Black Fruit Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Make the soaked spiced dried fruit: In a medium saucepan, combine the raisins, currants, prunes, cherries, cherry brandy, rum, cinnamon stick, and star anise. Cook over medium heat until just boiling, then remove from the heat and let steep for 1-2 hours.
• About 20 minutes before making the cake batter, make the burnt sugar syrup: Add the sugar to a small nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Let the sugar deeply caramelize, turning almost black and smoking a bit. Reduce the heat to low and carefully pour in the water (it will steam) and stir vigorously to incorporate. Let the syrup remain in saucepan while it cools, about 15 mins. If it hardens too much before using, add a little more water and stir over low heat.
• Remove the cinnamon stick and star anise from the soaked fruit mixture. Transfer to a food processor, add the candied citrus peel, and pulse into a chunky paste. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C). Grease 2 8-inch or 1 10-inch (25 cm) round cake pans.
• Make the cake batter: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and baking powder. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar with an electric hand mixer. Once light and fluffy, beat in the eggs, 1 at a time.
• With the mixer running, add ⅓ of the flour mixture then ½ of the fruit paste, then another ⅓ of the flour. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold in the remaining fruit paste and flour.
• Add the burnt sugar syrup, vanilla, bitters, and sliced almonds. Fold quickly to incorporate so the syrup doesn't harden.
• Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan(s).
• Bake for 1 hour, then reduce the oven temperature to 250˚F (120˚C), and bake for 45 minutes more, until the cake is dark in color and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• While the cake is baking, make the soaking liquid: In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine the rum, cherry brandy, and sherry.
• Let the cakes to cool for 5 minutes, then carefully run a knife around the edges of the pans. Slowly pour the soaking liquid over each of the cakes, a little at a time, allowing it to soak in. (Reserve about ¼ cup for serving) Let the cakes cool completely in the pans.
• You can serve the cake immediately, but the flavor improves with time. Wrap the cooled cakes in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 months. Pour ½ cup of rum over the cake every 7 days to keep moist while storing.
• Brush with more of the soaking liquid before slicing and serving.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• Mix all dry ingredients (flour, spices, and fruits and nuts) together in a very large bowl. Mix all soft or liquid ingredients together thoroughly then add to lg. Bowl, mixing well by hand. (This will give you an upper-body workout!).
• Prepare 4 bread pans (standard size) by lining them thoroughly with brown wrapping paper or a cut-up brown grocery bag. Pour this thick and chunky batter into each of the loaf pans, filling 2/3 full.
• Bake for 2 hours at 250-300 degrees.
• Remove from oven and let cool. When thoroughly cool, remove from pans and carefully remove the brown paper which is adhered to the fruitcake. Wrap in waxed paper and let set. Serve during the Holidays.

Steps:

• FOR THE CAKE: Wash and dry fruit. Grind fruit and soak with 3/4 cup of rum. Store, covered, in glass jar to steep for 2 weeks or longer.
• TO MAKE CARAMEL, heat 1 lb. of sugar in a heavy bottomed frying pan until melted; simmer until dark brown. Let cool.
• Cream butter and 1/2 lb (250 g) sugar well, add beaten eggs a little at a time; add soaked fruits and rum, stirring well, and enough caramel to make it as dark as desired.
• Add sifted flour with baking powder and mixed spice. Fold in peel and chopped nuts.
• Pour mixture into baking pan, greased and lined with waxed paper. Bake in a slow oven at 300°F for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
• Sprinkle additional rum over cake immediately after it is baked. Repeat a few times. Allow cake to remain in pan for 2 to 3 days.
• FOR THE MARZIPAN: Beat egg whites to a stiff froth, stir in ground almonds, sugar and almond essence to make a paste.
• Remove cake from pan, place on a cake plate. Cover top of cake with almond paste. Roll rest of paste thinly to cover sides. Allow to dry 1 day before icing.
• FOR THE ROYAL ICING: Beat egg whites to a froth, add sugar, a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Add lemon juice and sugar and continue to beat until mixture forms peaks.
• Dip a spatula in hot water and smoother the icing over the almond paste. A second layer may be applied when the first is thoroughly dried.
• Decorate as desired. If cake is for a wedding choose appropriate colours and decorations. If cake is for Christmas colours chosen may be red and green on white with a Christmas theme.
• Caribbean Cuisine....Betty "K".

