Jamaican Christmas Fruit Cake

Jamaican Christmas Fruit Cake

The Jamaican fruit cake, also known as Jamaican black cake, has roots in British Christmas traditions. It evolved in Jamaica with the influence of African and Caribbean culinary elements. The cake typically contains fruits like prunes, raisins, and currants soaked in rum, along with spices such as nutmeg and cinnamon. 

The rich and dark color comes from the use of browning, a caramelized sugar sauce. Jamaican fruit cake is often enjoyed during special occasions and celebrations, reflecting the diverse cultural influences in Jamaican cuisine. Most Jamaican families have their own unique recipe which they consider the best. Some persons prefer their cake with a cake-like texture while others prefer a more pudding texture. 

1 cup butter or margarine 
1 cup brown sugar

6 eggs  

4 cups mixed fruits, blended

3 cups flour

½ tsp baking soda

3 tsp baking powder 

2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract

1 tsp rose water
2 tsp lime juice
1 tsp lime zest
¼ cup bread crumbs
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg 

1 tsp mixed spice 

1 tsp salt 
¼ cup rum
½ cup Port wine (Red Label is best)

2 cups wine with ¼ cup rum for soaking 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla, lime juice, and lime zest. Add the eggs one at a time, and incorporate well. Combine bread crumbs, flour, all the spices, baking powder, and salt. Combine rum and port. Add flour mixture alternately with rum/port mixture into the batter (you may not need all the port/rum) Fold in the fruit.

Prepare 1 (9-inch) cake pan with grease/wax paper. Fill the pan 3/4 of the way and bake until a skewer comes out of the center of the cake clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes (may vary based on your oven).

Cool for 5 minutes. 

Pour the 2 cups wine over the warm cake. Allow to cool before removing from tin. 

Tip: Place a pan with water on the bottom shelf to prevent cake burning and keeping it moist. 

 
Fruit Soak

1 pound black raisins
1 pound golden raisins
1 pound prunes,
8 oz mixed peel
Jamaican white rum
Brandy
Port

Put raisins, prunes, and mixed peel in a glass jar and cover with mixture of equal parts Jamaican white rum (Preferably wray and nephew white), Brandy and Port. Cover with a tight fitting lid, label, and date the jar. Put in a cool, dry cupboard. From time to time, check the fruits to see if more liquor is needed, as the fruits will plump and soak up the liquid. Keep the fruit covered in liquor. It is best to allow the fruit to marinate for at least 1 month for best flavor.