Rum Soaked Fruit is a key ingredient to the West Indian Christmas Cake, also called Black Cake and Great Cake. It is important that the fruits once blended should be allowed to macerate for at least 1 year (12 months) before being used to make the cake. The long maceration allows for the alcohol to further break down the fruits and develop the flavor. Failure to not let this long maturing take place will have a direct impact on the texture and flavor of the cake.
INGREDIENTS
- 3 lbs. pitted prunes
- 2 lbs. raisins
- 1 lb. currants
- 1/2 lb. glazed cherries
- 1/2 lb. mixed peel
- 1 (750 ml) + 1/2 (375 ml) bottles dark rum
- 1/2 bottle (375 ml) port wine
- 1 + 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
PREPARATION
- Working in batches, blend the fruits along with the sugar and ground cinnamon, using the rum and port to moisten.
- If you are using a blender, pour the rum/port into the blender first, then add the fruits. This way, the fruits will start blending immediately without clogging up the blades. Use the pulse button and add more rum as you continue to blend in order for the mixture to move easily. Do not over crowd the blender with fruits.
- If you are using a food processor, add the fruits first, then the liquid. You can opt to start pulsing the fruits first and then pouring the liquid through the opening at the top of the processor.
- Add the batches of blended fruits to a large bowl and stir to mix. Feel free to add some extra rum to the mixture; stir to incorporate.
- Store in large glass bottles with airtight lids and place on your countertop or cupboard and let cure.
Editor’s Note:
Caribbean Christmas Cake when baked is more like a pudding and not a traditional cake, meaning that is has a light crumb.
This recipe does not stipulate that this is the amount of fruits needed to make the cake, this is a stand-alone recipe for rum-soaked fruits. When you make this batch, you take from it, the amount you need to make the cake (as specified in the cake recipe) The remainder is reserved and continues to mature. You can make another batch and add it to the remainder so that you always have rum-soaked fruits at hand.
**Grabbed from: http://latinfood.about.com/od/desserts/r/Rum-Soaked-Fruits-Recipe.htm