Jamaican Fruit Cake ... with a twist!!!
Hey guys! Welcome to my first ever Blog Post where I’ll be teaching you how I make my Jamaican Fruit Cake, with a twist, of course!
An authentic Jamaican Christmas celebration begins with a traditional Jamaican Fruit Cake also known as Christmas Cake or Black Cake. This dark and spongy cake is a labor of love that is rich in flavors from rum soaked fruits. It is very popular during the Christmas period and is often times served with sorrel.
This batch is quite a big one but it can easily be modified to make a smaller batch as there is a 1:1 ratio of flour, sugar, egg and butter with 1.5 pounds of fruits. I used 5 pound mixes, however, I removed half a pound of flour and half a tbsp of baking powder just to make my cake extra fruit-y. Now this step is totally optional!
Due to the large quantity of eggs used in this recipe, I added lime juice to the eggs to cut the taste of the eggs from the cake. The lime juice also allows the egg to get firm causing the final product to hold together better. I also added the zest of the limes to the batter but it could be added to the fruits mixture. Â
Again, due to the large quantity of eggs, I crack two to three at a time and then add them to mixer, to remove any germ (eyes) and also to reduce the risk of contaminating all the eggs if one is spoilt.
I always sift flour to get it lighter and remove any lumps that may be present. For the fruits, I use the chopping speed on my blender. Try not to puree as this makes the final product too soft. For added flavor, I add sweet orange marmalade and strawberry preserve to my fruit mixture. Use your own judgement and remember this step is optional.
Sticking with the tradition, I use my wooden spoon when combining dry and wet ingredients, adding dry ingredients in small batches to prevent lumps. Cut and fold the flour to combine the mixture without overmixing the batter. This method also prevents flour lumps from forming as well as produces a smooth batter.
Cut and fold fruits mixture, molasses and brown sugar to avoid overmixing while combining. This also ensure a good, even color.Â
When baking, add a container with water in the oven to steam the cake therefor preventing the cake from drying out. The recipe is down below and you can watch the full video here!
5 lbs Butter
5 lbs Sugar
5 lbs Flour
5 dozen Eggs
8 lbs Fruits* (soaked in Prune Wine and Jamaican White Rum)
4.5 cups Burnt Sugar
3 cups Molasses
2 tbsp Mix Spice
2 tsp Nutmeg
2 tbsp Cinnamon Powder
1 tsp Salt
4.5 tbsp Baking Powder
Zest of 6 Limes
Juice of 6 Limes
Strawberry Preserve (Optional)
Sweet Orange Marmalade (Optional)
*Fruits include mixed peel, raisins, prunes and cherries
1✅ Cream butter and sugar in mixer until light and fluffy.
2✅ Grate lime zest and juice limes, removing seeds as necessary.
3✅ Crack eggs, removing germ (eyes) as necessary. Add to mixer and whip until frothy.
4✅ Sift flour then add mix spice, nutmeg, cinnamon powder, salt and baking powder.
5✅ Blend fruits that have been soaked in Prune Wine and Jamaican White Rum. Add almond essence, vanilla, rose water and almond to blended fruits. Blend for about a minute. Add sweet orange marmalade and strawberry preserve to your liking.
6✅ Combine creamed butter and sugar with egg mixture in a large mixing bowl. Add lime zest and mix.
7✅ Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients a little at a time until the mixture is creamy and smooth. Be sure to cut the center then fold it over while scraping the bottom and the sides of the bowl.
8✅ Add fruit mixture, burnt sugar and 3 molasses. Mix well.
9✅ Spray cake tins with non stick cooking spray and dust with flour.
10✅ Pour mixture into baking tins.
11✅ Bake at 1.5 hours at 180°C/ 350°F in preheated oven.
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