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Christmas Cake
For more than 30 years, Eunice has been making the family Christmas cake - also known as the Black Cake - based on her own mother's Guyanese recipe...  Hope Grant (daughter), Eunice Grant (mum) and grandaughter Kenya |
Eunice's recipe involves soaking dried fruit rum, brandy and wine for up to a year in preparation for the big baking day. Her daughter Hope lives with her parents and used to help her mum make the cake as a child. Now though she has a five year-old daughter of her own and she thought it was time Kenya learnt how to make it herself. Eunice Grant's Guyanese Christmas Black (Rum) Cake Ingredients: 1½ Ibs mixed dried fruit
2oz mixed peel
1 tsp mixed spice (if desired add nutmeg/brandy/rum essence)
¼ Ib chopped mixed nuts
½ Ib soft brown sugar
½ Ib margarine
6 eggs
8 oz flour (6 oz self raising, 2 oz plain)
½ bottle (Ruby) wine or rum
2 tbsps black treacle
1-2 tsps browning
Method:
1. Wash and dry the fruits. Grind or chop fruits and nuts
2. Mix the wine and rum and pour over the fruits. Leave to soak for a day or longer (up to three months).
3. Grease and line an 8-inch cake pan with greaseproof paper.
4. Cream together sugar and margarine. Add eggs one at a time, beaten or unbeaten.
5. Add fruits and stir well. Add sufficient black treacle and enough browning to make it as dark as desired.
6. Sift flour, and spice together. Add a little at a time and remaining spices, and fold in. Mix to a soft "dropping" not sticky consistency, using wine or rum.
7. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake in a slow oven - 300 degrees F for two hours (on middle shelf in oven).
8. After cake is baked, allow to cool for approx 10 minutes and pour over wine and rum. Repeat moistening of cake 45 minutes to an hour after and thereafter, as required.
9. Eat and enjoy!
10. Allow cake to cool thoroughly (overnight)
11. Store wrapped in aluminium foil in a cool enclosed cake tin.
Tip: If you want to make larger mixtures, double the amount of above ingredients. 
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