The Fifth Day of Christmas: Dark Rum Drizzled Fruit Cake

Dark Rum Drizzled Fruit Cake

Whether you wildly desire this characteristically traditional festival cake, or simply enjoy baking it for your guests to devour mini morsels, it just says Christmas. This old family recipe I make around now and once it is cooled out of the oven I wrap it carefully in a few layers cheesecloth and 'drizzle' some rum weekly to prepare it for entertaining. Once the cake is reading for serving, you may choose to package it by dividing it into thick slices and wrapping it in festive colours.

11/2 cups sifted unbleached flour 375 ml

1/2 tsp salt 2 ml

1/4 tsp baking soda 1 ml

1 tsp cinnamon 4 ml

1 tsp allspice 4 ml

1/2 tsp nutmeg 2 ml

1/2 tsp mace 2 ml

33/4 cup shortening 150 ml

1 cup brown sugar 250 ml

1/4 cup molasses

6 eggs

3 cups seedless raisins 750 ml

3 cups sultana raisins 750 ml

1/2 chopped marachino cherries 125 ml

1/2 cup chopped candied pineapple 125 ml

1 cup chopped mixed citron peel 250 ml

1 cup chopped walnuts 250 ml

Line 2-9"x5" inch loaf with parchment paper. Prepare fruits and nuts and dust with 1/4 cup of unbleached flour. Stir remaining four, salt, baking soda and spices together. In another large bowl, cream shortening and brown sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, being well after each egg finally adding molasses. Begin to add dry ingredients until the batter is prepared. Fold in fruit and nut mixture. Fill prepared pans 3/4 full. Bake in the oven at 300 degrees for 2 hours or until cake springs up when touched. Remove from pans when slightly cooled. Wrap each loaf in cheesecloth several times and place in a deep sealed container. Pour 1/4 cup ((50 ml) rum over each loaf weekly during the advent season.