Jamaican Black Cake

Thank you to Nadine who requested a Jamaican Black Cake for the holidays.  This is a traditional holiday dessert which is deliciously, dark and rich and unlike any other fruit cake you will run across.



It is a dense cake soaked with rum and port wine and allowed to sit and ferment for several weeks or months.  It is also served at weddings and special occasions.

1 1/2 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

1 lime or lemon, finely grated rind only

2 tablespoons browning



Directions:

*I grounded and soaked these ingredients in rum and wine a few weeks in advance.  Kept in a sealed glass jar.



Cream butter, sugar and browning until soft and fluffy. Sieve all dry ingredients together Beat eggs, wine/brandy together. Add egg mixture to creamed butter and sugar. Add fruits. Add flour and fold in. Do no over-beat when mixing. Bake at 350F for 1 1/2 hours. 



This baked an 8 1/2" round. I decorated this cake with royal icing and silver dragees.