Instructions: Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line a 9-by-13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, and grease the paper.

Combine walnuts, dates, cherries, pineapple and orange peel in a bowl. Sift flour with sugar, baking powder and salt over fruit. Mix well.

Beat eggs with vanilla and rum flavoring. Pour over fruit mixture. Stir until well-blended. Turn into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake below oven center for 1 1/2 hours, or until fruitcake tests done, when it pulls away from the side of the pan. Remove from oven.

Cool in pan for 30 minutes. Remove from pan. Lift off paper. Sprinkle with rum or other liquor of choice. Sprinkle again later in cooling process.

When thoroughly cooled, cut fruitcake crosswise into 4 even strips. Wrap each in wax paper, then in foil. Store in cool place.

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