Recipe: Corn Islands Traditional Christmas Light Cake
This traditional Corn Island Christmas light cake is a soft, lightly spiced cake enjoyed during the Christmas and New Year season. Simple to prepare and full of flavour, it reflects the islands’ homemade end-of-the-year holiday baking traditions.
This recipe
makes three medium cakes, perfect for sharing with family and friends.
Ingredients (for 3 cakes)
- 6 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 cups sugar
- 6 eggs
- 3 sticks of butter, softened
- 2 cups milk
- 7 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1–2 teaspoons vanilla essence
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg (or to taste)
- 1–2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1–2 tablespoons rum (optional, traditional)
Optional (according to preference):
Raisins and
mixed fruits (some families add these, though the cake is traditionally
prepared as a light cake)
Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
3. In a large bowl or pan, add all the ingredients together: flour, sugar, eggs, butter, milk, baking powder, salt, vanilla, nutmeg, lime juice, and rum.
4. Mix well until the batter is smooth and fully combined. Traditionally, everything is mixed by hand, but you may use a mixer if preferred.
5. If using raisins or fruits, fold them into the batter at this stage.
6. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
7. Bake for 45–55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
8. Remove from the oven and allow the cakes to cool before removing from the pans.
Serving
This cake is traditionally enjoyed with sorrel drink or ginger beer, which is also traditional during the Christmas and New Year season.
Notes
1. This cake
is known as a light cake because it does not traditionally include dried
fruits.
2. Some
families, however, choose to add raisins or mixed fruits, especially during
Christmas.
3. The rum and
lime juice add a subtle Caribbean flavour and can be adjusted to taste.
4. Store in an airtight container to keep fresh.
