A West Indian Christmas Fruit Cake Recipes

BLACK CAKE (CARIBBEAN RUM SOAKED FRUIT CAKE)

Steps:

• Wash and dry all fruits. Mix together in a large bowl. Place fruits a little at a time in a food processor, food mill, or ninja blender. Add enough wine to grind fruits to a paste. Repeat process until fruits have been macerated. Fruit mixture should not be too watery. Add 3-4 cups dark rum. Stir and let mixture soak at minimum one week or even one year+. Adding more wine or rum periodically.
• If using store-bought burnt sugar, skip this step. Place sugar in a small saucepan. On low heat turn sugar with a spoon until it begins to caramelize. Once dark brown, add wine and remove from heat. Let cool completely.
• Preheat oven to 275 or 300 degrees F.
• Line 3-8in or 2-9in baking pans with parchment paper. Trim paper and set aside.
• Bring eggs and butter to room temperature.
• Crack eggs into a separate bowl one at a time, Remove little white membrane from each egg (optional). Beat in zests, vanilla, almond, and mixed essence. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients. Set aside.
• In deep mixing bowl or stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until pale. Add eggs a little at a time. Blend well.
• Of the macerated fruit mixture, add 1 1/2 lbs (3 heaping cups) a little at a time, continue blending.
• Add flour mixture a little at a time- fold in with a spatula. Add 1 tbsp burnt sugar at a time until desired color is achieved. If using store bought burnt sugar, 4 tbsp should suffice for a very dark cake. Mix well.
• Pour batter into lined cake pans.
• Bake anywhere from 275-300 degrees F for 80-90 minutes. When cake come out of oven, pour alcohol mixture on top. When cool, cover cake with plastic wrap. Flavor is best after a few days.

WEST INDIAN FRUITCAKE

Steps:

• In 2-quart saucepan over high heat, heat first 4 ingredients to boiling (wine, prunes, raisins, citron).
• Remove saucepan from heat; let stand 30 minutes to soften fruit.
• In blender at low speed, blend fruit mixture, half at a time, until smooth; set aside.
• Preheat oven to 325°F Grease 10-inch Bundt pan or tube pan.
• In large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat sugar and margarine or butter just until blended. Increase speed to high; beat 10 minutes or until light and fluffy, scraping bowl often with rubber spatula. Reduce speed to low; add flour, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon, eggs, and fruit mixture; beat until well mixed, constantly scraping bowl. Increase speed to high; beat 1 minute, occasionally scraping bowl. Stir in grated lime peel.
• Spoon batter into pan, spreading evenly. Bake 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in cake comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on wire rack 10 minutes; remove cake from pan. Cool completely on rack.
• LIME GLAZE: In medium bowl, with spoon, stir in all the ingredients until smooth.
• To serve, prepare Lime Glaze. Spoon glaze over cake.
• In small bowl, stir mixed candied fruit with corn syrup. Garnish top of cake with candied fruit. 24 servings.
• Good Housekeeping.

WEST INDIAN BLACK CAKE

Steps:

• Grind dried fruits and soak it in 3 cups of rum.
• Store in an air tight container for three weeks.
• Prepare the caramel by heating the sugar until it turns dark brown.
• Cream the butter and sugar.
• Add the eggs, soaked fruits, and rum.
• When it is well blended, pour the caramel.
• Add the flour with the baking powder and mixed spice.
• Fold in the cherries.
• Pour mixture in a greased baking pan and bake in a slow oven (about 300 degrees F.) for two hours or until a knife comes out clean at the centre.
• Remove cake from pan after two days.

MY OWN CARIBBEAN CHRISTMAS FRUIT CAKE ALSO KNOWN AS GREAT CAKE

Steps:

• About three months before preparation of the cake mix or puree the fruits.
• Pour the alcohol over them and allow them to soak.
• Cream the sugar and butter together.
• Add the eggs two at a time.
• Add the essence and angostura bitters.
• Combine the dry ingredients and spices with the flour and add them to the batter.
• Add the colouring to the mixture.
• A wooden spoon should be able to stand in the mixture with falling to easily.
• Grease and double line a large cake pan.
• Cover the pan with foil paper.
• Place a shallow pan of water in the bottom of the oven. This is to increase the moisture of the cake.
• Bake at 250- 300°F for 2-3 hours.
• Test for doneness with a skewer after about 2 hours.
• When done, prick the cake with a skewer repeatedly and pour sweet red wine all over the cake.
• Replace wine when the cake has soaked it up.
• Enjoy!