Black Cake – A Must-Have Christmas Delicacy

Dec 25, 2017 News

Whether it’s the tantalizing scent of pepperpot engulfing the home and even the neighbourhood, or that mouth-watering garlic pork begging to be sampled again and again, among the many savoury dishes that must be had during this time of year is that luscious black cake.
Although black cake has over the years made its mark as a signature dish, featuring at weddings, topped with delicious icing, there is no denying that it is a requirement for most when the Christmas season rolls around. And as we all know, this highly anticipated period comes but once a year. So much effort and the right ingredients must be included to ensure that your home is ranked the place to be for the best tasting black cake.
While some are willing to settle for a pre-ordered cake from one of the fast food outlets, there are those who would prefer to toil in their own hot, congested kitchen in order to personally ensure that nothing but the best emerges from a sizzling oven. But while the final product may vary in terms of texture, taste and appearance, mainly because of an individual’s liking, there are some common elements that are expected when it comes to the creation of this tasty masterpiece.
From time immemorial it was butter that was recommended to help with the texture, but with the affordability of margarine, the latter has become the preferred softening agent for the black cake. Sugar understandably cannot be omitted. Rather than settling for the browning sauce that is available in supermarkets today, in the past it was the sugar that was burnt to a darkened state that helped to capture the blackened colour needed for the black cake.
Vanilla, all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, spices, salt, eggs, dark rum, cherry, mixed nuts, chopped prunes, raisins, orange and lemon peel and/or lime zest freshly grated, are all exquisite ingredients that help to give that ever flavourful punch that the taste buds expect from this dish.
With all of the preferred ingredients in hand the next important element is an oven with the capacity to be preheated to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. The actual preparation of the cake entails mixing together in a bowl, butter, sugar, vanilla and browning sauce until the mixture becomes soft and creamy.
In a separate bowl, the dry ingredients can be mixed together while a third bowl can be used to beat the eggs together with the rum.
The next stage would see the egg mixture being added to the butter mixture and the two being thoroughly combined before the orange and lemon peel and/or lime zest, fruits and nuts are stirred in. Flour mixture is then slowly added, but care should be taken to ensure that it is not overbeat.
Once the batter reaches to a level that is acceptable, it should be placed in an already prepared pan and baked in a preheated oven for approximately 90 minutes or until the cake is tested and confirmed to be done.
If you choose to share some with those who visit your home or wrap pieces and share with relatives and friends, your black cake is likely to leave a lasting impression on the taste buds of those you choose to allow to indulge. However, if you neglected to prepare black cake for today, then there is still time for you to prepare some for early in the new year.

Recipe for Black Cake
Ingredients
– ¼ lb cherries
– 1 lb local dried fruits (or raisins)
– 1 cup rum
– 1½ lbs. brown sugar
– ½ teaspoon baking powder
– 1 teaspoon cinnamon
– ½ lb flour
– 12 eggs
– ¼ lb orange or lemon peel
– ½ lb butter

Preparation
– Grind dried fruits and soak it in three cups of rum. Store in an air tight container for three weeks.
– Prepare the caramel by heating the sugar until it turns dark brown.
– Cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, soaked fruits, and rum. When it is well blended, pour the caramel.
– Add the flour with the baking powder and mixed spice.
– Fold in the cherries.
– Pour mixture in a baking pan and bake in a slow oven (about 300 degrees Fahrenheit) for two hours. Remove cake from pan after two days.

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