Jamaica Spiced Black Fruit Cake Recipe
Ingredients
| Currants | 3 1/4 Cup (16 tbs), dried | |
| Seedless raisins | 2 1/4 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| 2 cups seeded raisins, chopped | ||
| Citron | 1 1/4 Cup (16 tbs), sliced | |
| Dried figs | 1 1/2 Cup (16 tbs), chopped | |
| 1 cup cooked and drained dried prunes, pitted and chopped | ||
| 1 1/2 cups blanched whole almonds, toasted and sliced | ||
| Dates | 1 Cup (16 tbs), chopped | |
| Cherries | 1 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| Orange peel | 1/2 Cup (16 tbs), chopped | |
| 3 cups dark Jamaica rum | ||
| Butter | 1 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| Dark brown sugar | 2 Cup (16 tbs), firmly packed | |
| 1 1/2 teaspoons each cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg | ||
| Eggs | 5 | |
| All purpose flour | 2 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| Baking powder | 2 Teaspoon | |
| Salt | 1/2 Teaspoon | |
Directions
1. Prepare the fruits and almonds and mix well. Stir in the rum and allow to soak one week.
2. Preheat oven to slow (275° F.).
3. Soften the butter in a large mixing bowl and gradually blend in the sugar and spices. Beat in two of the eggs.
4. Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt and add one cup to the butter-sugar mixture. Beat in the remaining eggs, stir in the rum-soaked fruit, undrained, and add the remaining flour. Mix well.
5. Line two greased 9 by 5 by 3-inch bread pans with brown or waxed paper and grease the paper lightly. Divide the batter equally between the two pans. Place a large shallow pan of hot water beneath the cake pans in the oven to prevent the cake from drying. Bake the cake until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, or two and one-half hours.
6. Cool in the bread pans one hour. Remove to a wire cooling rack, remove the paper and let rest until cold. Wrap in aluminum foil and store in a tightly closed tin box. Moisten occasionally with Jamaican rum. Age at least one month before serving and serve, if desired, with brandied foamy sauce.
2. Preheat oven to slow (275° F.).
3. Soften the butter in a large mixing bowl and gradually blend in the sugar and spices. Beat in two of the eggs.
4. Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt and add one cup to the butter-sugar mixture. Beat in the remaining eggs, stir in the rum-soaked fruit, undrained, and add the remaining flour. Mix well.
5. Line two greased 9 by 5 by 3-inch bread pans with brown or waxed paper and grease the paper lightly. Divide the batter equally between the two pans. Place a large shallow pan of hot water beneath the cake pans in the oven to prevent the cake from drying. Bake the cake until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, or two and one-half hours.
6. Cool in the bread pans one hour. Remove to a wire cooling rack, remove the paper and let rest until cold. Wrap in aluminum foil and store in a tightly closed tin box. Moisten occasionally with Jamaican rum. Age at least one month before serving and serve, if desired, with brandied foamy sauce.
Chef
