Have you ever tried a Jamaican Black Cake? If you haven’t, you HAVE to, boo! It’s also known as Jamaican Christmas cake, wedding cake, or birthday cake, but no matter what you call it, it’s a Jamaican black cake to me. A dark, boozy, dense, and rich cake full of warm spices that’ll blow you away!
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I may be Southern-born and raised, but y’all know I’ve always had a soft spot for Caribbean cuisine! I got the lowdown on this Jamaican black cake recipe from a dear friend of mine, and as she walked me through the steps, she let me in on a secret: you can find this cake all over the Caribbean. She kept it true to its Jamaican roots, soaking dried fruit in wine and rum for hours (or days, or weeks!), blending it and mixing it into a cake batter, but there are many other ways to make it. Each place adds its own lil’ twist! And after making it once, you’ll probably want to experiment and make it twice… Or thrice!
The Low Down On This Jamaican Black Cake
Cuisine Inspiration: Caribbean
Primary Cooking Method: Baking
Dietary Info: Vegetarian
Key Flavor: Sweet and rich dried fruit, spiced, and boozy!
Skill Level: Beginner
- Easy-To-Get Ingredients: You’ll need everyday stuff like dried fruits, spices, and a bit of booze for this recipe. No need to trek to the ends of the earth or break the bank.
- Rich Flavor: It’s kind of like fruit cake, cranked up a notch – or ten. That’s this Jamaican black cake for ya! The flavors are bold and the spices cozy up real nice with the rum and wine.
- Texture Worth Talking About: After all that mixing and baking, what you get is a cake that’s dense, moist, and kinda chewy in the best way. It’s got character and a rich texture that holds all those soaked fruits and spices together tight.
- Showstopper Cake: There’s a darn good reason this cake is a big deal in Jamaica and across the Caribbean for special occasions! It ain’t just because it tastes incredible (which it does), but it’s also about sharing something special with folks you care about.
Ingredients to make Jamaican Black Cake
For the fruit mixture
- Dried Prunes, Raisins, Golden Raisins, & Dried Cherries: These are your cake’s main players, full of flavor and ready to soak up all that boozy goodness. Mix and match with what you’ve got – no stress.
- Port Wine: Traditionally, Jamaican Red Label wine is the go-to, but any port wine will do the trick.
- White Rum: Feel free to tip in a bit more if you’re after a boozier kick, but the recipe’s balance is boozy enough to sing but won’t have you dancing on tables.
For the cake
- All-Purpose Flour & Almond Flour: These flours make the cake’s structure – nice and dense but still tender.
- Baking Powder: To make sure your cake doesn’t stay flat.
- Nutmeg & Allspice: Here’s our cozy little spice crew, ready to add that warm, spicy touch to your cake Jamaican black cake!
- Unsalted Butter: Adds richness and moisture.
- Dark Brown Sugar: For that deep, caramel-like sweetness that plays SO well with the spices.
- Eggs: They’re the glue holding all these yummy flavors together!
- Lime Juice & Zest: Both add a bright, citrusy pop to balance out the richness and the booze.
- Vanilla & Almond Extract: They bring their A-game in flavor, with vanilla’s sweet warmth and almond’s nutty depth. Missing almond extract? Just double up on the vanilla.
- Browning Sauce: This is the secret sauce y’all, literally! It’s a Jamaican burnt brown sugar sauce that paints our cake with that gorgeous dark hue and rich flavor. You can find it in Walmart or online.
How to make Jamaican Black Cake
Step 1: make the fruit mixture
- Combine dried fruit, port wine, and white rum in a bowl. Make sure all fruit is submerged. Let sit for a couple of days or a couple of weeks. If storing longer than a couple of days, you will need to continue to add more wine and rum to cover the fruits.
- Strain some of the liquid off of the fruit when ready to bake. Reserve.
- Add the remaining liquid and fruit to a food processor.
- Pulse until chopped into small pieces. Set aside.
Step 2: Mix the cake batter
- Add flour, almond flour, baking powder, and spices to a bowl.
- Whisk together and set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar using a stand mixer on high speed until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs, one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl, between each addition.
- Add in dry ingredients in two additions and mix on low speed until just combined.
- Pour in the fruit mixture, lime juice and zest, vanilla and almond extract, and browning sauce. Mix on low speed until everything is evenly combined.
step 3: bake the cakes and brush them with fruit liquid
- Divide the mixture into two prepared pans.
- Bake until the cakes start to pull away from the edge of the pan. Allow them to cool in the pan on a wire rack.
- Remove the cakes from the pan onto the wire rack and brush the reserved liquid onto both cakes. Allow cakes to fully cool.
Tips for making the best Jamaican Black Cake
- Don’t Skip Soaking the Fruit: Always soak your fruit, no exceptions! Even if you’ve only got a few hours. But honestly, the longer, the better.
- Go for a Quick Soak: Got caught in a time crunch? Simmer your fruits in the alcohol on low heat until they’re plump and juicy! Easy fix.
- Sift Your Dry Ingredients: This helps avoid those dreaded lumpy bits in your batter. We want a dense cake, after all, that’s the texture of any Jamaican Christmas cake. But we don’t want to munch on flour pockets!
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure your butter and eggs are at room temperature before you start. This is key for getting that batter silky smooth.
Popular substitutions & additions
- DIY Browning Sauce: If you can’t find browning sauce or just prefer the homemade touch, you can make your own. It’s just a simple mix of brown sugar and water, reduced down to a thick syrup.
