For many people, a good quality cake looks almost like an exotic food. In Jamaica, the traditional and rich Jamaican fruit cake is among the most popular. Unknown to many, this is a derivative of the old English plum pudding.
It is the dream of every Jamaican woman to be able to make this queen of cakes. Many have tried and handed recipes from generations past, but some never got it quite right, as each home has its own secretly kept variation and never gives all the ingredients or the exact method used.
This best variation of this cake is made by the whipping method. It is full of nuts. It may come as a surprise, but none of the fruits used are from the island, such as raisins, currants, prunes, cherries, except for the mixed peel that is sometimes made in Jamaica. The rest are imported and therefore raise the price of the product.
The best cake has the texture similar to an English plum pudding, the color is very dark, and it has a rich alcoholic flavor. It is also very spicy as at least 5 spices and flavors are sometimes used.
There may also be different levels of color and alcohol content depending on the manufacturer’s preference. There are so many variations that you could make a cookbook with just Jamaican fruit cake and none would taste exactly the same, but they are all excellent.
There is also a specific ingredient that is very difficult to find outside of Jamaica. If someone in the US wants to make this Jamaican fruit cake, they will have to send it to the island to get this ingredient or buy it only from West Indian stores.
In some Latin American countries they have never heard of it. This is the gold that gives the cake its color. It is a type of candy that only Grace Kitchens can produce.
You can try making this dorado at home, as it is a type of burnt sugar. However, it is never the same. If you try to do it in an American home, very soon the fire services will go off because the smoke alarm will go off.
Your experiences will be expanded when you read and try the fruitcake recipe that is offered free for your experience only.
INGREDIENTS:
or 8 ounces or 2 cups of flour
or 8 ounces margarine or butter
or 8 ounces breadcrumbs
or 6 eggs
or 4 ounces currants
or 4 ounces mixed peel
or 4 ounces cherries
or 4 ounces plums (chopped)
or 1 cup of wine / brandy
or 1/4 cup rum
or 4 teaspoons baking powder
or 1 teaspoon vanilla
or 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
or 1/2 teaspoon mixed spices
or 1/4 ounce of jam
or 4 ounces of jam
or 1/4 cup of honey
or ¼ cup molasses
or finely grated rind of 1 lime / lemon
– 4 tablespoons to brown
METHOD:
1. Chop or mix fruit with wine overnight.
2. Beat the butter, sugar and brown until light and fluffy.
3. Beat the eggs into the mixture one at a time
4. Sift all the dry ingredients together with the breadcrumbs.
5. Add fruit. Jam, jam
6. Add molasses and rum.
7. Add the flour and fold it in. Do not over-beat when mixing.
8. Moisten with brandy
9. If the liquid is not enough, add more rum, wine or water to the
fruit cake
10. Mix fruit cake to a poured consistency.
11. The spoon should be able to rest in the mixture.
12. Grease the can with a little oil.
13. Cover pan with greaseproof paper that extends two inches above pan.
14. Pour mixture approximately ¼ inch above can.
15. Bake at 300 degrees F for 2-21 / 2 hours.
16. Yield: two 9’x 3 ‘fruit cakes
Serve cake with rum sauce, or topped with royal icing, fondant, buttercream frosting.
NB: Diabetics are advised not to eat this cake as it has an extremely high caloric value.
