Jamaican Black Cake (Christmas Rum Cake)
Even though there are many variations of this spiced fruit cake, no Caribbean home during the Christmas season is the same without it. Dark and rich in flavour, black cake is a made from an array of dried fruit such as raisins, cherries, and prunes, that are soaked in a combination of rum and wine for a long period of time before baking.
If you’re from the Caribbean, you know that Christmas is right around the corner when family and friends start asking about where they can get their hands on a tin of black cake to help celebrate the holiday season.
Also known as rum cake, Christmas cake, wedding cake, and fruit cake, depending on which island you’re from, Christmas in a Caribbean household isn’t quite the same without some rum cake (and of course some sorrel).
Not to be confused with the British or American version of fruitcake (which some seem to loath due to it’s seemingly brick-like consistency), black cake is a uniquely-flavoured cake that is the descendant of the British plum pudding. Packed with dried fruits and warming spices, the alcohol in the recipe (usually a combination of wine and rum), not only helps flavour the cake, but also preserve it for weeks, or even months.
For newbies to this recipe, remember that this isn’t a crumb-type cake–the consistency is going to be more dense and puddingy (if that’s even a word). That’s due to baking it for a longer period of time at a lower temperature (e.g. 300°F), but you can also place a roasting pan with water in the bottom of the oven (like a bain marie), to keep the air nice and moist for the cake.
Jamaican Black Cake (Christmas Rum Cake)
Ingredients
Macerated fruit mixture:
- 2 cups soaked fruit mixture (650g)
- 1/4 cup fortified or port wine e.g. Red Label wine
- 1/4 cup white rum e.g. Wray and Nephew's
- 1/4 tsp Angostura bitters optional
Cake batter:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (227g)
- 1 cup packed brown sugar (220g)
- 6 large eggs room temperature
- 2 tbsp lime juice (about 1 lime) (30mL)
- zest of 1 lime
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp mixed essence
- 1/2 tsp rose water
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted (275g)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp browning or burnt sugar
For brushing the top of the cake:
- 1/4 cup fortified or port wine e.g. Red Label wine
- 1/4 cup white rum e.g. Wray and Nephew's
Instructions
- Make sure that your fruit mixture has been soaking for at least 3-4 days before adding to the cake mixture. If your fruits are whole, add the mix to the blender or food processor with the wine and rum and blend until they turn into a paste (adding the extra alcohol will help with this process). Mix in your Angostura bitters if desired. Set aside.
- Prepare two, 8-inch cake pans by greasing them with butter, as well as lining with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- For the batter: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, mixed spice, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate container, crack the eggs. Whisk in the lime juice. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, cream together your softened butter and brown sugar in a large bowl for about 5-10 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Slowly, add the egg to the butter mixture, beating with each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix in the lime zest, vanilla, mixed essence, rose water to the wet ingredients, and continue to mix.
- Add in the macerated fruit mixture a little bit at a time, until combined.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and fold in using a spatula or wooden spoon. Stir in the browning a tablespoon at a time to achieve the desired colour (usually dark-brown).
- Evenly divide the batter into the prepared cake pans. To ensure that the cake remains moist when baking, add a roasting pan with water to the bottom rack of the oven. Place cakes on the racks right above, and bake for 70-80 minutes.
- Remove cakes from the oven once done (a toothpick or a knife inserted in the centre should come out clean), and let rest in pan for 5 minutes. Brush the tops of the cakes with a couple tablespoons of the mixture of wine and rum. Once cool enough to handle, remove cakes from pan and brush with remaining wine/rum mixture. Wait at least several hours before serving.
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