BERMUDA CHRISTMAS CAKE 1977

“Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmastime.” 

― Laura Ingalls Wilder

 BERMUDA CHRISTMAS CAKE 1977
   My mother always tried to make a somewhat edible xmas cake come  November. She made exceptional shortbread and mincemeat tarts that were the size of tennis balls. But alas, her fruitcake was  rather sad. Even she  acknowledged that. The attempt was not an idle one.  Fruit would be soaked in sherry, butter beaten with eggs and molasses poured from silver spoons. But her cake was  rather listless. My mother wrapped it in sherry-soaked cheesecloth and leave it to its own devices. Ever hopeful that by some miracle it could be saved. 

1970's

Then one late fall, the new neighbours moved in next door. From Bermuda.Suddenly , the neigbourhood got really interesting. Apparently,  they loved to entertain. Apparently, they could both cook. Apparently, they could make fruitcake.....

 They asked us over, for their first Christmas,  one December,  in the late 1970's. I remember the Sunday afternoon was grey, wet and green. Typical Victoria weather. My mother wrapped up a ginger jar with shortbread stuffed inside. Her little round short breads doused in icing sugar, and each one topped with candied peel and a few silver dragees. Sublime.

 Their house was like a museum of beautiful things they had collected over the years. We settled in for tea and  goodies. They hauled out a tea cart complete with full tea service and a large square fruitcake covered in marzipan and smothered with fluffy buttercream frosting. It was decorated with paper  holly leaves. It was the biggest fruitcake I had ever seen.

 Then they sliced into it and served us each a hunk ( not a  piece) , a hunk of fruitcake .It was dark, rich, moist and perfect. First taste and I wanted more. I can still taste it. A tang that was indescribable, raisins, dates, prunes perfect with a slight  hint of fruit. No boozy aftertaste. They soaked the fruit first then baked it. Frosting and marzipan melting perfectly together. And the cake. The cake was tender. Not dry and crumbly.It was wonderful.I don't think my mother appreciated the fact that I got to take home about half of the remaining cake. Her cake got left in the back cupboard, while we doled out the rest of the Bermuda  cake as we called it. They even gave us the recipe. ........

 SOAK in IN LARGE BOWL:                                

6 cups dark raisins ,1 ½ cups chopped dates , 1 pound mixed peel,  ½ pound candied cherries , 2 cups almonds,  1 cup walnuts , 1 cup pecans,  2 cups prunes,Add 2 ½ cups Whiskey or a bit more. 

PREHEAT OVEN to 300F. Grease and line 11-16 small loaf tins. 

 BEAT BATTER in LARGER BOWL:   2 cups butter, 2 cups sugar,12 eggs beaten in one at a time.Add  1 tsp vanilla, 2 tbsp almond extract,1/2 cup molasses,  1/2 cup apple juice ,1 cup strong coffee, 1/2 cup cocoa powder ( this helps richen the colour)

                                                                                                                                                     

 COMBINE: 3 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp allspice, 4 tsp cinnamon,1/2 tsp cloves.

 MIX: Flour ingredients with wet ingredients. Then add  all the fruit. You may have to mix with your hands. That's the fun part. I highly recommend it. Make sure you're hands are clean though!

 "Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love." -Hamilton Wright Mabie

 Plop batter into loaf pans. Smooth tops. Bake in oven on cookie sheets for about an hour. Test to see how they are doing at the 40 minute mark.  Add time as needed till tester comes out clean. You can also use larger loaf pans. But I never do, since these are the right size for freezing and the cakes are beautiful on their own. 

 When cooled you can add a layer of marzipan and frosting, but these days I rarely see any Christmas cake done that way.  But  I must say, when I was a teenager, sitting by the fire in our neighbour's house, it was a mighty yummy sight!

 There were many more Christmas get togethers with the neighbours from Bermuda. Many more rich dark cakes, log fires, and Christmas carols on the record player.Those were lovely days. They told stories about  Bermuda and we listened. My mother really liked them a lot. They were kind and generous. In the years to come they eventually moved somewhere else, and those times we had with them ended. 
      And the fruitcake that my mother made that first year, never did see the light of day again. It vanished from the cooling cupboard in which it had been placed. I think it ended up becoming stuffing for the turkey that year.  A fitting ending. It was much better as stuffing, as my mother observed..............

 “And in despair I bowed my head; There is no peace on earth," I said;
For hate is strong,And mocks the songOf peace on earth, good-will to men!"
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:God is not dead, nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,the Right prevail,With peace on earth, good-will to men!” 
― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

                                                         1979 xmas tableaux