Jamaican Black Cake

This rich and moist Jamaican Black Cake is the centerpiece dessert that's perfect for any holiday or celebration. Black Cake, also known as rum cake, Christmas cake, and wedding cake, depending on when it's served, is a staple dessert recipe in all of the Caribbean.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Caribbean

Keyword black cake, caribbean black cake, fruit cake, jamaican black cake

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 2 30

Soaking Fruits 5

Total Time 5 1 40

Servings people

Calories 581kcal

Author Tanya

Equipment

Ingredients

Fruit Blend

8 oz pitted dried prunes about 1 ¼ cup
5 oz raisins about 1 cup
5 oz golden raisins about 1 cup
5 oz dried cherries about 1 cup
2 ¾ cups sweet red dessert wine separated

Cake

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup plain breadcrumbs
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¾ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon salt
½ lb butter 2 sticks, softened
1 ¼ cups dark brown sugar
5 large eggs
1 Tablespoon lime juice and lime zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
Fruit bend mixture
2 Tablespoon browning
2 Tablespoon burnt sugar

Instructions

Make the fruit blend mixture

Combine prunes, raisins, golden raisins, dried cherries, and 2 ½ cups of sweet red wine in an airtight container. Cover and let sit for at least 5 days or up to a few months. If storing longer than a few days, you will need to add more wine to the mixture to cover the fruits as the fruit will soak up the wine over time.
When ready to bake, add the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.

Make the Cake

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit (121C) and prepare a 10-inch baking pan by using a pan liner and greasing the sides. Set aside.
Mix the all-purpose flour, plain breadcrumbs, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt in a bowl and set aside. Cream the butter and dark brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until fluffy, for about 3 minutes on medium speed.
Mix in the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the lime juice and zest, vanilla extract, and almond extract to the butter mixture and mix until combined. Mix in the flour mixture until combined. Fold in the blended fruit mixture, the browning, and burnt sugar until fully combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 2 and half hours, until a toothpick in the middle comes out clean.
Allow cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then remove and pour ¼ cup of the sweet red wine over the cake. Allow the cake to continue cooling overnight. The cake will continue to soak up the liquid that was poured on top.
Serve and enjoy.

Notes

This cake can be baked in a smaller pan if needed. If using a 9-inch baking pan, you’ll have leftover batter to make a smaller cake. Smaller cakes will cook faster.
You could also make your own burnt sugar for this recipe if you choose to do so.
Black Cake is generally stored at room temperature. It will last for a few days.
To add some rum to this cake, I suggest reducing the wine amount to 2 cups, and using ¾ cup of rum to soak the fruit. If using rum, use Jamaican white rum, like Wray & Nephew, but a dark/spiced rum should work too.

Nutrition