Recipe - Jamaican Wedding Cake (Also Known As Black Cake)

1 pound Raisins
One half pound Currants
One fourth pound Prunes
1 cup Dark rum
1 One half pound Packed brown sugar (3 1/4
cups)
One half pound Butter
6 Beaten eggs
One half pound Flour
One half teaspoon Baking powder
1 teaspoon Mixed spice (nutmeg,
cinnamon, cloves and
allspice)
One fourth pound Mixed fruit peel
One fourth pound Chopped nuts

Wash and dry fruit, then put through food processor to chop. Soak in Three fourths c
rum in covered container for at least three weeks, stirring every few days.
When ready, make cake:

Heat 1 pound brown sugar in heavy bottomed frying pan until melted; simmer
until dark dark dark brown. Let cool (If you live in a city, you can
probably find "burnt sugar" in specialty markets like West Indies, and some
Latin markets. The commercial sugar makes a blacker cake.

Cream butter and remaining brown sugar. Add eggs a little at a time. Add
soaked fruits with their liquid, and enough caramelized sugar to make it as
dark as desired. Add dry ingredients and nuts.Pour batter into 9 or 10"
springform pan, greased and bottom lined with waxed paper. Bake at 300
degrees for about 2 to 2 One half hours. Sprinkle some of the remaining One fourth cup
rum over cake immediately after removing it from the oven. Repeat a few
times. Allow cake to remain in pan for 23 days.

ICING THE CAKE

Remove cake from pan and place on cake plate. Roll out almond paste to a
circle big enough to drape over the cake, covering top and sides. Smooth
tightly over the cake and trim bottom edges. Allow to dry for a day before
adding royal icing.Make Royal Icing (this is an icing that becomes quite
hard): Beat 2 egg whites to a froth. Add 1 pound confectioner's sugar, a
little at a time on low speed. Add juice of one lemon and continue beating
until stiff peaks form.

Using a knife dipped in hot water, spread icing over the almond paste. DO
NOT LEAVE UNUSED ICING UNATTENDED...IF YOU HAVE TO STOP, MAKE SURE IT IS
COVERED WITH DAMP PAPER TOWELS, OR COVERED AND REFRIGERATED. This icing
hardens and dries up quickly. A second layer of icing may be applied when
the first has dried. Decorate as desired.

Posted to EATL Digest 08 Jan 97

From: Joan Mathew cmathew@IADFW.NET

Date: Thu, 9 Jan 1997 09:51:18 0500