Lena Savoie
Fruit cake is a popular Christmas dish in Guyana, but it is also served at weddings and birthdays. The traditional recipe includes alcohol, usually rum, and wine-soaked fruits, but there are also non-alcoholic versions. The non-alcoholic version replaces rum and wine with grape juice or apple cider. The cake is prepared by first preparing the fruits by rinsing them and then cooking them with grape juice, dried orange peel, cinnamon stick, and ground cloves. The blended fruits are then combined with creamed butter, sugar, and eggs. The dry ingredients are then added to the wet ingredients and mixed until a smooth batter is formed. The cake is baked at 300 °F for 90 minutes and can be stored for up to two weeks.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | Dried fruits, candied mixed peel, soft butter, sugar (brown or white granulated), eggs, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, spices, raisins, walnuts, orange zest, orange syrup, lemon zest, lemon juice |
| Baking time | 30-50 minutes |
| Baking temperature | Preheat oven |
| Baking dish | Small springform or round cake pan (8 inches/20 cm diameter) |
| Baking preparation | Butter the pan and line with parchment paper |
| Testing if baked | Insert a skewer, cake tester, or toothpick into the center; if it comes out clean, the cake is baked |
| Cooling | Place on a cooling rack and let it cool completely |
| Storage | Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or in the fridge for up to a month |
| Serving | Slice into squares. Can be served with homemade custard |
| Notes | The cake can be consumed the same day it is baked but waiting until the next day allows the flavors to meld together, resulting in a tastier and more moist cake |
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What You'll Learn
Preparing the fruit mix
Firstly, rinse your dried fruits in cold water before transferring them to a saucepan. You can use any combination of dried fruits, such as raisins, prunes, cherries, currants, dried blueberries, or apricots. Pitted prunes and raisins are especially recommended for their contribution to the cake's texture.
Next, add your chosen dried fruits to a pot along with grape juice, dried orange peel, a cinnamon stick, and ground cloves. You can also experiment with other spices and ingredients to personalize your fruit mix. Cook this mixture until the grape juice reduces by half, and then let it sit at room temperature overnight to allow the flavours to meld and intensify.
The next day, remove the cinnamon stick and transfer the cooked fruit mixture to a food processor. Blend the mixture until it reaches a smooth consistency. You can now store your blended fruit mix in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three weeks until you are ready to bake your cake.
When you are ready to bake, combine the blended fruit mix with other ingredients such as creamed butter, sugar, eggs, non-alcoholic vanilla, and almond extract. You can also add some sparkling grape juice or apple cider at this stage for a touch of sweetness and flavour. Finally, mix your dry ingredients separately and gently incorporate them into the wet mixture until you achieve a smooth batter.
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Making the batter
To make the batter for a Guyanese fruit cake without alcohol, you'll first need to prepare the fruit mixture. This involves rinsing your chosen dried fruits and adding them to a saucepan with grape juice, dried orange peel, cinnamon stick, and ground cloves. Cook this mixture until the grape juice has reduced by half, then leave it to sit at room temperature overnight. Once ready to bake, remove the cinnamon stick and blend the mixture until smooth. Store this blended fruit paste in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
Now, you can start making the batter. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until the mixture becomes fluffy and light in colour, and all the sugar crystals have dissolved. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition to ensure the egg is fully incorporated. This step should not be rushed, as adding the eggs too quickly or all at once can cause the mixture to separate.
Next, add your vanilla extract and almond extract, mixing until they are combined. If you prefer a more spicy cake, you can add spices such as nutmeg, all-spice, cardamom, or cinnamon to the batter at this point.
After that, carefully add your flour and fruit mix. Mix until everything is combined, but try not to overmix. The batter should be thick enough for a spoon to stand up in it.
Your batter is now ready to be transferred to a prepared baking dish. Smooth the top with a spatula and place it in the oven.
