An intensely dark, dense, boozy fruit cake made with dried fruits soaked in rum and cherry brandy for months, browning (burnt sugar), and warm spices. The quintessential Trinidadian Christmas cake.
Nutrition & Info
Allergen Warnings
Equipment Needed
Presentation Guide
Instructions
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1
Soak dried fruits in rum and cherry brandy for at least 2 weeks, preferably months. Blend into a thick paste.
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2
Cream butter and sugar until light. Add eggs one at a time.
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3
Fold in flour, baking powder, mixed spice, vanilla, and almond essence.
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4
Add fruit paste and browning to batter, mixing until uniformly dark.
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5
Pour into lined cake pans and bake at 300F for 2 hours. When cool, pour additional rum over the cake. Wrap tightly and store.
Did You Know?
Some Trinidadian families start soaking their fruits in January for the following Christmas. A well-made black cake can last for years if kept sealed and rum-fed.
Chef's Notes
Equipment Tips
- cake pans
- mixer
- blender
Garnishing
icing sugar dusting
Accompaniments
The Story Behind Black Cake
Black cake descends from British plum pudding traditions, transformed in the Caribbean with local rum, browning, and tropical dried fruits. In Trinidad, it became the crown jewel of Christmas baking, with competitions and family rivalries over whose cake is darkest, moistest, and most rum-soaked.
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