Black Cake or West Indian Fruit Cake

By sugarnspice

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Printed From https://www.cakecentral.com/recipe/2128/black-cake-or-west-indian-fruit-cake 2024-04-23

This cake is connected to all festive occasions such as Christenings, Weddings, and the Christmas season. It is a very tasty fruity cake and the wine in it give it a special kick. I hope you enjoy it like we do!!!

Black Cake or West Indian Fruit Cake

Ingredients

1 lb Prunes 1lb Cherries (quartered)
1 lb Currants 1lb flour
1 lb Raisins 1lb Brown Sugar
1/2 lb Mixed Peel 1 lb Butter
1 doz. eggs
2 teasponns Almond Essence
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon Ground Clove
4 teaspoons Vanilla Essence
1/2 teasponn ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2-3 bottles of red wine (preferably a sweet wine)

Instructions

Mince together Prunes, currants and raisins after having removed seeds. (It is always better to buy the seedless ones.) Pour into bottle and cover with wine. Soak for several weeks or months.
Cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Break eggs in butter mixture (no need to beat the eggs) and mix thoroughly. Add soaked fruits, but not too much wine, and mix well. Add mixed peel and cherries which have been floured lightly. Add essences and spices and mix well again. Stir in flour and when all is mixed, you may add some of the wine form the soaked fruit. Add brown food colouring to make cake as dark as desired. Pour mixture in well greased and lined (with grease proof paper) cake tins and bake in preheated oven at 300 F This will take over an hour, but check by inserting sharp knife in cake, which is good when knife comes out clean.
Allow to cool and when just barely warm soak very generously with red wine or sherry. You will probably get two cakes and if necessary the recipe may be halved.