Category: Kitchen & Dining

How to Make a Rich, Moist Coconut Rum Fruit Cake Without Butter

Homemade Christmas Fruit Cake with Coconut
Extra Moist Coconut Rum Fruit Cake

If you are planning on making a Christmas cake but not sure what type to make, here is a recipe that has a unique twist to it, yet is still delicious and moist. This recipe does not require butter, so if you only have vegetable oil, you can still make this scrumptious coconut rum fruit cake without sacrificing the taste and texture.

Dry Ingredients

  • 1 cup grated coconut
  • 1/4 cup coconut flakes (Will be used for topping before and after baking)
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3  cups all-purpose flour (sifted)
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder (sifted with flour)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
  • 1 teaspoon grounded mixed spice
  • 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
  • Grated rind/lime skin from 1 lime

Wet Ingredients

  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons margarine (optional)
  • 5 eggs
  • l lime (squeeze the juice from it)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1-2 tablespoons white rum
  • 1 tablespoon molasses
  • 2 tablespoons burnt sugar
  • 2 cups pureed fruits (pre-soaked in rum and wine)
recipe for coconut rum fruit cake
Dried Ingredients Mixed Together

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place a pot with water on the bottom rack in the oven. This will create steam to prevent your cake from drying out as well as keep it moist. 

Mix all the above dry ingredients together (except the sugar and the  coconut flakes) until it looks almost like large breadcrumbs. See photo to the left.

  1. Whisk or mix the eggs together until it is foamy.
  2. Mix the oil and sugar (margarine, if you used it) then add the whisked eggs.
  3. Mix all three ingredients until creamy.
  4. Add the premixed dry ingredients a little at a time, while using a wooden spoon to cut and folding it in.
  5. Continue to add the dry ingredients until there’s none remaining.
  6. Add the molasses, burnt sugar, and the other remaining spices.
  7. Add the pureed fruits.
  8. Mix the batter thoroughly to distribute the fruits evenly
  9. Pour mixture into a greased baking pan with grease paper lining the bottom.
  10. Sprinkle some of the the coconut flakes over the top.
  11. Lift the baking pan with the batter about 2 inches off the kitchen counter then firmly drop it on the kitchen counter. This will make the air bubbles come to the top of the batter.
  12. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour.
  13. Sprinkle the rest of the coconut flakes on the top when cake is cooled.

Tips

To give your fruit cake a stronger rum taste, mix some rum and wine together and brush it on the cake when it’s warm.

Storing Your Fruit Cake

To keep your coconut rum fruit cake moist for days, keep it wrapped in plastic wrap.

 

 

 

How to Make Breadfruit Punch Without a Blender

fit yellow heart breadfruit
Breadfruit That is Ready to be Picked From the Tree

I’ve eaten breadfruit, also known as Artocarpus altilis, for years and didn’t know that it could be used to make a drink similar to smoothie. One day a nice elderly Caribbean lady offered me a glass of breadfruit punch while visiting her. I was a bit hesitant but decided to try it, and to my amazement, it tasted really delicious. If you don’t have a blender and want to try making this drink, check out the steps below.

You’ll Need:

  • 1 Green or half-ripened breadfruit
  • 1/4 Teaspoon salt
  • 1 Can or 1 cup Condensed milk (Sweetened milk). Add sugar if not sweet enough.
  • 1 Teaspoon grated nutmeg
  • 1 Teaspoon ground cinnamon or cinnamon sticks
  • 2 Teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 Tablespoons rum or Red Label wine (optional)
  • Strainer
  • Whisk or mixer

Directions for Breadfruit Punch

  1. Wash the breadfruit thoroughly and dry it.
  2. Slice it in half or four parts.
  3. Remove and discard the middle part, which is called the breadfruit heart.
  4. Cut the breadfruit into small slices.
  5. Peel the skin off (the green rough outer layer)
  6. Cut them in about 2 inch pieces.
  7. Add 5-6 cups of water to a pot with the breadfruit, cinnamon stick/bark, and salt.
  8. Boil until soft enough to crush.

After the breadfruit is properly boiled, drain off the water and set it aside to cool. You will need the water to make your breadfruit punch.

Mash the boiled breadfruit while it’s still warm, since it’s easier to crush while warm.

Add the liquid from the pot as you mash, then use a mixer or a whisk to help bring it to a smoother texture. You will still see lumps but that’s okay for now.

Making breadfruit punch recipe
Smooth, Creamy Breadfruit Punch, Ready to Drink

Pour the mix through a big strainer to remove any lumps then add the other ingredients (spices, condensed milk, and rum or wine). Your breadfruit punch should now be rich, creamy, and tasty. Serve chilled with or without a straw.

This is my way of making breadfruit punch without using a blender. Add this new drink to your Thanksgiving table this year and have your guests talking about it for a very long time.

Simply Amazing Guilt-Free Carrot Raisin No-Frosting Cake

If you are looking to add some excitement to your Thanksgiving dinner table this year, you may want to consider this rich, moist, tasty carrot-raisin homemade cake. This healthy cake is a great choice to add a pop of fall color to your table as well as flavor. This is an easy cake to make without having to worry about too much sweetness especially from the typical cream cheese frosting.

Before you begin making your cake, choose the cake pan you will be using. To prevent the sides and bottom of your cake from drying out, and also to help the cake come out of the cake pan easier, use butter to grease the sides and the bottom of the pan. You can also add wax paper or parchment paper to the pans.

Next you will pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees, then move on to your cake mixture.

Ingredients for Carrot-Raisin Cake

  • 3/4 cup of vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon margarine
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs (See how to remove the egg eyes to prevent an eggy taste)
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice (Also helps to take away the egg taste)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla

Mix or whisk the top wet ingredients until smooth.

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
  • 2 cups grated carrots
  • 1/4 cup raisins (Lightly flour the raisins before adding them to the batter to prevent them from sinking to the bottom of the cake).

Add the grated carrots to the flour and mix it in thoroughly. The flour will start to look orange. Continue to add the remaining ingredients, making sure to mix thoroughly to prevent lumps of unmixed flour.

Pour the carrot cake batter into your greased pan. Firmly tap the sides of the pan to prevent air bubbles or bang it a few times on the counter,  then place it into the oven. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 to 45 minutes or whenever the toothpick or bamboo skewer comes out dry.

making carrot cake at homeThese ingredients made one square cake, but you can double up the ingredients to make a bigger cake to serve more people.

Baking Tip of the Day:

To get your carrot cake really orange, use the fine part of the grater to grate the carrot and mix it into the flour, then leave it for a few minutes to help release the orange color.