- Booze-Free Version: For a family-friendly version, you can soak your dried fruits in orange juice or pineapple juice instead. It’ll still be wonderfully moist and flavorful, y’all!
- Molasses Swap: Using molasses instead of browning also gives the cake a deep, robust flavor. Not to mention it’s a pantry staple that’s a bit easier to find!
- Nutty Addition: Feel free to throw in a handful of your favorite chopped nuts! Almonds, pecans, or walnuts – for an added crunch and nutty flavor.
What to serve with this Jamaican black cake recipe
- Whip up a batch of hot buttered rum or shake up a sugar cookie martini to keep the boozy theme going strong!
- Nothing says “decadence” like a dollop of homemade whipped cream on top of a slice of this cake. It adds a light, airy contrast to the dense, moist texture.
- A scoop of vanilla ice cream alongside this Jamaican Christmas cake? Yes, please! It’s classic, creamy, and oh-so-good.
- For an extra layer of sweetness and luxury, a warm caramel sauce drizzle over the cake can’t be beaten.
How to store Jamaican Black Cake
Best keep this beauty wrapped up tight in plastic wrap or in an airtight container. You can leave it right on the counter, tucked away from the sun.
How long will Jamaican Black Cake last?
On the counter, your cake will stay delicious for a solid 4 days. If you pop it in the fridge, it’ll extend its life for up to 3 weeks.
Can I freeze Jamaican Christmas cake?
You can! Wrap it up good in plastic wrap, then snug it into a freezer bag. In the freezer, your Jamaican black cake will keep singing its sweet song for up to 3 months. Thaw it on the counter overnight, and it’s like you’ve just pulled it from the oven.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the best way to blend the fruits?
For the smoothest texture, give those booze-soaked fruits a good blitz in a food processor. You can also use a powerful blender or hand mixer, but the food processor never fails.
Can I use fresh fruits instead of dried?
Fresh fruits aren’t ideal for this recipe. The beauty of Jamaican fruit cake lies in the rich, concentrated flavor of dried fruits soaked in alcohol, and fresh fruits might add too much moisture and not enough flavor.
Is Jamaican black cake the same as traditional fruit cakes?
Well, not exactly. Black cake is denser, comes with a more intense boozy flavor, and packs a moistness that traditional fruit cakes can only dream of.
This Jamaican black cake is rich, moist, and ready to make any special occasion a hit. Just thinking about that boozy, fruit-packed flavor has got me all eager to dig in! Can’t wait for y’all to try it and fall in love with every dense, flavorful slice. Caribbean cuisine at its best, baby!!
More cake recipes
- Fruit Cake
- Peach Cobbler Pound Cake
- Pink Lemonade Cake
- Louisiana Crunch Cake
- Million Dollar Pound Cake
- Rum Cake
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Jamaican Black Cake
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Ingredients
For the Fruit Mixture:
- 6 ounces pitted dried prunes roughly chopped
- 4 ounces raisins
- 4 ounces golden raisins
- 4 ounces dried cherries
- 1 ½ cup port wine
- 1 cup white rum
For the Cake:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup almond flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 1 tablespoon browning sauce like Kitchen Bouquet
Instructions
For the Fruit Mixture:
- Combine dried fruit, port wine, and white rum. Make sure all fruit is submerged. Let sit for at least two days or up to 2 weeks. If storing longer than a couple of days, you will need to continue to add more wine and rum to cover the fruits.
- When ready to bake, strain ½ cup of liquid off of fruit. Reserve.
- Add remaining liquid and fruit to a food processor and pulse 5-6 times until chopped into small pieces. Set aside.
For the Cake:
- Preheat oven to 250F. Prepare two round cake pans by spraying with nonstick baking spray.
- Combine flour, almond flour, baking powder, and spices in a bowl and set aside.
- In a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes on high speed.
- Add eggs, one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl, between each addition.
- Add in dry ingredients in two additions and mix on low speed until just combined.
- Add in fruit mixture, lime juice and zest, vanilla and almond extract and browning sauce. Mix on low speed until everything is evenly combined.
- Divide mixture into two prepared pans. Bake until cakes start to pull away from edge of the pan, about 1 hour 50 minutes to 2 hours.
- Allow cakes to cool in pan for about 15 minutes. Remove cakes from pan onto wire rack and brush reserved liquid onto both cakes. Allow cakes to fully cool, about an hour.
- Once fully cool, you can serve immediately or wrap and keep for a few days at room temperature.
Notes
- Don’t Skip Soaking the Fruits: Always soak your fruits, no exceptions! Even if you’ve only got a few hours. But honestly, the longer, the better.
- Go for a Quick Soak: Got caught in a time crunch? Simmer your fruits in the alcohol on low heat until they’re plump and juicy! Easy fix.
- Sift Your Dry Ingredients: This helps avoid those dreaded lumpy bits in your batter. We want a dense cake, after all, that’s the texture of any Jamaican Christmas cake. But we don’t want to munch on flour pockets!
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure your butter and eggs are at room temperature before you start. This is key for getting that batter silky smooth.
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Since you don’t layer the cakes, am I essentially baking two cakes? Is it twelve servings per cake or per recipe? Can’t wait to try it!
The rich, fruity flavors combined with the perfect amount of rum make for a decadent and unforgettable dessert. It’s definitely worth the effort to make it at home!
Wow! This cake is amazing. The flavors are fantastic
I really enjoyed this cake! It was very different from what I’m used to as far as cake goes, but delicious nonetheless!
I’ve never heard of this cake before but it looks so good! I’m excited to try it.