Best Jamaican Christmas Cake Recipe

Best Jamaican Christmas Cake Recipe

Jamaican Fruit Cake is a unique type of cake that we Jamaicans love to indulge in every year when Santa comes to town. 

There are so many different recipes for this kind of fruit cake, and myself have tried so many. Last year, I made a batch and it came out excellent fantastic, so I decided to share this recipe with you and of course attempted it this year again and It came out just how I want it to. Moist and Delicious.

 

Tip: The foundation of this cake is the fruits that are soaked and combine to the batter to make it a fruit cake. Here is what you will do, Soak the fruits in your wine. Jamaicans use Red Label Wine, but any Port wine will do, my favourite is Tawny Port Wine.

If you do not like to chew into the fruits while eating your cake then that is fine you can opt to blend the fruits out to the texture in which satisfies you. 

INGREDIENTS 

• 1 litre of Red Label Wine or Tawny Port Wine
• 1 cup Butter
• 1 cup Dark raisins
• 1 cup Prunes
• 1 cup Cherries
• 1/2 cup Dates
• 6 Eggs
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 6 oz Breadcrumbs
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 1/2 cups Baking flour (Varies)
• 3 tsp Baking powder
• 3tsp Browning (Varies)
• 1 tsp Almond Flavoring
• 2 tsp Vanilla 
• 1 tsp Lime Juice and Grind

NOTE BRIEFLY: 

Make sure to soak your fruits overnight, I personally do not like to taste the fruity texture of the fruits in my cake, so I blended my fruits and put them to soak. Traditionally Jamaicans would have fruits soaking for a year in advance. If you are not about that life like myself, you can soak it from 24hrs up to 3 weeks I promise it’s just as good.

Blended fruits should Yield around 4 cups, leftovers you can let sit for the next year.

Optional: You can add the amount of Rum to your mixture if you prefer.

The amount of flour varies base on the about of liquid you put in some people may add more or less wine or rum to their fruits mixture hence, making the batter less liquidy. Also, I realise that many recipes state a particular amount of browning to me added, but this varies because I realise adding the said amount makes my cake white while fruit cake should be dark in colour. So, add 3tsp first and if the cake looks too pale then add more. I will post the picture below of how the colour should look.

PREPARATION

1. Greece tin and place down until the mixture is done.
2. Cream butter and sugar in a mixing bowl until it’s light and fluffy.
3. Beat eggs until light yellow you can use an egg beater or mixture.
4. Add Salt, browning, Almond and Vanilla to the egg mixture and mix.
5. Then, add baking powder and cinnamon to the egg mixture and mix with your mixture.
6. Add Egg Mixture to the sugar batter and mix out with a wooden spoon or mixer.
7. Add the 4 cups of mix fruits to the mixture and mix until mixture is well blended in.
8. Add lime juice and grind
9. Slowing add the flour to the mixture, try not to add all at once, this will make the mixture clumpy and harder to mix out. Adding too much flour will make the cake hard.
10.   If you desire more browning you can go ahead and add, be careful not to add too much because this will allow the batter to be bitter.
11. Taste your mixture if you think something is missing go with your gut, I bet it must a be the rum. 🙂
12. Make sure you out your wooden spoon at a 90gree angle into the centre of the batter and allow it to fall freely. If it falls too slowly, then you might need more fruits. If it falls steadily and gradually slows then, you are perfect. Good to Go!!!
13. Turn your oven on to 350 degrees F and place baking tin inside to be heated up for 5mins.
14. You can add a tin with water at the bottom of the oven just to avoid the cake from drying.
15. Add Mixture to the baking tin and bake for 50mins.
16. Check cake from time to time to ensure all ready. Use a knife or toothpick to check if it ready. Usually, when you stick the toothpick or knife, it should come out clean if it does then you are all set.

 

Serve with Ice Cream (Optional)