Jamaican Christmas Fruit Cake

Photo From: Jamaica delight

Ingredients

• 2 cups butter
• 2 cups white sugar
• 9 eggs
• 1/4 cup white rum (optional)
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon almond extract
• 1 grated zest of one lime
• 2 pounds chopped dried mixed fruit
• 2 cups red wine (Ex: port)
• 1 cup dark molasses
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch salt
• 4 oz Maraschino cherries
• finely grated rind of 1 lime/lemon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 
2. Grease and flour 2 - 9" round cake pans.
3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 
4. Beat in eggs, then add rum, lime juice, vanilla, almond extract, and lime zest. 
5. Stir in mixed fruit, wine, and molasses. 
6. Sift together flour, baking powder, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, and salt. 
7. Fold into batter, being careful not to over-mix. 
8. Pour into prepared pans.
9. Bake in preheated oven for 80 to 90 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. 
10. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
11. Decorate with Maraschino cherries.

For best results, fruits should be soaked in wine for at least 3 weeks, or boiled in the wine.  If you don't like chunky fruit then puree fruit mixture.

Use a combination of raisins currants, golden raisins, prunes, and 

dried cherries, or any dried fruit of your preference.

Additional wine or rum can be brushed/poured onto cake as needed 

to keep moist.

****Warning, should not be served to children as it contains ALCOHOL***

See yuh layta Mon!