QAS’ Trinidadian fruitcake 2017

kakashi: Hi folks! QAS was so kind as to send me her famous fruit cake recipe ... I realize I'm posting this too late for Christmas but who says we can only eat this for Christmas!!!! If you have any questions, ask in the comments.

QAS’ Trinidadian fruitcake 2017

This cake tastes good with hot coffee or hot tea.

Process #1 – advance preparation (4 to 6 weeks before baking cake) 

Ingredients
16 oz. pitted prunes
16 oz. lb. raisins
1 cup of rum (using a standard coffee mug)
1 cup of port wine (using a standard coffee mug)

  1. Check prunes for any pits. 
  2. Chop the prunes in a food processer (…do not puree them). 
  3. Combine the prunes and raisins, and place the mixture in an airtight plastic container. 
  4. Add equal amounts of rum and wine, to cover the fruits. 
  5. Cover the container tightly, and store it in the kitchen cabinet. 
  6. In two weeks, check if the chopped fruits are still dry, add equal amounts of rum and wine, filling to the level of the mixture. The soaked fruits can last several months without refrigeration.

Process #2 – Dry ingredients (can be prepared the same day.)

Ingredients
1 cup of loosely chopped raw walnuts (…do not pulverize same.)
1 cup of loosely chopped raw pecans (…do not pulverize same.)
½ cup chopped candied cherries (optional) // Lightly dust the chopped candied cherries with flour, to separate the pieces.
9 oz. all-purpose pre-sifted white flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
14 to 16 oz. white granulated sugar
9 large eggs, at room temperature
16 oz. margarine or butter sticks, at room temperature
1 tablespoon of almond essence
1 tablespoon of vanilla essence
½ cup of port wine
½ cup of rum

What else you need
  • Timer
  • Six to eight 1 ½ lb. foil containers with lids 
Dimensions:
6 3/4in x 4 5/8in x 1 11/16in
17.1cm X 11.7cm X 4.3cm
  • Sifter for the flour
  • Butter spray to coat the containers 
 

Process #3 – Ready to bake the fruitcake

  1. Sift the flour and baking powder to remove any lumps.
  2. Using an electric cake mixer, cream the sugar and butter until the sugar has dissolved.
  3. Then, add 1 egg at a time at three minute intervals, making sure that each egg mixes completely into the batter (X number of minutes creaming the sugar and butter, and 27 minutes for the eggs)
  4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  5. Transfer finished batter to a large mixing bowl. Fold ingredients in the following order;
  6. Add the soaked fruits (all or half), and distribute same evenly.
  7. Add vanilla essence and almond essence.
  8. Add chopped walnuts, and distribute same evenly.
  9. Add chopped pecans, and distribute same evenly.
  10. Add the candied cherries, and distribute same evenly.
  11. Ask the Assistant to lightly spray the foil containers with the butter spray, and to lightly dust the containers with flour. Shake out the loose flour.
  12. Fold in the flour gradually.
    1. Using the flour sifter, sift 2 ounces of flour at a time into the batter, folding in one direction only, making sure there are no white clumps of flour. Note: You do not have to use all the flour. Stop adding flour before the batter resembles a brick.
    2. If the batter is stiff, add ½ cup rum and ½ cup wine, and distribute same evenly. This will ensure that the cake is moist, and not a BRICK.
    3. Unused rum and wine can be drunk separately when the cakes are baking.
  13. Pour the finished batter into the foil containers, and fill approximately 1 ½ inch high, leaving 1/4 inch free. Make sure the batter is level, and wipe any residue above it. Due to the density of the ingredients, this cake will not rise.
  14. You can weigh each container, as you fill it, for uniformity.
  15. The cake will bake faster in the small foil containers versus the standard bakeware.
    1. If you make many little cakes, you can wrap some as Christmas gifts.
  16. Use two oven racks if you have more than six cakes. Place the containers into the oven, evenly spaced, and bake for 50 minutes. At 45 minutes, check each cake for doneness by sticking a thin toothpick in the center of the cake. The cake is done once the toothpick has no raw batter.
  17. If one side of the cake starts to burn, turn the container around, and lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees.
  18. Remove the cakes from the oven gently, and place them on the cooling racks, and leave them overnight. You can cover them lightly with the lids, but do not seal them.
    1. After the cake has cooled down, you can close the lids.
    2. The cake is ready to eat in fifteen minutes after baking, but the alcohol will be strong. Once the cakes cool down, the alcohol is not as strong.
    3. By the third day, remove the cake gently from the container, and wrap it loosely in a plastic food storage bag, and put it back in the foil container, and add the lid.
    4. You can freeze the cake, and reheat the slices in the microwave for a 30 seconds (+/-).

If you use only half the soaked fruits, you can attempt it again in the New Year, and adjust the measurements of the dry ingredients. Hand-mixing the batter is not recommended because that same hand will fold the side ingredients into the batter.

Addendum:

Few adjustments to the recipe;

Use 7 large eggs.
#6 Use all the soaked fruits.
#7 Add 2 tablespoons each of vanilla essence and almond essence, to deplete the supply.
#11 Do not dust the baking containers with dust, otherwise the cake ends will look burnt