Growing up in my native Jamaica, I had a 'front-row seat' to scrumptious meals shared throughout the holiday during the Christmas season.
Of the many foods consumed, my favorite was the delicious Jamaican fruitcake, a complement of my mom. She upheld this tradition annually, and ensured that as kids, we got our very own cake, baked in a tiny cleaned up tuna can. Oh, how I treasure those childhood memories of our beautiful island home! Precious and tender feelings that stay embedded in my heart.
My desire to replicate my mom's baking skills now has me mixing up yummy batters each December.
I am tooting my horn, but I think it's safe to say I have finally perfected my craft 😏. My cakes are mouthwatering, reminisce of the two-day consumption in my household (not revealing the biggest consumer, of course). Ha!
Well, enough chit-chatting. Let's now delve into the hidden secrets of the batter 😋.
You must first gather the ingredients needed to make this delicious cake.
These include
3 lbs flour
1 1/2 lbs brown sugar
2 1/2 cups red label wine (or grape juice) - helps to amplify the flavor and is a preservative
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 pinch salt
1 cup dark molasses (optional)
1 lb raisins
1 lb mixed peel
9 eggs
4 oz butter
1 bottle browning
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
Sift together and set aside flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix the butter and sugar in a large bowl until fluffy. Put in eggs at random, while slowly adding the flour mixture. Stir in fruits, wine, and molasses, and slowly mix. Pour into greased round baking pans.
Bake for 1 - 1 1/2 hour, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool and enjoy!
You should soak fruits in wine for approximately 3 - 4 weeks for the best results. This amplifies the flavor and softens the texture of the cake, making it more palatable.
Glaze cake with wine every other day to make it retain moisture.
*With insufficient time, you can alternately boil the fruits in a covered container of wine or grape juice until tender. Allow cooling before adding it to the batter.
Thanks for stopping by, and please share if you decide to make one yourself.
Have a great day and happy holidays!
No comments