Black Cake (again) Pt 1

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

1    
Well, here it is Friday night and the busy week is over and we have
decided not to go to one of the boring fundraising parties we were
scheduled for, and I have an hour's free time, so--contrary to my
earlier promise--here is the Laurie Colwin recipe for Black Cake--to
my way of thinking the best ever fruitcake recipe I've encountered.  As
Laurie says in her essay: "I've never had anything like it before  or
since, and it is NOT an acquired taste. One bite is all it takes."
BLACK CAKE PART I: THE FRUIT  Chop extra, extra fine one pound of
raisins, one pound of prunes, one  pound of currants, one pound of
glace cherries and 3/4 pound of mixed  peel. For a grainier texture,
leave some of the currants whole. Pour  into a large bowl or crock and
cover with one bottle of Passover wine  (Mani- shewitz Concord) and one
bottle of the darkest rum you can  find. Marinate at least two weeks--
but the longer the better--up to  six months.  BLACK CAKE PART II:
BAKING  2. Cream one pound of butter and one pound of dark brown sugar.
Add  the fruit and wine. Add one tablespoon of vanilla and 1/2 tsp.
each  of nutmeg and cinnamon. Beat in one dozen eggs. Add one pound
plus  1/2 cup of flour and three tsps. of baking powder. Add one pound
burnt sugar (see below). Batter should be dark brown.  Bake in two DEEP
9-inch, well-buttered and floured cake tins for 1 to  When the cake is
absolutely cool, wrap it in waxed paper or aluminum  foil (not plastic
wrap) and let it sit until you are ready to ice it.  Burnt Sugar: In a
heavy skillet combine 1 pound of brown sugar and 1  cup water, bring
the mixture to a boil over moderate heat, stirring  and washing down
any sugar crystals clinging to the side with a brush  dipped in cold
water until the sugar is dissolved, and boil the  syrup, swirling the
skillet occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes, or  until it is reduced to 1
3/4 cups. Let the burnt sugar syrup cool and  reserve it until ready to
add to recipe above.  BLACK CAKE PART III: THE ICING  supermarkets.)  7
cups confectioners' sugar (about 2 lbs.), sifted 6 large egg whites  at
room temperature 2 Tbsps. strained fresh lemon juice  Silver dragees
for decorating the cake (usually can be found in baking  aisle in
supermarkets)  Roll out half the almond paste between sheets of plastic
wrap to form  a 10-inch round and remove the top sheet of plastic. Fit
the almong  paste layer over one of the cooled cakes, trimming the edge
if  necessary, and remove the other sheet of plastic wrap. Roll out and
fit the remaining almond paste onto the remaining cake in the same
manner.  Make the icing: In a bowl with an electric mixer beat 4 cups
of the  confectioners' sugar, the egg whites, and the lemon juice for 4
to 6  minutes, or until the mixture holds soft peaks. Beat in the
remaining  3 cups confectioners' sugar and beat the icing until it
holds stiff  peaks.  Transfer 2 cups of the icing to a pastry bag
fitted with a decorative  tip, spread the remaining icing on the tops
and sides of the cakes  with a long metal spatula, and pipe the icing
in the pastry bag  decoratively onto the cakes. Arrange the dragees on
the cakes. Makes  2 black cakes.  NOTES: After having baked these cakes
several times, I (Joanne) have  these additional comments:  Both the
Concord grape wine and the rum amounts are 750 ml bottles.  continued
in part 2

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