Guyanese Pound Cake Recipes

GUYANESE STYLE SPONGE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 °F
• Cream together the sugar and butter until fluffy and most of the sugar crystals have dissolved
• Add eggs one as a time and mix into the creamed sugar and butter
• Then add baking powder to the flour and sift together
• Next add sifted flour, 1/2 cup at a time to the creamed butter, sugar and egg mixture and slowly mix together forming a smooth batter.
• Add vanilla essence, orange zest and rum (if using)
• Pour mixture into a greased bundt cake pan or two 8 inch round pans
• Place on the middle rack in the oven and bake for 45 minutes to an hour or until a wooden skewer or tooth pick comes out clean (free of batter) when inserted into the cake
• Remove from the oven and let cool completely before removing from the baking pan

GUYANA BLACK CAKE

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 (250 g) 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 300°F 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 of paste thinly to cover sides. Allow to dry 1 day before icing.
• FOR THE ROYAL ICING: Beat egg whites to a froth, add sugar, a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Add lemon juice and sugar and continue to beat until mixture forms peaks.
• Dip a spatula in hot water and smoother the icing over the almond paste. A second layer may be applied when the first is thoroughly dried.
• Decorate as desired. If cake is for a wedding choose appropriate colours and decorations. If cake is for Christmas colours chosen may be red and green on white with a Christmas theme.
• Caribbean Cuisine....Betty "K".