Christmas Cake (Jamaican Black Cake)
(from Baking in the sun’s recipe box)
Preparing Fruits for Baking: Wash fruit well. Soak fruits in 2 cups port wine and 2 cups rum for at least 4 weeks before baking.
Ingredients
- 4 cups mixed dried fruits (raisins, currants, prunes, citron, cherries, dates)
- 3 cups port wine
- 3 cups white rum (preferably Appleton)
- 1/2 lb. butter
- 1/2 lb. granulated sugar (brown sugar is traditional but Valrie says granulated dissolves quicker)
- 6 eggs
- 12 oz. all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp browning
- 1 tsp Benjamin vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 2 tsp lemon juice
Directions
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To bake the cake:
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
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Grease a 10-inch baking tin with butter or margarine. Line the tin with wax paper.
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Mix butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
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Add eggs, one at a time, and continue beating until mixture is smooth.
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Add flour and baking powder and continue to mix.
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Blend in browning, vanilla, almond, nutmeg, allspice, and lemon juice.
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In a blender or processor, grind fruits and add to mixture.
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Add 1 cup rum and 1 cup wine and mix well. Place in oven.
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Cake is baked when a knife is inserted into center of cake and comes out clean. Check cake after an hour. This will make approximately 4 lbs. of cake. If you’re baking it weeks or months in advance, continue basting it periodically with wine.