Submitted by : Tulin Bell
1lbs raisins
1lbs prunes (I used dried)
¼lbs cranberries, dried
½lbs Maraschino cherries
9oz red wine
1 cup of rum – more or less as you desire.
I used a mix of Malibu and Jamaican Rum.
Remember 2 cups is roughly = 16oz = 1lb
If you can, soak the fruit in the rum and wine for at least 2 weeks to months. Honestly, you can start soaking them a year ahead. The longer the better.
However..in this case I only had 3 days lol
Start now and store soaked fruit in a cool dark place. Remember to remove the pits from the prunes before soaking or use dried prunes!
When you’re getting ready to make the cake make sure to coarsely ground the fruits with some of the alcohol. You don’t want it to become mushy in the blender but have nice little pieces so just pulse it 2-3 times.
4 sticks butter, unsalted
2 cups dark brown sugar
8 eggs
3 cups flour, sifted
3 tsp baking powder, sifted
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
4-6 tbsp burnt sugar (if you rather syrup you can use dark molasses) – more or less depending on how dark you want the cake.
Cream butter and sugar until butter becomes pale, about 5-10 minutes on high speed.
On medium speed add eggs one at a time giving a little time in between each.
Add spices, lime juice, then turn the mixer back on high and add burnt sugar.
Put in 4 cups of the rum and wine-soaked fruit that has been coarsely ground.
Sieve flour and baking powder together then take the mixer to very low and add to batter slowly one cup at a time. Once the flour has been added avoid over mixing which will make the cake too firm. At this stage instead of the mixer, you may fold in the flour with a handheld whisk slowly.
Pour batter into buttered and parchment paper lined tins. Only pour about ½ to ¾ full as the cake will rise. Cover the tin with foil loosely on top to prevent burning.
Put a shallow dish filled with water in the bottom of your oven. Bake cake on middle rack at 300F (150C) for 1.5-2 hours. If your oven tends to burn food easily you can take the temperature down to 275F.
Check cake for doneness after an hour. Then check after 30 minutes again. (mine baked a full 2 hours)
The cake is done when a knife in the center comes out clean.
Take cake out, let cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack and brush with your alcohol mixture you have soaked your fruit in.
Notes:
*The consistency of this cake is best at “pudding consistency”. Not dry. Not wet. Just right done but not dry.
*Brush warm cake with alcohol
*Cling wrap cake after brushing on the alcohol
*This is a typical holiday cake
2nd Notes:
Half of this batter is literally enough to make..
*12 muffins
* 3x 4inch cakes
* 1x 6inch cake
