Black Currant Cake Food

JAMAICAN BLACK CAKE

Steps:

• Add the dates, figs, 1 cup of the port, 1 cup of the rum, the almonds, brandied cherries with their liquid, currants, candied orange peel, prunes and dark and golden raisins to a food processor. Process this mixture until the dried fruit is broken down into smaller chunks. Stir in the orange juice. Allow it to soak in the rum for at least 2 hours 30 minutes, but preferably for 2 to 3 days.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 cake pans and line them with brown or wax paper.
• In a stand mixer, combine the butter, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, salt, molasses, browning and eggs. Slowly add the rum-soaked fruit to the mixer a little at a time and mix to combine all of the ingredients.
• Divide the cake batter between the prepared cake pans. Bake the cakes in a water bath by filling a large roasting pan halfway up with water and then setting the cake pans inside. Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes.
• Sprinkle the remaining port and rum on top of the cakes and let them cool. These cakes will last for days stored in parchment paper and plastic wrap and for weeks when frozen.

BLACK CURRANT CAKE

Steps:

• Remove the butter from the refrigerator a few hours before baking to allow it to get soft. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius/ 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter and flour a springform (20 cm/ 8 inches) or line the bottom of the springform with parchment paper.
• Clean and dry the black currants. Set aside.
• Cream the butter and the sugar, about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs, one by one, mixing well in between. Mix the flour and the baking powder and sieve them over the mixture. Mix shortly again.
• Place the batter into the prepared springform. Cover with the berries. Bake for about 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Leave cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, remove and let cool on a wire rack. Serve as suggested above.

BLACK CURRANT DRIZZLE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 2 pound loaf tin and line with baking parchment, allowing the ends to drape over for easy removal.
• Put the butter, caster sugar, flour, eggs and vanilla into a large bowl. Beat together with an electric whisk until pale and creamy, about 5 minutes. Spread one third of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the black currants.. Dot another 1/3 of the batter over top of the currants. Spread over carefully. Sprinkle another 1/3 of the black currants over top. Finally spread with the remaining batter, reserving the remainder of the currants for after.
• Place into the heated oven and bake for about one hour, until risen and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven.
• Place the remainder of the currants in a bowl along with the granulated sugar. Add the lemon juice and stir in with a fork, lightly mashing the fruit just a bit.
• Take a skewer and poke holes all into the top of the cake. Spoon the fruit,sugar and juice mixture over top evenly. Allow to cool completely before removing from the pan. The top should be set and crisp. Cut into slices to serve. Eat within a few days. (So NOT a problem!!)

BLACK CAKE

Steps:

• Combine the bottle of port and 2 1/2 cups rum in a large pot or bowl and add the prunes, currants, raisins and cherries. Soak the fruit for at least 2 days.
• Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Butter three 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with wax or parchment paper. Drain the dried fruit and transfer to a blender; blend well.
• Beat the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until fully combined. Mix in the fruit mixture.
• Add the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice and cloves to the bowl and beat until combined, 1 to 2 minutes. (If using a stand mixer, you may need to beat the wet ingredients, then transfer to a larger bowl and stir in the dry ingredients.) Mix in the vanilla and browning. Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans.
• Bake the cakes until set and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Remove the cakes from the oven and pour 3/4 cup each port and rum onto the hot cakes, dividing them evenly. Let cool completely.

BLACK CURRANT CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Put a pan on low heat and melt the butter.
• Take the pan off the heat and stir in the biscuit crumbs and the ground almonds.
• Spread the biscuity base mixture, covering the bottom of each ramekin, smooth down.
• Put in fridge to cool.
• Pour the double cream into a bowl and whisk until stiff but don't let curdle.
• Stir in the cream cheese.
• Combine most of the sieved blackcurrants until it all turns a rich purple colour and reaches a fairly thick consistency.
• Fetch the bases from the fridge and pour in a thin layer of the pureed blackcurrants then evenly fill the ramekins up to the rim with the cheese cake topping.
• Smooth off the top with a palette knife and carefully marble in whatever remains of the blackcurrant puree.
• Slice up the Kiwi and serve with kiwi and a few whole black currants.
• Return to fridge until ready to serve.
• Consume!

BLACKCURRANT CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Put the topping ingredients into a pan and heat gently until syrupy. Leave to cool.
• Whizz the biscuits in a food processor to make fine crumbs. Mix with melted butter and then press into the base of the cake tin and smooth with a back of a spoon. Chill in the fridge.
• For the filling, melt the chocolate over a pan of barely simmering water, then leave to cool slightly. In a mixing bowl, beat together the mascarpone, cream cheese, double cream until smooth. Whisk in the chocolate until thick.
• Briefly fold half of the blackcurrant topping into the cream cheese mixture so it makes a ripple effect, but doesn't turn it purple. Spoon into the cake tin and chill in the fridge until set.
• Transfer to cake stand and spoon over the remaining blackcurrant topping allowing the juice to drizzle over the whole cheesecake.

BLACK CURRANT POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F°.
• CAKE: Pour 2/3 cup boiling water over 6 tea bags in a bowl; steep 10 minutes.
• Remove and discard tea bags; cool tea to room temperature.
• Stir in sour cream.
• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt, stirring with a whisk.
• Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat until well blended or about 5 minutes.
• Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Beat in vanilla.
• Add flour mixture and brewed tea mixture alternately to sugar mixture; mix after each addition.
• Spoon batter into a 10-inch tube pan coated with cooking spray.
• Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool in pan 15 minutes on a wire rack.
• Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack.
• GLAZE: Pour 1/4 cup boiling water over 1 tea bag in a medium bowl; steep 5 minutes.
• Remove and discard tea bag.
• Add powdered sugar and juice to brewed tea, stirring well with a whisk.
• Drizzle glaze over cake.