Make Jamaican Rum Cake

Fruit cake is a served in Jamaica at Christmas celebrations and weddings. Slightly different than the Christmas fruit cake you find in Europe or the United States, this cake is potent and rich. In the Jamaican tradition, you make many cakes at once, because it is polite to offer cake to house guests during the holiday season. If you want to adopt this tradition, you may want to double or triple the rum cake recipe. Find out how to make Jamaican rum cake.

Steps

  1. Gather your dried fruit. You will want to have 1 lb. (454 g) of dried fruit, but it can be composed of dried cherries, raisins, dried prunes or currants. You should cut large dried fruit, like prunes, into smaller pieces before soaking.
  2. Place the dried fruit in an airtight jar. Pour a mixture of 2/3 Jamaican white rum and 1/3 port, cherry branding or red cooking wine. Pour the alcohol mixture into the jar until it covers the top of the dried fruit.
  3. Allow the fruit to soak for at least 1 day, but not over 2 weeks. The longer it soaks, the more potent your rum cake will be.
  4. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit (149 degrees Celsius). Move a rack to the bottom level of your oven. Move another rack to the middle level.
  5. Fill a broiler pan with water and place it on your bottom rack. This will help to steam the rum cake, providing more moisture than traditional baking methods.
  6. Line a baking tin with wax paper. Grease the baking tin with butter.
  7. Sift together your dry ingredients into a medium-sized bowl. Sift 6 oz. (170 g) of flour, 1/2 tsp. (1.4 g) of cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. (1.4 g) of nutmeg, 1/2 tsp. (1.4 g) of allspice, 1/4 tsp. (1.5 g) of salt and 1 tsp. (3.6 g) of baking powder.
  8. Grate the zest off half of a lime. Add 6 oz. (170 g) of dry breadcrumbs and the lime zest to your dry ingredients and stir well to mix.
    • While you can substitute lemon zest, limes are a traditionally ingredient used in Caribbean cooking.
  9. Brown your sugar. Heat 4 oz. (113 g) of granulated sugar in a heavy pan. Add a few tsp. (10 ml) of water throughout the process, until it takes on a dark caramel color as it melts.
    • Stir it constantly to avoid burning. Take it off the burner once it achieves the darker color and fluid consistency.
  10. Cream 8 oz. (227 g) of butter and 4 oz. (113 g) of granulated sugar with an electric mixer. Try to get this to a light consistency.
  11. Add 1 tsp. (5 ml) of vanilla extract and 1 tsp. (5 ml) of almond extract. Add your browned sugar and half of your soaked fruit into this mixture. Mix well.
  12. Beat 8 eggs until they are light and frothy. This will take approximately 10 minutes.
  13. Fold your egg mixture into your butter and sugar mixture. Add in the rest of your soaked fruit and mix well.
  14. Slowly pour the dry ingredients into the liquid ingredients, mixing well.
  15. Test your batter. If you insert a wooden spoon, it should hold up fairly well. You can mix more flour in to get a thicker consistency.
  16. Pour your batter into your greased pan. Place your pan just above your broiler pan filled with water.
  17. Bake for 2 hours. Check your cake regularly after the first hour by inserting a toothpick. If it comes out clean, it is done.
  18. Pour a layer of dark rum or brandy over the top of your cake, once it is cooled. Remove it from the baking tin and wrap it tightly in aluminum foil. Store in an airtight container until you serve it.

Tips

  • For a smoother texture, you can puree your soaked fruit before adding it into your batter.

Things You'll Need

  • Dried fruit
  • Jar
  • Jamaican white rum
  • Red cooking wine, cherry brandy or port
  • Broiler pan
  • Water
  • Round baking tin
  • Baking tin
  • Wax paper
  • Butter
  • Bowls
  • Sifter
  • Lime zest
  • Bread crumbs
  • Flour
  • Granulated sugar
  • Vanilla extract
  • Almond extract
  • Cinnamon
  • Allspice
  • Nutmeg
  • Mixer
  • Eggs
  • Salt
  • Baking powder
  • Wooden spoon
  • Dark rum
  • Toothpick
  • Oven mitts
  • Aluminum foil

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