Bakery -- Jamacian Holiday Black Fruit Cake: 102: David's Version
Submitted by dvdlee on September 25, 2004 at 11:47 am

DESCRIPTION
Bakery -- Jamacian Holiday Black Fruit Cake: 102: David's Version

SUMMARY
Yield 0 File under cakes

INSTRUCTIONS
You can bake the cake in any size pan. I usually make mini-loaves, loaf pan, and 8" round. Prepare pans by lightly greasing or spraying with oil. Place a piece of parchment in the bottom of each pan.

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350F

1 lb. butter 1 lb. brown sugar (light or dark)
1 dozen eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla
2 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoon(s) mixed spice (cake spice)
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg (fresh, grated)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup orange marmalade (sweet, not seville)
2 cups finely ground almonds or pecans (I used pecan meal)
2 cups plain dry bread crumbs
5 cups flour (all purpose)
4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
6 oz. burnt sugar extract (this can be omitted if unavailable, but the cake will not be "black" and will miss a slight "edge" in flavor) -- if not available locally can be ordered at: http://www.cordiallyyours. Look under the Carribean section: Condements: Sugars Jams Spreads Spices & Sauces. It is called Burnt Sugar Sauce.

1. Cream butter and brown sugar until light & fluffy
2. Gradually beat in eggs 2 at a time.
3. Mix in extracts and spices
4. Add marinated fruit to the butter/sugar/egg mixture, mix well.
5. Add nut meal and breat crumbs to batter
6. Combine flour, baking powder and salt and stir to distribute evenly
7. Fold in orange marmalade, then fold in flour mixture.

This makes a huge amount of cake batter. I mix it in my 6 qt. Dutch Oven (and its a little bit too small). If the batter appears dry add a small quantity of port to moisten the batter. Batter should be the consistency of a slightly stiff cake batter.

SPOON BATTER INTO PANS

The cake will not rise very much at all during baking. The baking powder really doesn't seem to have much effect, but every recipe calls for it... I use it -- its cheap after all!

BAKE CAKE IN 350F OVEN UNTIL DONE A mini-loaf took about 45 minutes in my oven. A loaf was around 1 hour 10 min. a 8" springform cake pan (with batter around 2 1/2 inches deep) was around 90 minutes. The cake will crack in the center and should be baked like a brownie or custard. The interior will be very slightly underdone and the outside edges will have begun to dry out. I baked the cakes to approximatly 165 - 170F in the center of the cake. There is a fairly wide range of "doneness" to the cake, so you don't have to be accurate to the minute or exact temp.

Remove cake(s) from oven and cool on a rack for 10 - 15 minutes. Invert cake onto cooling rack and carefully remove parchment paper. (you don't want the cake to split). Cool completly.

FROSTING THE CAKE

You have several options. One option is to roll out a thin sheet of marzipan and place over the top of the cake, with the edges of the marzipan draping over the sides. Decorate as desired.

You can also frost with a standard confectioners sugar milk glaze (2 cups confections sugar, 3 tablespoons cream, 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of almond extract -- add more cream as necessary to make smooth glaze).

You can even combine the 2 frostings -- place marzipan on cake, then coat with glaze.

This is a very rich cake. Serve in 1/2 inch slices. I do not serve with any topping or sauce on the plate (you might consider a very thin creme angalise, but I think its not needed and just more work!)

Sorry for the long note -- but I wanted to document/comment on the recipe steps (since most of the recipes I found were woefully short of directions.)

Note: Burnt Sugar Extract can (in theory) be made at home. You take one pound of brown sugar in a skillet with 1/2 cup of water. You then (and I quote) "boil it gently until the sugar begins to turn black". Personally, I just barely have the confidence to make gumbo roux -- must less boil sugar until black!