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. 

Eggless Jamaican Fruitcake

Once I had to make a fruit cake for someone who is vegetarian.This recipe has no eggs. I miss the butter but you can use butter flavoring if you like.

 2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 tbsp mixed peel
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup currants
1 cup milk or wine
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp vinegar
Sift the flour, salt, and spices together. Rub in the shortening and add sugar. Mix in raisin, currants and peel. Add the milk with soda dissolved in it. Add vinegar last. Pour into greased and lined baking tin. Bake at 350F for about 1 hour.

Jamaican Spice Bun Rolls

Its almost Easter in Jamaica and what I love to call 'Easter Bun Holiday'. There is so much Easter Bun to choose from Stout Buns, Yeast Buns and some thats neither.
So with my love for Buns and Cinnamon Rolls I decided to try a fusion. They are awesome. Give them a try and let me know if you love them too.

50 Jamaican Dishes

This year Jamaica celebrates 50 years of independence and we are counting down our top 50 Jamaican dishes.

1. Cornmeal Porridge
2. Hominey Corn Porridge
3. Green Banana/Plantain Porridge
4. Peanut Porridge
5. Stamp and Go (Saltfish Fritters)
6. Solomon Gundy
7. Janga (Crayfish) Soup
8. Mannish Water (Goat Head Soup)
9. Pepperpot Soup
10. Pumpkin Beef Soup
11. Fish Tea
12. Red Peas Soup
13.  Rice and Peas
14. Jerked Chicken
15. Jerked Pork
16. Jerked Sausage
17. Steamed Fish
18. Roast Fish
19. Escovitched Fish
20. Run Dung
21. Peppered Shrimp
22. Ackee and Saltfish
23. Curried Shrimp/Conch
24. Curried Goat
25. Cow Foot and Beans
26. Tripe and Beans
27. Stew Peas
28.  Beef Patty
29. Roast Breadfruit
30. Pumpkin/Callaloo Rice
31. Boiled Dumplings
32. Callaloo
33. Festivals
34. Bammy
35. Pressed Plantatin
36. Roast Yam and Saltfish
37. Fried Dumplings
38. Vegetable Salad
39. Cornmeal Pudding
40. Sweet Potato Pudding
41. Duckunoo
42. Toto
43. Rock Buns
44. Coconut Drops
45. Grater Cake
46. Plantain Tart
47. Fruit Cake
48. Bulla
49. Gratto
50. Hard Dough Bread
51. Spice Bun

Fruit Cake Cookies

Fruit Cake Cookies

1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter
1 egg
2 3/4 cups flour, sifted
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup candied cherries
1 1/2 cups raisins, soaked and plumped in port wine
1/2 cup candied pineapple
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped

Cream butter and sugar until light.
Add egg and beat until well blended.
Reserving a little of the flour to toss with the fruit, combine remaining flour with the salt and baking soda.
Add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk.
Toss fruit with the reserved flour.
Fold in the floured fruit and chopped pecans.
Drop by spoonfuls onto greased baking sheets, leaving 1 1/2 to 2 inches between cookies.
Bake at 400 degrees F for 8-13 minutes, depending on size of cookies
Let sit on cookie sheet for 1-2 minutes before removing to rack to cool completely
Makes from 3-5 dozen fruit cake cookies.
Store in an airtight container.

Jamaican Rum Cake

Serving size: 12

How many rum recipes have I done? Don't know, don't care.

Basic Cake Mix
2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, cut into bits
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

For the Cake
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 (3.5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
1/2 cup milk
4 eggs , separated
1/2 cup rum
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Rum Soaking Glaze
1/2 cup butter (not margarine)
1/4 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup  rum

For the Basic Cake Mix: Use an electric mixer on low speed to combine the ingredients in a large mixing bowl until the mix is the consistency of fine gravel, and all of the particles are almost equal in size. (Basic Cake Mix may be stored in a container in the refrigerator for 3 months. This makes about 5 cups of mix and may be multiplied for other recipes as needed.)

For the Cake: Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a large (12-cup size) Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle the chopped nuts into the bottom.

Place Basic Cake Mix, pudding mix, milk, egg yolks , rum, oil and vanilla extract in a large bowl and combine on medium speed with an electric mixer for about 2 or 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl halfway through. Batter should be very smooth. Whip egg whites to soft peaks. Fold into batter. Pour into prepared Bundt pan and level out top. Bake until fully golden and tester comes out clean and cake springs back - about 55 minutes. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack while making soaking glaze.

Rum Soaking Glaze: In a small saucepan combine butter, water and sugar. Bring to a boil carefully as mixture boils over very easily. Reduce to a simmer and cook until sugar is dissolved and syrup is combine well and a little thicker. Remove from heat and add the rum and mix to combine.

While cake is still cooling, pour hot syrup into and on top of cake. There is a lot of syrup and if cake doesn't soak it up right away just wait a couple minutes and add the rest. It will take time to soak it up.

Cool cake completely in Bundt pan before turning out onto serving platter.

This cake is delicate, so once it is turned out, it cannot be moved around easily. It is best served the next day.