Caribbean Recipe Of The Week – Jamaican/Caribbean Christmas Cake

By Minna LaFortune

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Dec. 22, 2017: This is the weekend – if you haven’t already, to bake all your Christmas cakes, and coconut breads.

As Caribbean people, these products must be on hand throughout the holiday season and until after the holidays. My favorite Christmas cake is the Caribbean /Jamaican Black cake.

The following is my recipe for making the Caribbean /Jamaican Christmas cake. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

For Fruits

2lbs raisins
1 lb prunes, (chopped)
2lbs currants,
1lb mixed  chopped fruit
I/2 bottle  Port Wine
1/2 bottle Wray and Nephew Overproof Rum

This can be bought or soaked in rum and wine mixture for one month. Or if you did not remember to soak the fruits, try steaming all fruit ingredients in rum and wine mixture in the microwave for 6 to 8 minutes. Cool mixture to room temperature for recipe.

For Cake
3 tsp cinnamon powder
2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp all spice
2 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
3 cups baking flour
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 tsp grated rind of 1 lime or lemon)
1lb butter
2 cups sugar
4tbsp browning (make your own or buy it in the Supermarket)
8 eggs
4 tsp rose water
1 cup Port wine
3tsp vanilla essence

METHOD

Sift together all the dry ingredients.

Add breadcrumbs.
Cream butter and sugar in a very large mixing bowl.

Add eggs gradually, then add lime rind.
Add browning. Mix well.
Add  3-4 cups of soaked fruit, stirring in with a large wooden spoon.
Add rose water.
Add vanilla.
Add 1 cup Port wine

Gradually fold in dry ingredients.

Mix well.  Mixture should be mildly stiff.

Pour mixture into greased baking tins. Cover pans with aluminum foil and bake for about 2 hours in an oven at 350 degrees.

Cakes are done when a butter knife or a toothpick or skewer inserted in centre comes out clean.

After you remove cakes from oven, sprinkle cake with leftover rum and wine mixture. Keep covered.

Bon Appetite and Merry Christmas

EDITOR’S NOTE: Minna LaFortune is a trained Caribbean caterer and also president of the  Society for the Advancement of the Caribbean Diaspora (SACD). Check out her food group on Facebook at www.facebook.com/groups/bestfood scaribbean/