Guyana Black Cake

This rich moist cake is served at weddings and at christmas.

Steps

For the cake: wash and dry fruit.

Grind fruit and soak with 3 / 4 cup of rum.

Store , covered , in glass jar to steep for 2 weeks or longer.

To make caramel , heat 1 lb.

Of sugar in a heavy bottomed frying pan until melted.

Simmer until dark brown.

Let cool.

Cream butter and 1 / 2 lb sugar well , add beaten eggs a little at a time.

Add soaked fruits and rum , stirring well , and enough caramel to make it as dark as desired.

Add sifted flour with baking powder and mixed spice.

Fold in peel and chopped nuts.

Pour mixture into baking pan , greased and lined with waxed paper.

Bake in a slow oven at 300f for about 2 to 2 1 / 2 hours.

Sprinkle additional rum over cake immediately after it is baked.

Repeat a few times.

Allow cake to remain in pan for 2 to 3 days.

For the marzipan: beat egg whites to a stiff froth , stir in ground almonds , sugar and almond essence to make a paste.

Remove cake from pan , place on a cake plate.

Cover top of cake with almond paste.

Roll rest.

Ingredients

raisins, currants, prune, rum, brown sugar, butter, eggs, flour, baking powder, mixed spice, mixed peel, nuts, egg whites, ground almonds, icing sugar, almond essence, lemon