Fruitcake- the most notorious Christmas present known to man. Many people say that they would rather have no present at all rather than to receive a fruitcake. This does not apply to a Jamaican fruit cake however. Read our guide for more facts and in
As fruitcake is normally given around Christmas, it has become a tradition in Jamaica to give these cakes at that time of year. However, they are served at all times of the year for special occasions like weddings, baptisms and just family gatherings. Jamaican fruitcake is also called rum cake or black cake.
Why It Is So Good
Oddly enough, the fruits in a Jamaican fruit cake are not native to Jamaica at all, but are imported. They include raisins, dates, prunes and nuts. The secret to a real Jamaican fruitcake is in the preparation. The fruits are soaked in rum, brandy and red wine for not less than three weeks and up to a year. This will give the cake that rum taste that gives it its other name, rum cake.
How Do You Get Jamaican Fruit Cake
If you want to go the simple route, you can just order a Jamaican fruit cake from one of any number of sites on the internet. If you want to try your hand at actually making one, you can also find a number of recipes. Just be aware that most of these recipes have been handed down from generation to generation, and there always seems to be one ingredient missing
The recipe
Here is one fairly simple recipe. Remember when it says to add the fruit, this should have already been prepared by soaking them for weeks in rum, brandy and red wine.
Ingredients:
• 6 ounces or 1.5 cup flour
• 8 ounces margarine or butter
• 8 ounces sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 pound raisins
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces mixed peel
• 4 ounces cherries
• 1/2 pound prunes (chopped)
• 1 cup wine/brandy
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• finely grated rind of 1 lime/lemon
• 2 tablespoons browning (or burnt brown sugar)
Preparation
Mix cream butter, sugar and browning until soft and fluffy.
1. Sieve all dry ingredients together
2. Beat eggs, wine/brandy together.
3. Add egg mixture to creamed butter and sugar.
4. Add fruits.
5. Add flour and fold in. Do no over-beat when mixing.
6. Bake at 350F for 1 1/2 hours.
7. Yield: 9′ round cake
This will make a great cake to serve at Christmas or all year around. Your family and friends will like it so much that they will ask for it and look forward to receiving it as a Christmas gift.
