Traditional Jamaican Christmas cake A delectable delight

BY NOEL CUNNINGHAM

Jamaican black cake, or rum cake, is a spiced cake made with a combination of fruits soaked in rum, usually consisting of raisins, cherries, prunes, and sometimes mixed peel. Traditionally, this cake is served at weddings with a royal icing. This classic holiday dessert has endless variations, and surely no two households make it exactly the same way. Most Caribbean islands have their own rum cake like the popular Tortuga rum cake from the Cayman Islands.

Thought to have originated with British colonists who brought recipes for steamed fruit puddings with them as they began settling in the islands in the 18th century, Caribbean rum cakes incorporated local produce and liquors, evolving into a unique confection. What separates ours is the use of browning and soaked fruits.

While recipes may differ in ratio or kinds of fruit, one thing remains true the need to soak the fruits in alcohol for an extended period. However, you can steam your fruits in rum and wine and leave it in an airtight container overnight then pulse in the blender and you will still end up with a tasty treat. To help you kick start your Christmas feast here is my cake recipe that I’ve been using for the past 10 years and a few tips on how to prevent your cake from cracking.

Why cakes crack and how to prevent it
The number one reason your cake cracks is due to an extremely hot oven. In an oven that’s too hot, the outside of the cake cooks at a much faster rate than the inside. A crust forms early on, but as the inside of the cake continues to cook and rise, the crust cracks. This will also happen if the cake recipe has too much leavener or if you’ve used a pan that’s too small.

So what can you do to prevent this problem?
Make sure your oven is at the right temperature. Get a thermometer; make sure it’s accurate.

Use the appropriate-sized pan. Add another pan, filled only with water, to the oven along with your cake. The water will steam and cause the cake to cook more evenly and prevent a crust from forming. Avoid opening the oven during baking, as this can cause the temperature to fluctuate.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces margarine
• 8 ounces brown sugar
• 4 medium eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ½ tsp almond flavouring
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 3 cups cake and pastry flour
• 2 tbsp baking powder
• ¼ cup breadcrumbs
• 2 tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 5 tbsp browning
• 2 cups fruit wine (¼ cup extra to wet cakes)
• 1 cup rum  (¼ cup extra to wet cakes)
• 2 cups soaked mixed fruits (cherries, raisins, prunes)
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Directions

1. Cream margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. While creaming, combine flour, baking powder, mixed spice, cinnamon, breadcrumbs and nutmeg and put aside. Gradually add in eggs one at a time into butter mixture. Stir in vanilla and lime juice.
2. Fold flour mixture into the creamed mixture alternately with browning, wine, rum, and soaked mixed fruits.
3. Scrape batter into a greased and lined baking tin. Bake for 1 1/2 hours at 180°C/350°F or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Wet with an extra mixture of rum and wine then allow to cool.
4. Serve the fruit cake with your favorite sauce or icing.