Jamaican Black Cake

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Place the dried fruit in a glass or ceramic bowl and cover with the Guinness stout, the muscatel or brandy and ¼ cup of the rum. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 days (and up to several weeks -- the preferred method). Check the mixture every other day: if the fruit has soaked up all the liquor, add another splash of rum or stout and stir.

2. Step 2

   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

3. Step 3

   Grind the fruit mixture to a mushy pulp in a blender or food processor. Measure out 2 cups of the mixture and set aside.

4. Step 4

   In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs one at a time.

5. Step 5

   Add the vanilla, nutmeg and burnt-sugar coloring; mix well

6. Step 6

   In another bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder

7. Step 7

   Add, alternately, the fruit mixture and dry ingredients to the batter, mixing until just incorporated after each addition. Do not beat.

8. Step 8

   Pour the batter into a 9-by-1½-inch deep round pan and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

9. Step 9

   While the cake is still warm, splash the remaining ¼ cup of rum over the top. Let cool. The finished cake is quite moist, almost like an English plum pudding. It is at its best when served a day or two after baking, and it will last for two weeks or more if kept in the refrigerator and occasionally topped up with rum.