Jamaican Christmas Pudding and Cake

Instructions

PREPARING FRUITS FOR BAKING:*

It is very important to wash the raisins and currants well. After washing, soak in cold water for half an hour, then lift the fruit from the soaking water and this will allow the sand to fall to the bottom of the vessel. Dry before adding rum. Spice may be added to the rum and wine but this is not a must. Spices added can be 2 vanilla beans split and 4 cinnamon sticks.

*Soak ONLY RAISINS, CURRANTS AND STONED PRUNES. Grind all the prunes, half the raisins and half the currants, this will give the cake a ‘bite’. DO NOT soak the dates, cherries, mixed peel or the nuts.

Cover raisins, currants and stoned prunes with a mixture of rum and port wine.

Soak in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid. (Avoid using plastic containers when using rum.)

Before putting away, label the bottle, listing the quantities and the date.

From time to time, examine fruit in soak and add more run and wine mixture as necessary, to keep the fruit covered.

FOR THE CHRISTMAS PUDDING:

Prepare tin by lining sides with 2 thicknesses of paper and the bottom with 4 thicknesses of brown paper and 1 of greaseproof paper. Or line with parchment paper bottom and sides of cake pan.

Grease 9-inch tin with shortening.

Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Mix in browning, vanilla and almond flavouring, lime juice and rind.

Add eggs one at a time and beat in well. Add soaked fruit, cherries, dates and nuts.

Mix breadcrumbs, flour, baking powder, salt and mixed spice.

Add alternately with white rum and port wine/brandy.

Pour into prepared baking tins or steaming basins 3/4 full.

Cover and make steaming basin watertight.

Place in steamer, or put over boiling water.

Continue to add boiling water until pudding steams, approximately 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Cooking time varies with size of container.

Serve with hard sauce or hot wine sauce. Yields one 9 inch pudding.

COOK’S TIP: You may steam in the oven by setting baking tin in water or set a pan of boiling water below the pudding. Puddings can also be cooked in the pressure cooker.

FOR THE CHRISTMAS CAKE: Use the same ingredients as the recipe for Christmas pudding. Make one mixture and divide in two tins. Bake one tin for cake and steam the other for pudding. Or make two Christmas cakes.

Bake at 350 F. Prepare 1 (9-inch) cake pan or 2 spring form pans by lining bottom and sides with parchment paper. Fill the pan 3/4 of the way and bake until a skewer comes out of the center of the cake clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.


COOK’S TIP: Christmas cakes and puddings can be made up to 4 weeks before serving as they actually improve with age. You may use brown sugar but white sugar creams quicker. Always taste browning before adding to mixture as sometimes it can be very salty. You may leave browning out if it is too salty. Draining off liquid from fruits, allows the cook to be better able to judge the amount of liquid added to mixture. Toast nuts and cool before adding to cake mixture.

The Real Taste of Jamaica..Enid Donaldson

Author's Comments

Raisins, currants and prunes are usually soaking for months or even years in real Jamaican rum, in anticipation of the delicious cake to be made the first week in December. This allows enough time for it to ‘ripen’ or mature for the yuletide season. This recipe will make a 9-inch PUDDING and a 9-inch CAKE.

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