It's that time of year. The leaves turn to bronze, my thoughts turn to soup, and I finally begin to fulfill a long-standing promise to myself: Make Laurie Colwin's Black Cake for Christmas. Which means starting now, with the fruit.
Yes, I am a not-so-closeted fruitcake lover. I'm not quite sure what it is: The rich, ultimate darkness of the cake, the sweet and winey fruit. It is truly the ultimate cake, and when it is made right, with fine ingredients and a good recipe, I enjoy it immensely. But fruitcake is an expensive proposition, what with the candied fruit and the booze, and it's rarely done right. We all have that dread of a doorstopper of a cake, studded with fluorescent red and green cherries, and walnuts you could break a tooth on.
But one recipe has always held out a promise to me of the ultimate fruitcake: Writer Laurie Colwin's recipe for Black Cake, given to her by a friend from the West Indies. She describes it in lavish detail, describing the long process of soaking the pounds and pounds of dried fruit in Passover wine and dark rum, seeking out "burnt sugar essence" at a West Indian grocer to turn the cake truly black, and the experience of serving the final cake, swagged and festooned with sharp white sugar icing, in shaved slices, hoping against hope for one leftover wedge she can hoard.
I have been meaning to make this glorious thing for years, but I always remember just before the holidays, when it is too late to marinate the fruit in its month-long (or longer! even better!) bath of booze. Well, I have finally got my act together, and today I blitzed pounds of raisins, prunes, currants, and candied citrus peel in my food processor, and dumped them into my largest bowl. I poured a great quantity of sweet wine, rum, and brandy over top, and now I will put it away for a few weeks.
I'll report back on this project, for sure, but I'd love to know: Have you ever made this recipe? And are you, too, a fruitcake-lover?
• Get the recipe: Laurie Colwin's Black Cake at Chowhound
• Buy the book: Home Cooking: A Writer in the Kitchen, by Laurie Colwin. $10.20 at Amazon.
Related: Good For You, Yet Delicious: The Short Stories (and Cooking) of Laurie Colwin
(Images: Faith Durand)
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My mother-in-law made and sold hundreds of pounds of fruit cake each year while my husband was growing up. It was a true family project with everyone cracking walnuts and taking turns stirring. I have been trying for several years to duplicate the recipe and last Christmas finally hit the jackpot!!! Her sons both said it was as good as mom's ever was. Personally I don't like her version and prefer my mom's but you do strange things for the ones you love--even make fruitcake.
I love quality fruit cake, particularly German stollen, (slightly more bready, but sweet enough I consider it a cake). It really is hard to find a good one that uses quality dried fruit, not too much (or no) marzipan, and enough booze. But when done right, it is splendid.
I love black cake and make a few every Christmas as gifts. They are always well received. Colwin's recipe is ok, but it's missing some ingredients namely lime zest and a few dashes of bitters. Also, if you can find mixed essence in a West Indian store, it's worth the investment.
I made the Laurie Colwin recipe in an old issue of Gourmet and was disappointed because I don't really like fruitcake. My family loved it and I gave a cake to a friend and she said her family devoured it like a pack of ravenous wolves.
I thought it would magically be like English steamed Christmas pudding, which I do love.
The fruitcake made in Jamaica and the West Indies in general is nothing like the dreaded doorstops frequently lamented here. It's dense, yes, but incredibly moist and flavourful. And it is only enhanced by the addition of Brandy Sauce (whipped brandied butter). When done properly, they are a highly sought after treat. And part of the enjoyment of the Christmas Season is visiting friends homes and having a taste of their version of the fruitcake along with some sorrel. It's also more frequently called Christmas Pudding or Christmas Cake.
hm. sounds good, but i prefer my grammy's recipe (which is really her mother's recipe, and might be HER mother's recipe!). it has loads of fruit and nuts (whole not minced) and just enough cake to bind it together. we make it every two years, and by the end of the two years, the last batch is still amazing!