How to make Glow-in-the-Dark Jamaican Christmas Fruit Cake

Christmas is not Christmas in Jamaica without sorrel, which seems to be in short supply this year as noted in my blog article entitled “Why Great Jamaica Sorrel Shortage of 2015 caused by increasing yearly demand - How Turner Innovations Sorrel picking machine might save Christmas 2015”.

A staple that I always look forward to is the traditional Christmas cake, which is also known as Black Cake or Christmas Cake with all those raisins and fruits soaked in rum. But wouldn't it be great to make a Glow-in-the-Dark Jamaican Christmas Fruit Cake so that you can find the cake downstairs, even in the dark?

Here are the ingredients for my Glow-in-the-Dark Jamaican Christmas Fruit Cake that's sure to have the kids excited come Christmas Eve:

1.      6 ounces or 1.5 cup flour

2.      8 ounces margarine or butter

3.      8 ounces sugar

4.      4 eggs

5.      1 cup Schweppes Tonic Water

6.      1 pound raisins

7.      1 teaspoon cinnamon

8.      1/2 teaspoon mixed spice

9.      1/2 teaspoon salt

10.  4 ounces mixed peel

11.  4 ounces cherries

12.  1/2 pound mixed fruits

13.  1 cup wine/brandy

14.  1 cup Schweppes Tonic Water

15.  1 teaspoon baking powder

16.  1 teaspoon vanilla

17.  Finely grated rind of 1 lime/lemon

18.  2 tablespoons browning

The secret to the Jamaican Christmas Fruit Cake glow is the infusion of the Schweppes Tonic Water. To make this marvel that will delight the eye and amaze your guests, even your annoying mother-in-law, follow these simple instructions:

1.      Soak the fruits overnight in the Schweppes Tonic Water

2.      Sieve all dry ingredients together into a separate mixing bowl

3.      Melt the Butter

4.      Mix in the sugar and browning and blend with a mixer until soft and fluffy

5.      Beat eggs and combine with wine/brandy and Schweppes Tonic Water

6.      Add egg mixture to creamed butter and sugar.

7.      Add fruits soaked overnight in the Schweppes Tonic Water

8.      Add the dry ingredients, including the flour and fold in, taking care not to over beat the mixture

9.      Bake at 350F for 1 1/2 hours.

You'll get a nice 9 pound cake or you can pour out the batter into several baking tins and get multiple cakes for your friends. To make the cake glow in the dark, make sure that you have UV lamps, like those used to identify money, turned on and the lights off.

The kids will be delighted to see their cake, fruits and even the crumbs glowing in the dark. Best of all, the can wash it all down with glow-in-the-dark Sorrel, which can do that by adding Schweppes Tonic Water.