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Baking the cake
To make a non-alcoholic Guyanese fruit cake, you'll need to prepare the fruit well in advance. The fruit mix typically includes dried fruits such as raisins, prunes, cherries, currants, blueberries, and candied orange peel, which are soaked in grape juice, cinnamon, and cloves. This mixture is then blended and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.
Once your fruit mixture is ready, you can start preparing the cake batter. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until the sugar crystals have dissolved. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then, add the vanilla extract and almond extract, and mix until combined.
In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients, including flour, baking powder, spices (such as cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg), and a pinch of salt. You can also add cloves if you didn't include them in your fruit mixture.
Now, it's time to combine the wet and dry ingredients. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing thoroughly but being careful not to overmix. The batter should be thick.
Transfer the batter to a greased and floured 8-inch or 9-inch cake pan. You can also use a springform pan. Bake at 300°F (150°C) for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
After removing the cake from the oven, let it cool completely before serving. You can brush the cake with grape juice or apple cider immediately after it comes out of the oven for added moisture and flavour. Then, wrap the cake in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container. Store it at room temperature for up to two days before serving, then move it to the refrigerator.
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Applying the glaze
The glaze is an important part of the cake, adding to the rich, moist texture and signature flavour. There are several options for the glaze, depending on whether you want to include alcohol or not.
For a non-alcoholic glaze, you can use grape juice, apple juice, apple cider, or cranberry juice. Pour 1/4 cup of juice over the top of the cake immediately after it comes out of the oven and while it is still hot. You can also use sparkling grape juice or apple cider in the glaze and in the cake batter. The cake should then be left to rest until completely cool.
For an alcoholic glaze, you can use dark rum, orange liqueur, or wine. Pour 2cl of rum over the cake, or alternatively brush the cake with 1 tablespoon of orange liqueur. This step can be done immediately after removing the cake from the oven, or after the cake has cooled.
If you want to make a traditional Guyanese Black Cake, the cake should be soaked in rum. This can be done by pouring rum over the baked cake, or by soaking the dried fruits in rum before adding them to the batter.
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Storing the cake
Firstly, it is important to let the cake cool completely. Some recipes suggest brushing the cake with fruit juice or apple cider immediately after it comes out of the oven. This step is completely optional.
Once the cake has cooled, it should be wrapped in plastic wrap or parchment paper and stored at room temperature for up to two days. After two days, the cake should be moved to the refrigerator. It can be stored in an airtight container or cake box to keep it clean and dust-free. The cake will last for two to three weeks in the refrigerator.
If you want to store the cake for longer, you can vacuum seal it and freeze it for up to a year. Fruit cakes can also be stored at room temperature for months if they are wrapped tightly in brown paper, foil, or cling film and stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
It is important to check the cake regularly for any signs of mould, especially if it is stored at room temperature. If the cake becomes too dry, you can add fruit juice or cold tea to moisten it.
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Frequently asked questions
Guyanese fruit cake is a popular Christmas dish that is also served at weddings and birthdays. It is packed with spices and fruits and uses an aged fruit blend that takes at least a month to ferment.
Guyanese fruit cake is far from the traditional Christmas fruit cake; it's moist, boozy, and rich with the flavor of rum-soaked fruits. It's a mash-up between pound cake (known as sponge cake in Guyana) and black cake.
You will need dried fruits (such as raisins, prunes, and cherries), grape juice, dried orange peel, cinnamon stick, ground cloves, butter, sugar, eggs, non-alcoholic vanilla, and almond extract.
First, rinse and cook the dried fruits with the spices and grape juice. Then, blend the fruits and combine them with the creamed butter, sugar, and eggs. Add the vanilla and almond extract, along with some sparkling grape juice or apple cider. Finally, mix in the dry ingredients to form a smooth batter and bake at 300 °F for 90 minutes.
Let the cake cool completely, then wrap it in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container. You can store it at room temperature for up to two days, and then move it to the refrigerator.
