Grenada Black Cake Recipes

GRENADA SPICE CAKE

Steps:

• Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together onto a piece of wax paper and set aside. Cream together the butter, sugar, lime rind, nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice until silvery and light-no sugar grains should be discernible on the tongue when the mixture has been properly creamed. (This may take as long as 5 minutes at high mixer speed.) Beat the eggs in, one at a time. Now add the sifted dry ingredients alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry. (I usually mix the flour in - in about five separate additions and the milk in - in three.).
• Spoon the batter into a well buttered and floured 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan, pushing the batter well to the corners and smoothing the surface as much as possible. Bake in a slow oven 300 F for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the cake begins to pull from the sides of the pan and leaves an imprint that vanishes slowly when you press the top with your fingers.
• Remove the cake from the oven, stand the pan upright on a wire rack and allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Loosen the cake around the edges with a thin-blade spatula, turn out on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. To serve, slice just as you would pound cake.
• Jean Anderson Cooks.

GRENADIAN SPICE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.
• In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter.
• Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the lime zest, nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice.
• Add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk, stirring after each addition.
• Pour batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 75 to 90 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
• Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a rack to cool completely.

BAJAN BLACK CAKE

Steps:

• Mince the fruit and soak in 1 cup of rum with spices, essences, nuts, jam and 1/4 lb sugar. Mix ingredients well and put in a jar, cover and allow mixture to steep for 3 weeks or more.
• When ready to bake, cook fruit over a low heat with 1 cup of water for 15 minutes. Cream the butter/margarine and remaining sugar well and add eggs beating in one at a time. Add this to the fruit mixture. Stir in enough browning to make the mixture dark brown in color. Add the flour and baking powder last.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place mixture into 2 baking pans that are greased and lined with 2 sheets of waxed paper. Fill the pans 3/4 full.
• Bake for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Test with skewer before removing from oven.
• As soon as cakes are removed from oven, prick all over with skewer and pour slowly over them a mixture of rum and wine which the cakes will absorb.
• Allow to remain in baking pans for 2 to 3 days to fully absorb liquor before serving.

GRENADIAN COD CAKES

Steps:

• Rinse the cod, place it in a glass bowl and add cold water to cover. Cover the bowl tightly and place in the refrigerator. Let the fish soak for 12 to 24 hours, or until it's softened, changing the water three or four times.
• Rinse the cod again and place in a saucepan. Add boiling water to cover and let the fish steep over low heat until very soft, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well, then flake into small pieces into a bowl.
• Add the calabaza, thyme, scallions and garlic and toss together to mix. Combine the flour and baking powder and add to the bowl, tossing again. Add the butter and the egg and mix with your hands until all the ingredients are well combined. Season with pepper to taste.
• Divide the mixture into 8 patties, about the size of biscuits, and lay them into the bread crumbs to coat on both sides.
• Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over a medium-high flame until it sizzles. Gently lay the cakes into the oil and fry until crisp and browned on both sides, about 5 or 6 minutes total. Drain on paper towels and serve hot, with a spoonful of hot sauce alongside each one.

TRINIDAD BLACK CAKE

Steps:

• Place raisins, currants, prunes, and mixed peel in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Transfer to a large jar.
• Pour cherry brandy, 1/2 cup brown sugar, dark rum, and mixed spice into the jar; mix well and seal. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until flavors blend, 2 weeks to 3 months.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and line two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
• Combine butter and 1 3/4 cup brown sugar in a bowl; beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs until smooth. Beat in raisin mixture until evenly incorporated. Fold in flour and vanilla extract gradually until batter is smooth and falls off the back of a lifted spoon.
• Divide batter between the prepared cake pans. Cover cake pans loosely with aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cakes are firm and spring back when lightly pressed, about 2 1/2 hours.
• Cool cakes in the pans, 8 hours to overnight. Wrap in aluminum foil to keep moist.