The baking of Caribbean black cake traditionally begins around two months ahead of Christmas Day. In Jamaican homes, the soaked fruit is often blended first, which is the version I grew up with, giving the finished cake its characteristically rich, pudding-like texture. As it bakes, the warm scent of fruit and spices fills the kitchen and, once cooled, the cake is ‘fed’ with more alcohol – usually rum – then wrapped well to keep it moist and full of flavour until Christmas Day (or some nibbling before if you can’t wait).
Prep time in addition to overnight soaking
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Yields:
14
Prep Time:
35 mins
Cook Time:
2 hrs
Total Time:
2 hrs 35 mins
FOR THE SOAKED FRUIT
- 150 g currants
- 150 g raisins
- 100 g prunes
- 80 g glacé cherries
- 50 g mixed peel
- 250 ml port
- 200 ml dark rum
FOR THE BROWNING
- 3 Tbsp. dark brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp. port
FOR THE CAKE
- 225 g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
- 100 g light brown soft sugar
- 125 g dark brown sugar
- 5 medium eggs
- 1 lime, zested
- 1 orange, zested
- 1/2 lemon, zested
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. almond extract
- 1 tsp. aromatic bitters
- 150 g plain flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 70 ml ruby port
- 50 ml dark rum
- Maraschino cocktail cherries, thoroughly drained (optional)
- Step 1Combine the dried fruits and port in a large pan over a medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 20-25min, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced and the fruit is plump. Transfer to a large bowl and pour over the rum. Leave to marinate overnight, then blitz in a food processor to a thick paste.
- Step 2For the browning, put the sugar in a small pan over a low heat. Allow to melt, gently moving the sugar around occasionally using a silicone spatula, around 4-5min. It will darken quickly, so remove from the heat once it starts to get smokey. Add the port, being careful as it will bubble. Return to a very low heat and break down any crystallised sugar with the spatula, simmering for a further 2-3min until thickened. Strain over a small bowl and set aside.
- Step 3Preheat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan) mark 3. Butter and double-line a 23cm loose-bottomed cake tin with baking paper.
- Step 4For the cake, beat the butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer for 4-6min, until fluffy and voluminous. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Beat in the zests, extracts and bitters.
- Step 5Sift together the flour, baking powder and spices, and beat into the batter in two parts until just combined. Add the blitzed fruit with the browning and beat again until combined. Scrape the batter into the prepped cake tin and smooth the top using a spatula. Transfer to the oven and bake for 1hr 20min, testing if a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. If not, bake for a further 5min.
- Step 6Once baked, remove from the oven to a wire rack, keeping it in the tin, and pierce all over with a toothpick. Combine the port and rum and immediately brush some over the surface of the cake. Leave for 20min, then brush with the mixture again. Repeat this twice more or until you have approximately 2tbsp of the mixture left. Carefully remove the cake from the tin and brush the sides of the cake with the remaining mixture. Wrap in baking paper and foil, and leave for at least 3-4 days before eating. For an optional decorative finish, pile the centre of the cake with maraschino cocktail cherries.
GET AHEAD
If making at least a month in advance, wrap well and keep somewhere cool and ideally dark. Every 1-2 weeks, brush with more of the rum/port mixture, giving it a final brush no less than a few days before serving
Per serving:
- Calories: 442
- Protein: 4g
- Fat: 15g
- Saturates: 9g
- Carbs:54 g
- Sugars: 41g
- Fibre: 2g
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Nadine is the Kitchen Editor, creating delicious, exciting recipes for GH. Her background is eclectic – time spent as a teen mag website editor interviewing the likes of Lady Gaga before becoming a standby contestant for GBBO - and it shows in her style cooking. Full of flavour, interesting stories and fun!