I am on a new baking adventure. Seeing as it is the holiday season, I decided to make something that relates to the Yuletide. My husband, as well as my father-in-law love fruit cake. I personally dislike them, especially the ones that come from the supermarket that are studded with fruits that have colors not found in nature. What I decided to make is a version of the much maligned fruit cake. This cake is different from the ones you find wrapped in cellophane at the store. I personally love this cake and do not associate it to the fruit cake, even though technically it is one.
Black cake is the Caribbean version of the fruitcake. It is traditionally made around Christmas time and for celebrations such as weddings. A rich and heavy cake, one can only really eat a very thin slice.
Some argue that you must soak your fruits a year ahead. Others say a couple of days ahead is fine. I admit I waited to the last minute, so my fruits only soaked for a week. I am so last minute in fact that it is currently past midnight Christmas Eve morning and my cakes are still baking in the oven.
Traditionally, once the cake is finished baking a hard sugar icing is used to ice the cake. I am opting to skip that part because I find it too sweet. One of my friends told me that it is done to keep the alcohol from evaporating and the cake from getting dry. My cakes should be fine as I am baking them in cookie tins. I can put a lid on it once it cools.
This recipe is really my variation on the black cake. I changed up some of the fruits used in the making it. Most recipes I’ve found call for dried or glacé cherries, candied citrus peels, raisins and prunes. I skipped the cherries and candied citrus peels, and substituted with dried apricots. I also opted to not burn my own sugar and used molasses.
So without further ado, here is my take on the black cake.
Black Cake
1 lb pitted prunes
1 lb raisins
1 lb dried apricots
2 cups white rhum, more for brushing the cake
1 1/2 cups port or red wine
100 g ground almonds
2 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup dark molasses
1 lb butter, plus more to butter pan
10 eggs
Zest of 1 orange
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp Angostura bitters
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
Method:
- At least a couple of days before baking (the longer the better), soak all your dried fruits with the rhum and port in a clean glass jar, shaking it occasionally.
- When ready to bake, grind your fruits into a rough paste in a food processor. Work in batches if you need to and add a little rhum or port to loosen up the mixture if needed. Mix in the ground almonds. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 250F. (Yes, you read right, that is not a typo.)
- In a large bowl cream together the brown sugar and butter. Add in the eggs one at a time, followed by the orange zest, Angostura bitters and vanilla.
- In a seperate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Fold in the dry ingredients into the butter mixture.
- Stir in the fruit paste and dark molasses. If you find it too light (it should be a medium-dark brown) add more molasses. Be careful not to go overboard though.
- Pour batter into 3 9-inch pans that have been buttered and lined with a double layer of parchment paper.
- Place in oven and bake 3 to 4 hours or until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- While the cake is still hot, brush the top of the cakes with rhum and repeat the process as it cools. The cake should absorb about 4 tablespoons total. You can serve the cakes once they are completely cooled. You can store it up to a month in a cool, dry place, tightly wrapped in foil, wax or parchment paper.
