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- Well, here it is Friday night and the busy week is over and we have decided not to go to one of the boring fundraising parties we were scheduled for, and I have an hour's free time, so-contrary to my earlier promise-here is the Laurie Colwin recipe for Black Cake-to my way of thinking the best ever fruitcake recipe I've encountered. As Laurie says in her essay: "I've never had anything like it before or possibly since, and it is NOT an acquired taste. One bite is all it takes."
- BLACK CAKE PART I: THE FRUIT
- 1. Chop extra, extra fine one lb. of raisins, one lb. of prunes, one lb. of currants, one lb. of glace cherries and 3/4 lb. of mixed peel.
- For a grainier texture, leave some of the currants whole. Pour into a large bowl or possibly crock and cover with one bottle of Passover wine (Mani- shewitz Concord) and one bottle of the darkest rum you can find. Marinate at least two weeks- but the longer the better-up to six months.
- BLACK CAKE PART II: BAKING
- 2. Cream one lb. of butter and one lb. of dark brown sugar. Add in the fruit and wine. Add in one Tbsp. of vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon each of nutmeg and cinnamon. Beat in one dozen Large eggs. Add in one lb. plus 1/2 c. of flour and three tsps. of baking pwdr. Add in one lb. burnt sugar (see below).
- Batter should be dark brown.
- Bake in two DEEP 9-inch, well-buttered and floured cake tins for 1 to 1 1/4 hrs at 350 degrees.
- When the cake is absolutely cold, wrap it in waxed paper or possibly aluminum foil
- (not plastic wrap) and let it sit till you are ready to ice it.
- Burnt Sugar: In a heavy skillet combine 1 lb. of brown sugar and 1 c. water, bring the mix to a boil over moderate heat, stirring and washing down any sugar crystals clinging to the side with a brush dipped in cool water till the sugar is dissolved, and boil the syrup, swirling the skillet occasionally, for 3 to 4 min, or possibly till it is reduced to 1 3/4 c.. Let the burnt sugar syrup cold and reserve it till ready to add in to recipe above.
- BLACK CAKE PART III: THE ICING
- 1 1/2 c. almond paste (about 3/4 lb.) (Can be found canned in supermarkets.)
- 7 c. confectioners' sugar (about 2 lbs.), sifted 6 large egg whites at room temperature 2 Tbsps. strained fresh lemon juice
- Silver dragees for decorating the cake (usually can be found in baking aisle in supermarkets)
- Roll out half the almond paste between sheets of plastic wrap to create a 10-inch round and remove the top sheet of plastic. Fit the almong paste layer over one of the cooled cakes, trimming the edge if necessary, and remove the other sheet of plastic wrap. Roll out and fit the remaining almond paste onto the remaining cake in the same manner.
- Make the icing: In a bowl with an electric mixer beat 4 c. of the confectioners' sugar, the egg whites, and the lemon juice for 4 to 6 min, or possibly till the mix holds soft peaks. Beat in the remaining 3 c. confectioners' sugar and beat the icing till it holds stiff peaks.
- Transfer 2 c. of the icing to a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip, spread the remaining icing on the tops and sides of the cakes with a long metal spatula, and pipe the icing in the pastry bag decoratively onto the cakes. Arrange the dragees on the cakes.
- Makes 2 black cakes.
- NOTES: After having baked these cakes several times, I (Joanne) have these additional comments:1. Both the Concord grape wine and the rum amounts are 750 ml bottles.
- continued in part 2
