Black Cake

Ingredients

In a large bowl, mix all the fruits thoroughly with the wine and the rum;let the fruit macerate, covered, at room temperature for at least twoweeks. In a heavy skillet combine one pound of the brown sugar and 1 cupwater. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring until the sugar isdissolved, and gently boil the syrup, swirling the skillet occasionally,for a few minutes, or until it is reduced to 1.75 cups. Let the syrupcool; reserve. Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg togetherinto a bowl. In the large bowl of an electric mixer cream together theremaining brown sugar and the butter until it is fluffy; then beat in theeggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla,the flour mixture, and 1.3333333333333 cups of the burnt sugar syrup, reserving theremaining syrup for another use. In another large bowl, combine well theflour mixture and the fruit mixture and divide the batter between twobuttered and floured 25 cm springform pans. Bake the cakes in the middle of apreheated 180ÂșC . oven for two hours, or until a toothpick inserted in thecenters comes out with some crumbs adhering to it. (The centers of thesecakes will be quite moist.)

Let the cakes cool in the pans on a rack,remove the sides and bottoms of the pans, and wrap the cakes in foil or waxpaper. Let the cakes stand at room temperature for a week. Roll out halfthe almond paste between sheets of plastic wrap to form a 25 cm round andremove the top sheet of plastic wrap. Fit the almond paste layer over onecake, trimming the edge if necessary, and remove the other sheet of plasticwrap. Roll out and fit the remaining almond paste onto the remaining cakein the same manner. ICING: Using an electric mixer, beat 4 cups of theconfectioners' sugar with the egg whites and lemon juice until the mixturewill hold a soft peak. Beat in the remaining sugar, and beat the icinguntil it will hold a stiff peak. Transfer two cups of the icing to a pastrybag fitted with a decorative tip, spread the remaining icing on the topsand sides of the cakes with a long metal spatula, and pipe the icing in thepastry bag decoratively onto the cakes. Arrange the drages on the cakes.

Makes two cakes.