Black Pearl Cake Recipes

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium mixing bowl, blend together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa, spices and salt. Set aside. Grease and flour a bundt pan and set aside.
• 2. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until creamy using a hand mixer. Add the eggs, rum, coffee and vanilla and blend until smooth. Slowly add the dry ingredients, blending until mixture is smooth.
• 3. Pour cake batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until cake tests done in the center with a knife or bamboo skewer. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack, then remove to a serving dish/platter.
• 4. For frosting: Whip the butter and about 2 tbs of confectioner's sugar together in a medium sized mixing bowl until smooth. Then add the cream cheese and whip until smooth. Add the remaining sugar and other ingredients, blending until smooth. Depending on whether or not you want a glaze or frosting, add more or less confectioner's sugar to tighten or loosen the mixture. Garnish with a little grated coconut if desired.
• 5. Note: For a stiffer, spreadable frosting texture always start off whipping the butter and adding a small amount of sugar to start, then add the cream cheese and blend well before adding the remaining ingredients. For a runnier glaze, omit the lemon juice and reduce the amount of sugar.

Steps:

• At least 2 days before baking, combine prunes, raisins, currants, cherries, candied peel, rum and brandy in a glass jar or sturdy plastic container. Cover tightly; shake or stir occasionally.
• When ready to bake, put soaked fruit and almonds in a blender or food processor; work in batches that the machine can handle. Grind to a rough paste, leaving some chunks of fruit intact. Add a little brandy or wine if needed to loosen mixture in the machine.
• If burning sugar, place a deep, heavy-bottomed pot over high heat. Add 1 cup white or light brown sugar, and melt, stirring with a wooden spoon. Stir, letting sugar darken. (It will smoke.) When sugar is almost black, stir in 1/4 cup boiling water. (It will splatter.) Turn off heat.
• Heat oven to 250 degrees. Butter three 9-inch or four 8-inch cake pans; line bottoms with a double layer of parchment or wax paper.
• In a mixer, cream butter and 1 pound light or dark brown sugar until smooth and fluffy. Mix in eggs one at a time, then lime zest, vanilla and bitters. Transfer mixture to a very large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and cinnamon. Fold dry ingredients into butter mixture. Stir in fruit paste and 1/4 cup burnt sugar or molasses. Batter should be a medium-dark brown; if too light, add a tablespoon or two of burnt sugar or molasses.
• Divide among prepared pans; cakes will not rise much, so fill pans almost to top. Bake 1 hour, and reduce heat to 225 degrees; bake 2 to 3 hours longer, until a tester inserted in center comes out clean. Remove to a rack.
• While cakes are hot, brush tops with rum and let soak in. Repeat while cakes cool; they will absorb about 4 tablespoons total. When cakes are completely cool, they can be turned out and served. To keep longer, wrap cakes tightly in wax or parchment paper, then in foil. Store in a cool, dry place for up to 1 month.