew. Candied Ginger and Orange are quite often added to the traditional cakes, but these don't favor my palate and hence I have left it out. Feel free to add in case you like these flavors.

I have soaked Cashew along with the dried fruit. You really don't need to. If you like your nuts crisp, chop them and add along with an assortment of other nuts directly into your cake batter.

You can also use Whiskey, Brandy, or good quality Port or Sherry to replace the rum used in the recipe.

If you are looking at an alcohol-free version of cake, you can soak the dried fruit and nut in freshly squeezed orange juice. But please remember that such a cake will have a short shelf life as opposed to the cake containing alcohol soaked fruits.

Please remember to use only glass or ceramic jars to soak the fruits. Metallic or plastic containers may not be your best choice as the alcohol may react with the metal or plastic which could be harmful.