A dense, moist, deeply boozy cake soaked with aged Jamaican rum and loaded with dried fruits that have been steeping in rum for weeks. Dark, rich, and intensely flavored, this is the centerpiece of every Jamaican Christmas table, improving with age like the finest rum itself.
1Weeks (or at least 3 days) before baking, chop the dried fruits and place in a jar. Cover with half the rum and port wine. Seal and store in a dark place, shaking daily. The longer the fruits soak, the better the cake.
2Preheat oven to 150C (300F). Grease and double-line a deep 23cm round cake tin with parchment paper.
3Cream the butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a tablespoon of flour with each to prevent curdling.
4Add vanilla, browning sauce, and lime juice. Fold in the remaining flour sifted with baking powder and mixed spice. The batter will be dark and fragrant.
5Fold in the rum-soaked fruits along with any remaining soaking liquid. The batter should be thick and heavy with fruit.
6Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 2-2.5 hours until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cover with foil if the top browns too quickly. The cake should be deeply dark and moist.
7While still warm, poke holes all over the top with a skewer and pour the remaining rum slowly over the cake, allowing it to soak in. Once cool, wrap tightly in rum-soaked cheesecloth and then foil. Feed with additional rum weekly. The cake improves dramatically over weeks and will keep for months.
Did You Know?
Jamaican rum cake (also called black cake or Christmas cake) is traditionally started months before Christmas. Some families keep a perpetual fruit-soaking jar going year-round, topping it up with rum and fresh dried fruits. A well-made cake can last over a year.