Fruit Cake

• Flour (all purpose)      - 2 c
• Sugar      - 2c
• Butter      -  2-1/2 sticks
• Baking pwdr.      - 1 tsp
• Vanilla      - 2 tsp
• Salt      - 1 tsp
• Dried Orange peel ( optional)      -  few pieces
• Cinnamon Stick      - 2 inch
• Nutmeg      - 1/4 tsp
• Raisins      - 2 c
• Dates      - 8 oz
• Cashews      - 1 c
• Mixed Dried fruits (optional)      - 1 c
• Sugar ( for Carmellizing )      - 1 c
• Orange Juice      - 1/2 c
• Boiling Water      - 1/2 c

1. Caramellize Sugar in a small pan without stirring on medium heat.
2. After it burns completely take it off the heat .
3.  Add boiling water slowly, and avoid getting burnt.
4.  Let this cool completely and add the orange juice to it.
5.  Soak the chopped dry fruits in this sugar solution.
6.  Store this in the refrigerator for 3- 7 days.
7.  Powder the Sugar along with the orange peel, nut-meg and cinnamon.
8. Keep the Butter and Eggs at room-temp for 3 hrs.
9.  In a large bowl cream the Butter and powderd sugar mixture.
10.  Separate the yolks from the whites.
11.  Add the yolks to the Butter Sugar mixture and mix well.
12.  Add Vanilla to this and continue mixing.
13.  Mix the Flour along with Baking pwder and salt in a seperate bowl.
14.  Add the Flour little at a time to the butter mixture and mix.
15. Beat the Egg whites seperately in a bowl. Add the fluffy part to the batter.
16.  Alternate adding the Flour and beaten Egg-whites to the batter and continue mixing. 
17.  Mix the Dry-Fruit and Caramellized Sugar mixture to the batter.
18.  Line two 9-inch cake pans ( or 2 loaf pans )with waxed paper and pour the batter equally b/w them.
19. Pre-heat the oven to 325 deg. F. Bake for 1 hr.
20. Check if the cake is done by using a tooth-pick or fork . The tooth-pick should
    come out clean when inserted in the center of the cake.
21. Cool the cake for 1 hr in the pan. Then remove from the pan and cool on a wire-rack completely.
22. Store in a dry air tight container. Store in the refrigerator for almost a month.