Mango Flower Cake

Well we  have just finished with the last unofficial weekend of summer, yet I still felt the need to decorate a cake with fruit.  The fruit du jour? Mango!

 I made some black gumpaste flowers.

The Ingredients:

(serves 12)

1 3/4c All purpose flour

1 to 1 1/4c Powdered sugar
1 1/2tsp Baking powder
3 Eggs room temp
1/3 c Butter room temp
1/2c oil
1c Fresh mango puree
1 tsp Vanilla essence

I cut up a mango and placed it into my grinder.

Then I pureed the mango

Place all dry ingredients in a bowl and keep aside. In a separate bowl beat oil,butter and sugar till creamy. Add eggs one at a time and beat after each addition. Add the vanilla essence. Now mix the flour mixture slowly in to batches. Fold in the flour mixture by adding the mango puree in between.

Mix well till all the flour is incorporated well.

 Batter is poured into pans for baking.

Preheat the oven at 325 degree C for 15 mins. Grease a cake tin pour the batter to the tin. Bake the cake at 325 degree C approximately 45 min or insert a toothpick andmake sure it comes out clean. When the cake is done allow it to cool on wire rack.

After the cake is baked I made a butter cream icing.  I smoothed the icing on one layer, chopped another mango into small chunks and added it the layer.

Added another layer and icing the rest of the cake.

I did this also for the smaller tier that was to be placed on top.

Added fondant

And Voila!

Delish!

Jamaican Black Cake

Thank you to Nadine who requested a Jamaican Black Cake for the holidays.  This is a traditional holiday dessert which is deliciously, dark and rich and unlike any other fruit cake you will run across.

It is a dense cake soaked with rum and port wine and allowed to sit and ferment for several weeks or months.  It is also served at weddings and special occasions.

Here is the recipe that I used for this delicious cake. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup flour
8 ounces margarine or butter
8 ounces sugar
4 eggs
1 pound raisins*
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 ounces mixed peel*
4 ounces cherries*
1/2 pound prunes (chopped)
1 cup wine/brandy*
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 lime or lemon, finely grated rind only
2 tablespoons browning

Directions:
*I grounded and soaked these ingredients in rum and wine a few weeks in advance.  Kept in a sealed glass jar.

Cream butter, sugar and browning until soft and fluffy. Sieve all dry ingredients together Beat eggs, wine/brandy together. Add egg mixture to creamed butter and sugar. Add fruits. Add flour and fold in. Do no over-beat when mixing. Bake at 350F for 1 1/2 hours. 

This baked an 8 1/2" round. I decorated this cake with royal icing and silver dragees.