Christmas fruitcakes have been baked for centuries with the oldest known recipe dating back to ancient Rome. Fruit cakes were a way to preserve fruits and nuts, as well as a way to celebrate the harvest and seek good luck in the coming year. Jamaican favorite Christmas cake is dark, fluffy and heavy, with rum-soaked fruit and rich flavor. Eaten only at Christmas, the cake is a favorite treat and family tradition.
Ingredients:
* 1 pound. Grapes
* 4 oz. cherries
* ½ pound plums, chopped
* 2 oz. blueberries
* 32oz. Jamaican dark rum
* 4 oz. citrus peels
* grated rind of 1 lime
* 6 oz. or 1.5 cup flour
* 8 oz. butter
* 8 oz. sugar
* 4 eggs
* 1 teaspoon cinnamon
* ½ teaspoon allspice
* ½ tsp Ground Cloves
* ½ teaspoon salt
* 1 glass of wine/brandy
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 2 tbsp. browning
Addresses:
Soak the fruits, peels, and rind in rum for two weeks before baking. In a separate bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and browning until creamy. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl and mix well. In a third bowl, beat the eggs and brandy until well blended.
Add the egg mixture to the creamy butter mixture and mix well. Strain and add the fruits, reserving the rum for fruity drinks. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients to beat and bind.
Pour batter into a lightly buttered 9″ cake pan and bake at 350F for 1 1/2 hours, checking after 1 hour. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
