Showing posts with label sugar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sugar. Show all posts

Alcohol-free Black Cake

Hello again!

As a follow up to my Black Rum Cake recipe, I wanted to do a non-alcoholic version for you. But that's not really the way my family does it. The family philosophy is usually the more rum the better!

So I scoured the Internet to find you a recipe and found a wonderful on on  Lifespan of a Chennette. It is a wonderful blog. You should check it out.

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Here is her recipe for Halaal Trini Black Cake:

HALAAL TRINI BLACK CAKE: Non-Alcoholic Black Cake

Ingredients:
  • 4 ounces margarine/butter
  • 2 oz shortening
  • 8 oz brown sugar
  • 12 oz flour
  • 6 eggs
  • 1.5 cup browning
  • Minced Fruits
    • 8 oz Prunes
    • 8 oz Raisins
    • 8 oz Dates
    • 8 oz Black Currants
    • 4 oz mixed peel
    • 2 oz cherries
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease cake tins with shortening and line with parchment or waxed paper – line bottom and sides. Mom likes to use the old Danish Butter Cookie tins, since they have covers for storage after baking.
  2. Mince fruits in blender or food processor until as fine as you like it (I like it almost to a paste – I don’t like discernible bits of fruit).
  3. Cream butter, shortening and sugar till fluffy.
  4. Add eggs one at a time, beat well between additions.
  5. Add fruits, mix well.
  6. Add browning, condensed milk and cinnamon, mix well.
  7. Add flour, about 2 ounces at a time, mix between each addition.
  8. At this point, Mom will put a tablespoon of the cake batter on a saucer into the microwave to cook. Taste this to test for sweetness and of course look at the color. Determine if you need more condensed milk or browning, or if you are in a really humid place (more than here? whew) more flour. If you think it has too much flour, addition of a little condensed milk or more browning can help balance it out.
  9. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans.
  10. Bake in the oven for about an hour – until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Chennette's Halaal (No Rum) Black Cake

Soaking the Cake:


Traditionally, the Black Cake is soaked in alcohol after baking and “topped” up ever so often, which keeps it edible and moist long after the normal shelf life of cake. Mom used to soak her cake in grape juice or apple juice to mimic this process and texture. However, this won’t keep the cake. You’ll have to store it in the fridge.

However, this cake is naturally moist and it tastes better and moister after a few days. In fact, without soaking it stays moist and keeps out of the fridge for weeks. Mom currently has the cake from Eid (whatever’s left) in a container and it hasn’t been refrigerated yet. For safety, you could choose to refrigerate and then just bring to room temperature before eating (if you microwave it before eating it gets a little soft and the sweetness can be a bit over the top – but maybe you like that).

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So that was Chennette's recipe for Alcohol-Free Black Cake.

Mixed Peel Recipe

Hello all,

Occasionally you will get a recipe that asks you for "mixed peel." When I first saw this, I had no idea what that was. But it is so simple to make, just a little time intensive. You will need to do this at least 2-3 days before you need it. The process is simple, but long and repetitive, but you get such a good flavor out of it!

MIXED PEEL

Ingredients:

  • Rind from 1 orange
  • Rind from 1 lemon
  • Rind from 1 grapefruit
  • 1 1/2 cups of sugar
Directions:

  1. Peel fruit, leaving the white pith on skin.
  2. Cut peel into 1/4 inch strips, then into 1/4 inch cubes.
  3. Put chopped peel into saucepan
  4. Add enough water just to cover fruit.
  5. Bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer 10 minutes, drain.
  6. Put fruit back into saucepan.
  7. Add enough water to just to cover fruit.
  8. Bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer 10 minutes, drain again. This time reserving 1/2 of the liquid.
  9. Put the reserved liquid, 1/2 cup water, and 1 cup sugar into saucepan.
  10. Stir over low heat until sugar has dissolved.
  11. Bring to boil.
  12. Remove from heat, pour over fruit and let stand overnight.
  13. The next day, put peel and liquid and 1/2 cup sugar in saucepan.
  14. Stir over low heat until sugar has dissolved.
  15. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer 15 minutes.
  16. Remove from heat and drain well.
  17. Cover a wire rack with greaseproof paper.
  18. Spread peel out on this and allow to stand overnight to dry, moving the peel occasionally with a fork to separate.
 I know all this seemed really long and labor intensive, but I promise its a simple process!

Enjoy and Happy Cooking,
~Amanda