New Year’s Eve is coming up fast and we are still in the festive mood, so why not start the new year with a bang. Continue the festivities with this succulent black fruit cake, bursting with flavors. Showcase your baking skills with this simple recipe and wow your friends and family at the dinner table.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup margarine (room temperature)
- 1 Tablespoon shortening (optional)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 7 eggs (Don’t whisk) (room temperature)
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons mixed spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 teaspoons rose water
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 3 teaspoons almond flavor
- 2 tablespoons white rum
- 1 tablespoon wine (preferably red wine)
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 2 tablespoons burnt sugar
- 3 cups of pureed and finely minced fruits (cherries, raisins, and prunes ) presoaked in wine and rum.
Prepping Your Oven
- Place a pan of water on the bottom rack in the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Preparing Your Baking Pan
- Cut the grease paper/parchment paper in a circle to fit the bottom of the cake pan.
- Cut strips of paper to line the sides as well if you wish to do so.
- Grease the inside of the cake pan with butter and then line the sides and bottom with the parchment or wax paper.
Preparing the Cake Batter
- Sift the dry ingredients and mix them together with a whisk then set that aside.
- Mix the butter, the sugar, and the shortening together and until fluffy and creamy.
- Add one or two eggs at a time to the creamed butter and sugar and then mix using a whisk or a mixer. (Do not over-mix). Continue adding the remaining eggs.
- Add your liquid spices and mix (except for the burnt sugar, which will be added near to the end).
- Add the dry ingredients (a little at a time) that you prepared and set aside earlier, then mix. Each time you add a little, you mix, then add some more and mix again until there is no more dry ingredients left.
- Add your burnt sugar to give it that dark, rich color, then mix.
- Add the fruits and mix.
- Pour in the batter into the baking pan and place it in the oven above the pan of water that was placed on the bottom shelf. (The steam will keep your cake moist).
- Bake for 1 hour or when bamboo skewer is inserted and come out dry.
After Baking Your Cake
- Mix about 2 tablespoon of white rum and 1 tablespoon of red wine.
- Use a pastry brush to apply the combination of rum and wine to the top of the cake while it’s still warm.
- Let the cake cool thoroughly.
Making Your Cake Look Shine
To make your black fruit cake look shine, just use some of the liquid from your soaked fruits to apply to the top of the cake, using a pastry brush.
Storing Your Black Fruit Cake
- Keep your fruit cake moist after baking it by wrapping it in plastic wrap for food then place it in a cool area.
- Brush more rum on your cake and keep it wrapped. The rum is a great preservative for this type of cake. Some people keep their black fruit cake for a long time when this technique is used. When done the correct way, the cake will not dry out or spoil.