No matter how many ‘ready made’ cakes we eat year-round, Caribbean people tend to want to bake their own at Christmas, and this is one tradition that may never go away. There are the experts among us who can do it simply by adding a little this, tossing in a little that, a pinch of this and plenty rum… for the rest of us… there is the recipe.

Christmas Fruit/Black/Christmas Cake

INGREDIENTS:
6 ounces or 1˝ cups flour
8 ounces margarine or butter
8 ounces sugar
4 eggs
1 pound raisins
1 teaspoon cinnamon
˝ teaspoon mixed spice
˝ teaspoon salt
4 ounces mixed peel
4 ounces cherries
˝ pound prunes (chopped)
1 cup wine/brandy
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
finely grated rind of 1 lime/lemon
2 tablespoons browning (or burnt brown sugar)

METHOD:
Cream butter, sugar and browning until soft and fluffy.
Sieve all dry ingredients together
Beat eggs, wine/brandy together.
Add egg mixture to creamed butter and sugar.
Add fruits.
Add flour and fold in. Do no over-beat when mixing.
Bake at 350F for 1 ˝ hours.
Yield: 9' round cake.

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