For the batter: Cream the butter well (it can be half salted and half unsalted) with the granulated white sugar. Add 10 large eggs or 12 medium eggs one by one, beating well between each addition.
Separately, sift the flour with 1 tablespoon of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves. If the batter loosens and looks curdled when adding the eggs, alternate small portions of the flour mixture with the eggs until consistency is regained. Add vanilla essence to taste. Gradually add the flour, avoiding over-mixing, just enough to incorporate it well.
Add 1/4 cup of caramel color and mix a little more until the color is well combined. Separately, finely chop the dried fruit: almonds, walnuts, raisins, prunes, and figs. This is incorporated by hand to evenly distribute the dried fruit in the batter and avoid clumping. Add the zest of the peel of 1 lemon or orange. This amount of batter yields 40 portions and requires a 12-inch round pan or two 8-inch pans.
Grease the pan well and pour the mixture up to 2/3 of the pan. The oven should be preheated to 350 degrees for half an hour. The mixture in the 12″ pan takes about 1 1/2 – 1 3/4 hours to bake. The oven can only be opened after 1 hour; opening it before affects the cake's outcome. When you notice that the surface is well cooked, approaching the 1 1/2 hour mark, you can check it with a dry toothpick to see if it is cooked through. When the toothpick comes out completely dry, it’s time to take it out of the oven. Once removed from the oven, wait 5 minutes, unmold it onto aluminum foil, and soak it with a bottle of sweet wine like vermouth or to your taste. Keep it wrapped in plastic film and let it age for a few days before cutting. It will taste like food of the gods.
Nutritional Information
* * Information per 100g serving, percentage of daily values based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
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