Christmas Black Cake
(Caribbean Rum soaked fruit cake)
Image credit: Alica’s Pepperpot
My grandma used to make the most amazing cakes. The house would smell of drunk fruits for days. She would make so many to cater for everyone’s needs, a non-alcoholic one for the kids, a vegan one for my aunts and then the coveted black cake, with fruits that had been seeped in rum all year. We weren’t allowed to watch her make it. She was secretive with her recipe, I don’t think she shared it or even had it written down.
Sadly, my grandma died earlier this year. I think, as a way of honouring her, instead of buying a black cake like I do most years, I wanted to try and make it myself this year. We didn’t have our own family recipe so I hunted down someone else’s and decided on @alicaspepperpot as it just seemed full of heart. Blending the fruits in preparation was a whole family affair I made sure the kids both helped and hopefully this will continue for years to come, until they’re adults and able to make it on their own for their families!
Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Author: Alica Ramkirpal-Senhouse
Yield: 2-3 cakes
Ingredients
Macerated Fruit mixture
1 lb prunes, pitted
1 lb currants
1 lb raisins
8oz red glace cherries
4oz mixed peel
Soaking
750mL bottle port wine (or another dark red wine)
3-4 cups white or dark rum
Keep one extra small bottle rum on hand
Browning
4 tbsp brown sugar
4 tbsp port wine
Cake batter
1 lb unsalted butter, softened (4 sticks)
1 lb sugar, demerara brown or white (2 cups)
8-9 eggs
Zest of one lemon
Zest of one orange
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
2 tsp mixed essence
1 1/2lbs macerated fruit mixture (about 3 heaping cups)
300g all-purpose flour (2 1/2 level cups)
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground all spice
1/4 tsp ground clove
Alcohol mixture to pour on top
1/4 cup dark rum
1/4 cup cherry brandy
Instructions
Fruit Mixture
Wash and dry all fruits. Mix together in a large bowl. Place fruits a little at a time in a food processor, food mill, or ninja blender. Add enough wine to grind fruits to a paste. Repeat process until fruits have been macerated. Fruit mixture should not be too watery. Add 3-4 cups dark rum. Stir and let mixture soak at minimum one week or even one year+. Adding more wine or rum periodically.
Make browning
If using store-bought burnt sugar, skip this step. Place sugar in a small saucepan. On low heat turn sugar with a spoon until it begins to caramelise. Once dark brown, add wine and remove from heat. Let cool completely.
Make batter
Preheat oven to 275 or 300 degrees F.
Line 3-8in or 2-9in baking pans with parchment paper. Trim paper and set aside.
Bring eggs and butter to room temperature.
Crack eggs into a separate bowl one at a time, Remove white membrane from each egg. Beat in zests, vanilla, almond, and mixed essence. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients. Set aside.
In deep mixing bowl or stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until pale. Add eggs a little at a time. Blend well.
Of the macerated fruit mixture, add 1 1/2 lbs (3 heaping cups) a little at a time, continue blending.
Add flour mixture a little at a time- fold in with a spatula. Add 1 tbsp burnt sugar at a time until desired colour is achieved. If using store bought burnt sugar, 4 tbsp should suffice for a very dark cake. Mix well.
Pour batter into lined cake pans.
Bake anywhere from 275-300 degrees F for 80-90 minutes. When cake come out of oven, pour alcohol mixture on top. When cool, cover cake with plastic wrap. Flavour is best after a few days.
Notes
1lb fruit mixture is traditionally used, you can try this recipe with these changes to see if it meets your preference. If you did not soak the fruits months ahead, you can also simmer the fruits in wine for about 20 minutes. Let it cool then macerate and combine with rum. Batter may be split in 3 smaller cake pans. After removing cake from oven, it may seem like it is under cooked. Do not be alarmed as this is how it is supposed to be. After 2-3 days the texture will change.