RICH FRUIT CAKES OF THE NETHERLANDS ANTILLES
I was born in Curacao, in the Netherlands Antilles, which are a collection of five islands geographically divided into two groups, and widely separated by the Caribbean Sea. Curacao and Bonaire, the Leeward Islands are situated north of the Venezuelan coast. Sint Maarten, Saba and Sint Eustatius, the Windward Islands, are near Puerto Rico. In the Windwards, English is spoken, but in the Leeward Islands we speak Dutch, Spanish, English and the local lenguage, Papiamentu.
The wedding fruit cake, Bolo Pretu, is a great "occasion" cake, traditionally baked for weddings and holidays. This cake can be baked well in advance and "aged". In the Netherlands Antilles, a day or two before the wedding, one of the cakes are cut into squares, wrapped in waxed paper and placed in small decorated boxes for guests to take home. The wedding cake itself is baked in round pans, coated with sugarpaste, decorated with buttercream, royal icing and tiny silver balls. This fruit cake is delicious, and I know that you will love it.
HAPPY BAKING!!
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