Light Fruit Cake Served w/ Whipped Cream

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I wanted to make a fruit cake but not the Black Christmas Fruit Cake that Trinidad is known for, instead I opted for a Light Fruit Cake. I began rummaging through all the cookbooks that I own and came across a Light Fruit Cake Recipe from the Cookbook 500 Fabulous Cakes and Bakes. I think it was written in 2005. I'm not sure but I decided to make this recipe. I did not have a few of the ingredients so I definitely substituted.

The cake turned out extremely well but the only thing I would add is a cup of Cherry Brandy after the Cake has been made. This is an American based Light Fruit Cake, but here in Trinidad we like our fruit cakes more moist and that's one thing I felt this recipe lacked. So next time I'll do like my mom does her Fruit Cake and throw a cup of Cherry Brandy on the cake as soon as it 's out of the oven. The directions can be seen below but while making this cake , I creamed my butter and sugar first, then added the eggs one at a time, mixing after each egg. Then I added all the other ingredients.

Recipe Photos are the Property of http://serveandeat.blogspot.com

Light Fruit Cake

INGREDIENTS

1 cup soft butter
1 cup castor sugar ( I used 1 cup granulated sugar)
grated rind of one orange
5 eggs, beaten
2 and 3/4 cups all purpose flour ( I used Cake Flour instead)
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp mixed spice
3/4 cup currants
1 cup raisins
1 cup sultanas
1/3 cup dried, ready-to-eat apricots
2/3 cup mixed peel

Instead of the last two ingredients, the apricots and mixed peel, I used 1 cup of my Mom's Black Cake Christmas Fruit Filling and added a few mixed peel in the cup.

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius/300 degrees F/Gas 2. Grease a deep 8 inch round pan or 7 inch square cake pan. Line the base and sides with a double thickness of greaseproof paper and grease the paper.

Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl, snipping in the apricots in strips, using kitchen scissors. Beat thoroughly with a wooden spoon for 3-4 minutes, until thoroughly mixed.

Spoon the mixture into the cake tin. Make a slight depression in the centre. Bake in the centre of the oven for 2 ½ – 3 ¼ hours. Test the cake after two and half hours. If it is ready it will feel firm and a skewer inserted in the centre will come out clean. Test at intervals if necessary. Cover the top loosely with foil if it starts to brown too quickly.

Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin. Then turn out. The lining paper can be left on to help keep the cake moist. I recommend frosting this cake or throw a 1/2 cup of Cherry Brandy, fruity Wine or rum over the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven.

Bon Appetite
Jannishal

Carrot Cake with Tia Maria Cream Cheese Frosting

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I'm really excited about this recipe because I love this cake so much. The cake is extremely moist because it's an oil based cake not butter. This recipe was taken from The Multi-Cultural Cuisine of Trinidad and Tobago & The Caribbean Cookbook, which I own. Naparima Girls' High School is a top and prestigious high school in Trinidad and Tobago and my sister attented this school for seven years, which is one of the reason why I also love this cookbook. The CookBook is also named after the school. This book has been in my keep since 2004, and it was given to me by my Father on Christmas, Day, so there are many wonderful memories attached to this cookbook.

The last time I made a carrot cake was at University, almost 4 years ago, and this was a completely new recipe since the one I made at University was totally different. One mishap that occurred while baking this cake was the Oven. Every baker's nightmare, the oven we have is an electric and gas oven. The stove can use both electricity and gas independently but the oven is dependent on electricity to run the gas and the gas does finish at times. And that's exactly what happened. I had just placed my cake in the preheated oven and while it was baking the gas finished and I wasn't even aware.

When I did realise it was 45 minutes later when the cake was suppose to come out of the oven, which means my cake just sat uncooked in a nearly cooled oven. Gosh! I was in panic mode. Well I said to myself the cake is going to be completely spoiled. I got the gas tank changed and then baked it for the next 45 minutes according to the recipe. Well, here it is and it tasted mighty darn good too. My mom and sis absolutely loved it. I guess it came out good after all. The Recipe is below:

Carrot Cake with Tia Maria Cream Cheese Frosting

(adapted from Naparima Girls' High School CookBook)

Recipe Photos are the Property of http://serveandeat.blogspot.com

Now I adapted the recipe to suit my family's taste. Instead of using all purpose flour, I used cake flour and in place of the 1/2 cup of walnuts, I used 1/4 cup of glazed fruits and 1/4 cup of almond nuts. I also used two cups of brown sugar instead of granulated sugar. You can also use castor sugar.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups Cake Flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 and 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 cups grated carrots
8 oz. crushed pineapple, drained
1/4 cup chopped almonds
1/4 cup glazed fruits

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees F.
2. Grease and flour one 9 inch round cake pan. Put aside and begin to make the cake.
3. Sift Flour; add baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon.
4. Add sugar and oil and beat until fluffy and creamy.
5. Add eggs one at a time, beating well between additions. I found that after this stage then my mixture looked creamy and well blended.
6. Add carrots, pineapple, nuts and glazed fruits.
7. Pour into the cake pan.

8. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes until tester comes out clean. Cool completely.

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Tia Maria Cream Cheese Frosting

My family is not into frostings that much especially my mom who likes all her cakes plain. So I made a few adjustments to the frosting. Instead of using 3 and 1/2 cups of icing sugar, I used 2 cups and I added Tia Maria liquer to my frosting. I also reduced the amount of butter in my frosting, instead of 4 oz. I used 2 oz. I did not split my cake in half, I just frost some of the cream cheese on top.

INGREDIENTS

8 oz. cream cheese
2 oz butter
2 cups of icing sugar
2 tbsp Tia Maria Liquer
2 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine cream cheese, butter, icing sugar and vanilla and mix well.
2. Split cake in half; fill and frost.

I'm definitely going to make this cake again to see how the texture will turn out without the mishap. Please do enjoy, it's a lovely cake, moist and light.

Bon Appetite
Jannishal