Black cake

After a month of soaking dried fruit in rum and cherry brandy, it was (past) time to make this xmas fruit cake. The good news: my xmas baking season was underway :-)! The bad news: no more boozy fruit to add to my bran muffins :-(.

When I made this recipe last year I made the mistake of attempting to make my own "browning" by burning some sugar. That turned out to be a huuuuuge mistake. The sugar went from dark brown to smoking in an instant, and my pot quickly turned into a volcano of acrid smoke. (I couldn't see the bottom of the pot, but I was fairly certain that it had turned the requisite shade of black by that point.) Somewhere between the choking, burning eyes and throat, wailing smoke detector, and smoke-filled kitchen, I decided that if I made this again I would use the alternate ingredient (molasses). Well, turns out I didn't need to do that. Good old Co-op sells wee little bottles of Jamaican browning. Calgary Fire Department, you can stand down now.

I altered the type of dried fruit from the original recipe, but otherwise didn't vary it too much.This makes a lot of cake, and requires a huge bowl and strong arm. You may want to halve the recipe. And by you, I mean me for next year.

Black cake
adapted from this recipe

375 g prunes
445 g black mission figs
375 g Thompson raisins
375 g sultana raisins
375 g currants
470 g dried cherries
120 g mixed candied citrus peel
500 ml dark rum; more for brushing cake
375 ml cherry brandy
100 g whole almonds
65 ml browning (could substitute molasses here)
454 g butter, room temperature; more for buttering pans
625 ml dark brown sugar
10 eggs
zest of 2 limes
10 ml vanilla extract
2.5 ml Angostura bitters
1000 ml all-purpose flour
20 ml baking powder
10 ml cinnamon.

Combine dried fruit in a large bowl with the rum and cherry brandy. Stir well then cover tightly; let macerate for at least two days, stirring occasionally.

When ready to bake, use a food processor to grind the fruit and almonds into a rough paste. (This will take several batches.) Add a little more cherry brandy if the mixture looks too dry (I didn't need to).

Pre-heat oven to 250. Butter three 9-inch or four 8-inch cake pans, and line bottoms with parchment paper. (Whatever you want, really. Last year I just used my 9-inch springform pans. This year I used the springform pans and my mini loaf pans.)

Using a handmixer, cream the butter and the brown sugar until smooth and fluffy. Mix in the eggs one at a time (patience!), then add the lime zest, vanilla, and bitters. Transfer the mixture to a very large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon. Fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Stir in the fruit paste and the browning. This step could take a while, but it gives you lots of time to regret not going to the gym more often. Divide the mixture among the prepared pans. Bake for 1 hour at 250, then reduce heat to 225; bake for 2 to 3 hours longer, until a tester inserted in center comes out clean. Remove to a rack. While the cakes are still hot, brush the tops with rum and let it soak in. Repeat while the cakes cool.

When cakes are completely cool, they can be turned out and served. To keep longer, wrap cakes tightly in wax or parchment paper, then in foil. Store in a cool, dry place for up to a month. (I wrapped them in cheesecloth and doused them with a bit more rum, then in plastic wrap and foil, and popped them in the fridge. You could probably freeze these, too.)