Carribean: Belize: Belizean Christmas Cake (Known As Black Cake)
INGREDIENTS:
1⁄2 butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons browning sauce (helps to darken the cake, especially if you don’t use dark rum in the cake) (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon allspice
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 cup dark rum (brandy can be substituted, as can red wine)
1⁄4 lb mixed peel
1⁄4 lb cherries
1⁄4 lb mixed nuts (unsalted) or 1/4 lb nuts, of your choice
1⁄2 lb prune, chopped
1 lb raisins
1 lime, zest of, freshly grated
1 lemon, zest of
INSTRUCTION:
Preheat oven to 325°F; spray a nine-inch cake pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, vanilla and browning until soft and creamy.
In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.
In a third bowl, beat the eggs with the rum.
Add egg mixture to butter mixture and thoroughly combine, then stir in zest, fruit and nuts.
Fold in flour mixture; do not over beat.
Put batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for approximately 90 minutes, or until cake tests done; may need longer.
Remove cake from pan when cool.
