Christmas fruitcakes have been baked for centuries with the oldest known recipe dating back to ancient Rome. Fruitcakes were a way to maintain fruits and nuts as well as a way to celebrate the harvest and seek good luck in the arrival year. Jamaicans favorite Christmas cake is dark, spongy and heavy, with rum soaked fruit and rich flavor. Eaten only at Christmas the cake is a favored gift and house tradition.
Ingredients:
Cake
* 1 lb. Raisins
* 4 oz. Cherries
* ½ lb. Chopped prunes
* 2 oz. Cranberries
* 32 oz. Dark Jamaican rum
* 4 oz. Citrus peels
* grated rind of 1 lime
* 6 oz. Or 1.5 cup flour
* 8 oz. Butter
* 8 oz. Sugar
* 4 eggs
* 1 tsp. Cinnamon
* ½ tsp. Allspice
* ½ tsp. Ground cloves
* ½ tsp. Salt
* 1 cup wine/brandy
* 1 tsp. Baking powder
* 1 tsp. Vanilla
* 2 tbsp. Browning
Directions:
Soak fruits, peels and rind in rum for two weeks before baking. In a separate bowl whip butter, sugar and browning until creamy. concentrate dry ingredients in separate bowl and mix well. In a third bowl beat eggs and brandy together until well blended.
Add egg combination to creamed butter combination and blend well. Strain and add fruits, retention rum for fruity drinks. moderately mix dry ingredients to batter and fold together.
Pour batter into a lightly buttered 9" cake pan and bake at 350F for 1-½ hours checking after 1 hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.
original Jamaican Christmas Cake