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.

Now You're Cooking | Jamaican Black Cake

Jamaican Black Cake (Christmas Rum Cake)

Monique Creary
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 for a long period of time before baking.
4 from 1 vote
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine Caribbean
Servings 2 8-inch cakes

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.

Notes

Make sure your eggs and butter are at room temperature, to make mixing easier.
Depending on how dark you want the cake, you can add more or less browning. If you can't find browning in the store, you can try making your own by melting brown sugar in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat (without stirring), then gradually adding a bit of boiling water.
If you want to add some more dimension to the recipe, you can try adding a bit of fancy molasses when you add the browning.
While baking, after an hour, check your cake from time to time. Different ovens and various sized pans will vary the baking time. Stick a knife in the center after you think the cake is cooked and it should come out (almost) clean.
To help deepen and preserve the flavour of the cake brush it with a mixture of fortified wine and rum (the cake will absorb it).
The cake is best served a couple days after baking. The texture will change depending on how much alcohol you add after it comes out of the oven.
Keep your cake tightly covered in plastic wrap after soaking, then in foil, in order to keep it moist.
You can store the cake at room temperature for up to a couple of months, as long as rum is added to the top of the cake every few days or so. Keep it in a cool, dark place (like in one of those empty Danish cookie tin).
Keyword black cake, rum cake, Christmas cake

Video



7 thoughts on “Jamaican Black Cake (Christmas Rum Cake)”

  • Congrats on your well narrated videos. I love baking Jamaican Black Cake every Christmas and use a similar recipe. However, there are 2 things I would love to improve. 1. How to get my cakes to have a more moist and spongy cakelike texture? I find mine comes out too dense. 2. How do I prevent my cake from cracking when baking? I always place a pan of water in the oven to try and keep it moist. Thanks Monique.

    4 stars

    • Hi Robert, thanks for your comment (sorry for the late reply)! I hear you on the aim to get a more cake-like texture... I've been trying to perfect that recently, because I rather that over the super-dense cakes. My mom usually beats her egg whites separately, so that might help a bit (I can get a tad lazy for that step... lol). But the cracking might be because the oven temperature is a bit too high, so the top of the cake sets first before the rest has started to fully rise. You can also try moving your cake to a lower rack. Happy baking! :D
  • The recipe calls for "mixed essence" I don't know where to find that. I look on the internet and they give so many versions it's confusing.
    • Hi Lucinda (apologies for the super-late reply). Mixed essence is a combination of different extracts. If you don't see it in the baking aisle (near the vanilla extract), you might see it in the "international" or "Caribbean" section where sauces and spices are. If all else fails, just use a bit of almond, lemon, and vanilla to make up for the quantity needed of mixed essence. Hope this helps!

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