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.
Prep Time30 minutesmins
Cook Time1 hourhr20 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr50 minutesmins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Caribbean
Keyword: black cake, rum cake, Christmas cake
Servings: 28-inch cakes
Author: Monique Creary
Ingredients
Macerated fruit mixture:
2cupssoaked fruit mixture(650g)
1/4cupfortified or port winee.g. Red Label wine
1/4cupwhite rume.g. Wray and Nephew's
1/4tspAngostura bittersoptional
Cake batter:
1cupunsalted butter, softened(227g)
1cuppacked brown sugar(220g)
6large eggsroom temperature
2tbsplime juice (about 1 lime)(30mL)
zest of 1 lime
2tspvanilla extract
1tspmixed essence
1/2tsprose water
2cupsall-purpose flour, sifted(275g)
2tspbaking powder
1tspmixed spice
2tspground cinnamon
1/2tspsalt
3tbspbrowning or burnt sugar
For brushing the top of the cake:
1/4cupfortified or port winee.g. Red Label wine
1/4cupwhite rume.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.
Video
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).