Steps:

• At least 2 days before baking, combine prunes, raisins, currants, cherries, candied peel, rum and brandy in a glass jar or sturdy plastic container. Cover tightly; shake or stir occasionally.
• When ready to bake, put soaked fruit and almonds in a blender or food processor; work in batches that the machine can handle. Grind to a rough paste, leaving some chunks of fruit intact. Add a little brandy or wine if needed to loosen mixture in the machine.
• If burning sugar, place a deep, heavy-bottomed pot over high heat. Add 1 cup white or light brown sugar, and melt, stirring with a wooden spoon. Stir, letting sugar darken. (It will smoke.) When sugar is almost black, stir in 1/4 cup boiling water. (It will splatter.) Turn off heat.
• Heat oven to 250 degrees. Butter three 9-inch or four 8-inch cake pans; line bottoms with a double layer of parchment or wax paper.
• In a mixer, cream butter and 1 pound light or dark brown sugar until smooth and fluffy. Mix in eggs one at a time, then lime zest, vanilla and bitters. Transfer mixture to a very large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Fold dry ingredients into butter mixture. Stir in fruit paste and 1/4 cup burnt sugar or molasses. Batter should be a medium-dark brown; if too light, add a tablespoon or two of burnt sugar or molasses.
• Divide among prepared pans; cakes will not rise much, so fill pans almost to top. Bake 1 hour, and reduce heat to 225 degrees; bake 2 to 3 hours longer, until a tester inserted in center comes out clean. Remove to a rack.
• While cakes are hot, brush tops with rum and let soak in. Repeat while cakes cool; they will absorb about 4 tablespoons total. When cakes are completely cool, they can be turned out and served. To keep longer, wrap cakes tightly in wax or parchment paper, then in foil. Store in a cool, dry place for up to 1 month.

Steps:

• Place raisins, currants, prunes, and mixed peel in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Transfer to a large jar.
• Pour cherry brandy, 1/2 cup brown sugar, dark rum, and mixed spice into the jar; mix well and seal. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until flavors blend, 2 weeks to 3 months.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and line two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
• Combine butter and 1 3/4 cup brown sugar in a bowl; beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs until smooth. Beat in raisin mixture until evenly incorporated. Fold in flour and vanilla extract gradually until batter is smooth and falls off the back of a lifted spoon.
• Divide batter between the prepared cake pans. Cover cake pans loosely with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cakes are firm and spring back when lightly pressed, about 2 1/2 hours.
• Cool cakes in the pans, 8 hours to overnight. Wrap in aluminum foil to keep moist.

Steps:

• To prepare the fruit mix: Finely chop currants, raisins, prunes, figs and cherries.
• Combine in a large bowl with mixed peel and almonds.
• Mix vanilla and ground cloves with rum, and pour the rum mixture over the fruit mix.
• Stir to combine.
• Cover the bowl tightly, and let soak for a minimum of 24 hours and up to one month.
• Prepare the caramelised sugar on the day you intend to bake the cake.
• Put brown sugar in a heavy pot.
• Carefully cook over low heat stirring constantly, until sugar liquefies and begins to turn darker.
• Do not burn!
• When sugar has turned dark, remove pot from heat and gradually stir in hot water.
• Mix well.
• Let the mixture cool.
• Final cooking: Preheat oven to 120 C (250 F).
• Line a round cake tin with buttered parchment paper.
• Stir lime peel and caramelised sugar into the fruit mixture.
• Set aside.
• Sift together flour and baking powder.
• Set aside.
• Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until blended.
• Add the flour mixture, stir to combine.
• Add the fruit mixture, stir to combine.
• Pour batter into the prepared tin and place the pan in a larger shallow pan filled with hot water.
• Cook in the preheated oven for 2 1/2- 3 hours or until cake tests done.
• Cake should shrink from the sides of the pan.
• Cool cake in the tin for 24 hours before removing.
• Let the cake ripen for some time before serving.
• Fruit cake keeps very well, but if you want to store it for a longer time, moisten it with additional rum from time to time.