Guyana Black Cake

Total Time: 2 hrs 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• 1 lb raisins
• 1/2 lb currants
• 1/4 lb prune
• 1 cup rum
• 1 1/2 lbs brown sugar, packed (3 1/4 cups)
• 1/2 lb butter
• 6 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 lb flour (2 cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon mixed spice (nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, allspice)
• 1/4 lb mixed peel
• 1/4 lb chopped nuts (optional)
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 lb ground almonds (2 cups)
• 1/2 lb icing sugar (confectioner's, 2 cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon almond essence (extract)
• 2 egg whites
• 1 lb icing sugar (confectioner's, 4 cups)
• 1 lemon, juice of

Recipe

• 1 for the cake: wash and dry fruit. grind fruit and soak with 3/4 cup of rum. store, covered, in glass jar to steep for 2 weeks or longer.
• 2 to make caramel, heat 1 lb. of sugar in a heavy bottomed frying pan until melted; simmer until dark brown. let cool.
• 3 cream butter and 1/2 lb (250 g) sugar well, add beaten eggs a little at a time; add soaked fruits and rum, stirring well, and enough caramel to make it as dark as desired.
• 4 add sifted flour with baking powder and mixed spice. fold in peel and chopped nuts.
• 5 pour mixture into baking pan, greased and lined with waxed paper. bake in a slow oven at 300°f for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
• 6 sprinkle additional rum over cake immediately after it is baked. repeat a few times. allow cake to remain in pan for 2 to 3 days.
• 7 for the marzipan: beat egg whites to a stiff froth, stir in ground almonds, sugar and almond essence to make a paste.
• 8 remove cake from pan, place on a cake plate. cover top of cake with almond paste. roll rest of paste thinly to cover sides. allow to dry 1 day before icing.
• 9 for the royal icing: beat egg whites to a froth, add sugar, a little at a time, beating well after each addition. add lemon juice and sugar and continue to beat until mixture forms peaks.
• 10 dip a spatula in hot water and smoother the icing over the almond paste. a second layer may be applied when the first is thoroughly dried.
• 11 decorate as desired. if cake is for a wedding choose appropriate colours and decorations. if cake is for christmas colours chosen may be red and green on with a christmas theme.
• 12 caribbean cuisine….betty “kâ€?.