My Own Caribbean Christmas Fruit Cake Also Known As Great Cake Food

CARIBBEAN CHRISTMAS CAKE (KNOWN AS BLACK CAKE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F; spray a nine-inch cake pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, vanilla and browning until soft and creamy.
• In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.
• In a third bowl, beat the eggs with the rum.
• Add egg mixture to butter mixture and thoroughly combine, then stir in zest, fruit and nuts.
• Fold in flour mixture; do not overbeat.
• Put batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for approximately 90 minutes, or until cake tests done; may need longer.
• Remove cake from pan when cool.

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!

CARIBBEAN CHRISTMAS CAKE/ WEDDING CAKE

Steps:

• Day 1: Measure nuts, raisins, currants, citron peel into a large bowl.
• Drain cherries and reserve juice.
• Chop cherries (they should measure about 1 1/4 cups) and add to the fruit mixture.
• Stir in brandy and soak over night.
• I actually do this a few weeks in advance and leave it in the fridge and really let the fruit soak in the brandy for more depth of flavour but it's up to you.
• If you're going to do it the day before baking however, I'd cover it with plastic wrap and leave it on the counter at room temperature.
• In a heavy dutch oven or large saucepan, simmer the entire contents of the can of pineapple with 2 cups of the sugar.
• Cook uncovered until thickened, about 30 minutes.
• Stir frequently and make sure the heat isn't too high.
• When cool, stir in the juice from jar of maraschino cherries (it shouldn't be more than 1/2 cup) and the strawberry jam.
• This mixture doesn't have to be done the day before baking but it does have to bee cool before you add it to the cake.
• In fact, I'd recommend that you do this step on the day of baking.
• Prepare cake pans by greasing and then lining with a double thickness of heavy brown paper.
• Brown shopping bags do well or else you can use tin foil with dull side out.
• Grease the paper or foil well.
• Use whatever size pans you wish but leave an inch space at the top of the pan.
• Total weight is 11.5 lbs.
• Preheat oven to 275°F.
• Sift or stir the flour with the spices, salt and soda until well mixed.
• Sprinkle a cup of the flour mixture over the fruits and nuts and toss till they are coated with flour.
• Set remaining 3 cups of flour aside.
• In a large measuring bowl, cream 2 1/4 cups of the sugar with butter.
• Beat in eggs one at a time.
• Stir in dry ingredients, alternating with pineapple mixture.
• Make 3 dry and two liquid additions, combining lightly after each addition.
• Pour over flour-coated fruits and nuts and mix until well combined.
• Turn into prepared pans and they can be filled to about one inch from the top.
• Bake in a preheated oven for 3 - 3 1/2 to 5 hrs depending on pan size.
• Put a shallow pan of water on a lower rack for added moisture if you'd like.
• Cake should be fairly firm in the centre and a skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes.
• Remove from pan and peel off paper and then let it cool on a rack.
• When cool, wrap it in a piece of cheesecloth that has been soaked in brandy, rum, black wine, liqueur, or fruit juice.
• Then wrap the cake in tin foil (leaving the cheesecloth on the cake).
• Freeze if not being used right away.
• Note: I usually start soaking the fruits around the end of October for a couple of weeks in the fridge, then mid Nov, I bake the cake, and freeze it.
• Every couple of weeks, I take it out, re-soak the cheesecloth in liquor and wrap it back up and re-freeze.
• By the time Christmas rolls around, you will have one moist and intoxicating cake!
• (You can just use fruit juice if you don't want the alcohol. I think pineapple juice is the best).
• You can decorate with an almond paste or icing of your choice or serve plain.

TRINIDAD BLACK CAKE

Steps:

• To prepare the fruit mix: Finely chop currants, raisins, prunes, figs and cherries.
• Combine in a large bowl with mixed peel and almonds.
• Mix vanilla and ground cloves with rum, and pour the rum mixture over the fruit mix.
• Stir to combine.
• Cover the bowl tightly, and let soak for a minimum of 24 hours and up to one month.
• Prepare the caramelised sugar on the day you intend to bake the cake.
• Put brown sugar in a heavy pot.
• Carefully cook over low heat stirring constantly, until sugar liquefies and begins to turn darker.
• Do not burn!
• When sugar has turned dark, remove pot from heat and gradually stir in hot water.
• Mix well.
• Let the mixture cool.
• Final cooking: Preheat oven to 120 C (250 F).
• Line a round cake tin with buttered parchment paper.
• Stir lime peel and caramelised sugar into the fruit mixture.
• Set aside.
• Sift together flour and baking powder.
• Set aside.
• Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until blended.
• Add the flour mixture, stir to combine.
• Add the fruit mixture, stir to combine.
• Pour batter into the prepared tin and place the pan in a larger shallow pan filled with hot water.
• Cook in the preheated oven for 2 1/2- 3 hours or until cake tests done.
• Cake should shrink from the sides of the pan.
• Cool cake in the tin for 24 hours before removing.
• Let the cake ripen for some time before serving.
• Fruit cake keeps very well, but if you want to store it for a longer time, moisten it with additional rum from time to time.