Black Cake

Ingredients 

Soaked fruit:

• 1lb small brown raisins
• 1lb sultana
• 1lb golden raisins
• 1lb prunes
• ½ lb currents

Soak in 2litres of sweet red wine for one year. Or boil on low in a stainless steel pot.

Burned sugar:

• 1lb brown sugar
• 1cup boiling water.

Heat on a medium fire, keep stirring. When done, add 1cup of boiling water.

Cake:

• 12-16ounces brown sugar
• 12 eggs
• Almond essence
• Bitters
• Nutmeg grated
• Cinnamon
• Vanilla
• All spice
• Grated lime peel
• ~1 cup Burned sugar
• Soaked fruit
• ½ lb cherries (cut in 4)
• ¼ lb mixed peels
• ¼ lb citron
• 1lb flour
• 1tsp baking powder

Instructions 

1. Cream margarine and brown sugar then eggs together.
2. Add flour and baking powder mixture.
3. Add spices, peel, burned sugar (until dark enough) and bottle of fruit.
4. Dust cherries, mixed peel and citron in corn flower and add last.
5. Bake at 325 degrees for 50 mins, then 275 degrees for 40mins in a parchment paper pan.