The Hummingbird Bakery Life is Sweet: 100 original recipes for happy home baking. Tarek Malouf

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      Black Fruitcake

      We couldn’t resist including this traditional Southern recipe, rich with boozy fruits, molasses, dark sugar and spices. As with all fruitcakes, if you make this a few months in advance and season it with rum every few days, it’ll be so much better.

      Makes one 25cm (10in) ring cake or two 900g (2lb) loaf cakes, to slice as desired

      100g (3½oz) prunes, pitted and chopped

      125g (4½oz) dates, pitted and chopped

      100g (3½oz) currants

      100g (3½oz) raisins

      60g (2oz) each candied orange and lemon peel

      60g (2oz) candied pineapple

      75g (2½oz) glacé cherries, halved

      300ml (10½fl oz) ruby port

      160ml (5½fl oz) dark rum

      270g (9½oz) plain flour

      2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

      1 tsp each ground allspice

      and cinnamon

      ¾ tsp each ground nutmeg, mace and cloves

      ½ tsp salt

      150g (5½oz) unsalted butter, softened

      200g (7oz) dark muscovado sugar

      3 large eggs

      80g (3oz) pure cane molasses, such as Meridian

      1½ tsp vanilla extract

      115g (4oz) pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped

       One 25cm (10in) ring mould or two 900g (2lb) loaf tins

      1. In a large Tupperware or glass container with a lid, combine the dried, candied and glacé fruits with 200ml (7fl oz) of the port and all the rum and cover. This should be kept at room temperature for at least 2 days – stirring twice a day. It can be left for up to 6 weeks.

      2. Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F), Gas mark 2 and grease the ring mould or loaf tins with butter.

      3. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda, spices and salt.

      4. Using a freestanding electric mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand-held electric whisk, cream the butter and sugar together for around 5 minutes on a medium-high speed until light and fluffy.

      5. Add the eggs, one at a time, on a lower speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition and beating well. Mix in the molasses and vanilla on a low speed, and then add the dry ingredients, a few tablespoons at a time. Stir in the fruit and nuts by hand, with any leftover soaking liquid. The fruit and nuts and liquid can be puréed if you prefer a more smooth-textured cake.

      6. Scrape the batter into the prepared ring mould or loaf tins and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes–1 hour 50 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake in the tin, then skewer little holes on top and pour in the remaining port. You can also sprinkle with more dark rum if desired. Turn out the cake once the extra liquid has soaked in and cool completely.

      7. Wrap the cake tightly with baking parchment and foil and store at room temperature for at least a week before eating. If fully sealed, the cake can be stored for a further two to three months, and ‘seasoned’ every few days with some more rum.