Caribbean Christmas Cake/ Wedding Cake
- Ready In:
- 1hr 34mins
- Ingredients:
- 20
- Serves:
-
125
ingredients
- 1 3⁄4 cups slivered almonds
- 2 cups seeded raisins
- 2 cups seedless raisins
- 2 cups currants
- 2 1⁄2 cups chopped dates
- 2 cups citrus peels or 2 cups mixed glace fruit
- 1 (12 ounce) bottle maraschino cherries
- 1⁄2 cup brandy or 1/2 cup pineapple juice
- 1 (10 ounce) can crushed pineapple
- 2 cups sugar (additional sugar listed below)
- 1 cup strawberry jam
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1⁄2 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 lb butter
- 2 1⁄4 cups sugar
- 12 eggs
directions
- Day 1: Measure nuts, raisins, currants, citron peel into a large bowl.
- Drain cherries and reserve juice.
- Chop cherries (they should measure about 1 1/4 cups) and add to the fruit mixture.
- Stir in brandy and soak over night.
- I actually do this a few weeks in advance and leave it in the fridge and really let the fruit soak in the brandy for more depth of flavour but it's up to you.
- If you're going to do it the day before baking however, I'd cover it with plastic wrap and leave it on the counter at room temperature.
- In a heavy dutch oven or large saucepan, simmer the entire contents of the can of pineapple with 2 cups of the sugar.
- Cook uncovered until thickened, about 30 minutes.
- Stir frequently and make sure the heat isn't too high.
- When cool, stir in the juice from jar of maraschino cherries (it shouldn't be more than 1/2 cup) and the strawberry jam.
- This mixture doesn't have to be done the day before baking but it does have to bee cool before you add it to the cake.
- In fact, I'd recommend that you do this step on the day of baking.
- Prepare cake pans by greasing and then lining with a double thickness of heavy brown paper.
- Brown shopping bags do well or else you can use tin foil with dull side out.
- Grease the paper or foil well.
- Use whatever size pans you wish but leave an inch space at the top of the pan.
- Total weight is 11.5 lbs.
- Preheat oven to 275°F.
- Sift or stir the flour with the spices, salt and soda until well mixed.
- Sprinkle a cup of the flour mixture over the fruits and nuts and toss till they are coated with flour.
- Set remaining 3 cups of flour aside.
- In a large measuring bowl, cream 2 1/4 cups of the sugar with butter.
- Beat in eggs one at a time.
- Stir in dry ingredients, alternating with pineapple mixture.
- Make 3 dry and two liquid additions, combining lightly after each addition.
- Pour over flour-coated fruits and nuts and mix until well combined.
- Turn into prepared pans and they can be filled to about one inch from the top.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 3 - 3 1/2 to 5 hrs depending on pan size.
- Put a shallow pan of water on a lower rack for added moisture if you'd like.
- Cake should be fairly firm in the centre and a skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes.
- Remove from pan and peel off paper and then let it cool on a rack.
- When cool, wrap it in a piece of cheesecloth that has been soaked in brandy, rum, black wine, liqueur, or fruit juice.
- Then wrap the cake in tin foil (leaving the cheesecloth on the cake).
- Freeze if not being used right away.
- Note: I usually start soaking the fruits around the end of October for a couple of weeks in the fridge, then mid Nov, I bake the cake, and freeze it.
- Every couple of weeks, I take it out, re-soak the cheesecloth in liquor and wrap it back up and re-freeze.
- By the time Christmas rolls around, you will have one moist and intoxicating cake!
- (You can just use fruit juice if you don't want the alcohol. I think pineapple juice is the best).
- You can decorate with an almond paste or icing of your choice or serve plain.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Ranikabani
United States