As the holiday season approaches, many families eagerly anticipate indulging in the delectable flavors of the traditional Caribbean Christmas cake, affectionately known as black cake. This beloved dessert, with its rich, dark color and distinctive blend of spices, dried fruits, and rum, holds a special place in Caribbean culture, symbolizing joy, warmth, and togetherness during the festive period. Whether you're a seasoned baker looking to perfect your recipe or a curious home cook eager to explore this culinary gem, let's embark on a journey to discover the origins, ingredients, and variations of this iconic Christmas treat.
Let's cook with our recipes!
BLACK CAKE (CARIBBEAN RUM SOAKED FRUIT CAKE)
This beloved rum soaked fruit cake is rich, perfectly spiced, and decadent. You'll find yourself having a little piece each day until it's gone!
Provided by Alica
Time 1h30m
Number Of Ingredients 27
Steps:
- 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.
- 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 caramelize. Once dark brown, add wine and remove from heat. Let cool completely.
- 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 little white membrane from each egg (optional). 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 color 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. Flavor is best after a few days.
CARIBBEAN CHRISTMAS CAKE (KNOWN AS BLACK CAKE)
I have never made this recipe; posted in response to a request. I worked with a woman from Guyana many years ago, and she brought a Black Cake to a Christmas party one year; it was fabulous!
Provided by Lennie
Categories Dessert
Time 1h50m
Yield 12 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 325°F; spray a nine-inch cake pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, vanilla and browning until soft and creamy.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.
- In a third bowl, beat the eggs with the rum.
- Add egg mixture to butter mixture and thoroughly combine, then stir in zest, fruit and nuts.
- Fold in flour mixture; do not overbeat.
- Put batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for approximately 90 minutes, or until cake tests done; may need longer.
- Remove cake from pan when cool.
CARIBBEAN BLACK CAKE CHRISTMAS CAKE
Steps:
- Gather the ingredients for the rum-soaked fruit. Add the dried fruit to a medium non-reactive bowl. Pour the rum over the fruit and stir to combine. Set aside to soak for at least 8 hours or up to overnight, stirring occasionally over the soaking time.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 1104 kcal, Carbohydrate 145 g, Cholesterol 327 mg, Fiber 10 g, Protein 16 g, SaturatedFat 26 g, Sodium 321 mg, Sugar 91 g, Fat 46 g, ServingSize 1 10-inch cake (serves 5), UnsaturatedFat 0 g
CARIBBEAN CHRISTMAS CAKE/ WEDDING CAKE
This cake is versatile and you can substitute strawberry jam with marmalade or any other flavour of jam. You can use alcohol to flavour it or not. You can ice it or leave it plain. You can serve it as a Christmas fruit cake or use it to make a wedding cake. It does make enough cake to fill a set of three graduated wedding cake pans (7.5 in, 5.5 in, and a 4 in pan). Each cake is about 2 inches high and the total weight is about 11.5 lbs. If you cut it up for a wedding cake, it would probably serve anywhere from 100-150 people depending on how small you want the pieces to be.
Provided by Ranikabani
Categories Dessert
Time 1h34m
Yield 125 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- Day 1: Measure nuts, raisins, currants, citron peel into a large bowl.
- Drain cherries and reserve juice.
- Chop cherries (they should measure about 1 1/4 cups) and add to the fruit mixture.
- Stir in brandy and soak over night.
- I actually do this a few weeks in advance and leave it in the fridge and really let the fruit soak in the brandy for more depth of flavour but it's up to you.
- If you're going to do it the day before baking however, I'd cover it with plastic wrap and leave it on the counter at room temperature.
- In a heavy dutch oven or large saucepan, simmer the entire contents of the can of pineapple with 2 cups of the sugar.
- Cook uncovered until thickened, about 30 minutes.
- Stir frequently and make sure the heat isn't too high.
- When cool, stir in the juice from jar of maraschino cherries (it shouldn't be more than 1/2 cup) and the strawberry jam.
- This mixture doesn't have to be done the day before baking but it does have to bee cool before you add it to the cake.
- In fact, I'd recommend that you do this step on the day of baking.
- Prepare cake pans by greasing and then lining with a double thickness of heavy brown paper.
- Brown shopping bags do well or else you can use tin foil with dull side out.
- Grease the paper or foil well.
- Use whatever size pans you wish but leave an inch space at the top of the pan.
- Total weight is 11.5 lbs.
- Preheat oven to 275°F.
- Sift or stir the flour with the spices, salt and soda until well mixed.
- Sprinkle a cup of the flour mixture over the fruits and nuts and toss till they are coated with flour.
- Set remaining 3 cups of flour aside.
- In a large measuring bowl, cream 2 1/4 cups of the sugar with butter.
- Beat in eggs one at a time.
- Stir in dry ingredients, alternating with pineapple mixture.
- Make 3 dry and two liquid additions, combining lightly after each addition.
- Pour over flour-coated fruits and nuts and mix until well combined.
- Turn into prepared pans and they can be filled to about one inch from the top.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 3 - 3 1/2 to 5 hrs depending on pan size.
- Put a shallow pan of water on a lower rack for added moisture if you'd like.
- Cake should be fairly firm in the centre and a skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes.
- Remove from pan and peel off paper and then let it cool on a rack.
- When cool, wrap it in a piece of cheesecloth that has been soaked in brandy, rum, black wine, liqueur, or fruit juice.
- Then wrap the cake in tin foil (leaving the cheesecloth on the cake).
- Freeze if not being used right away.
- Note: I usually start soaking the fruits around the end of October for a couple of weeks in the fridge, then mid Nov, I bake the cake, and freeze it.
- Every couple of weeks, I take it out, re-soak the cheesecloth in liquor and wrap it back up and re-freeze.
- By the time Christmas rolls around, you will have one moist and intoxicating cake!
- (You can just use fruit juice if you don't want the alcohol. I think pineapple juice is the best).
- You can decorate with an almond paste or icing of your choice or serve plain.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 133, Fat 4.3, SaturatedFat 2.1, Cholesterol 28.1, Sodium 63.6, Carbohydrate 22.6, Fiber 1.2, Sugar 16.6, Protein 1.8
Tips:
- Use high-quality ingredients: The better the ingredients, the better the cake will be. Use dark, flavorful rum, and choose dried fruits that are plump and moist.
- Soak the dried fruits in rum: This will help to plump them up and give them a boozy flavor. Soak the fruits for at least 24 hours, but longer is better.
- Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy: This will help to incorporate air into the cake, making it light and tender.
- Add the eggs one at a time: This will help to prevent the cake from curdling.
- Mix the dry ingredients together before adding them to the wet ingredients: This will help to ensure that the cake is evenly mixed.
- Bake the cake in a low oven: This will help to prevent the cake from drying out.
- Let the cake cool completely before frosting it: This will help to prevent the frosting from melting.
Conclusion:
Caribbean Christmas cake is a delicious and festive treat that is perfect for any holiday gathering. With its rich, dark flavor and boozy aroma, this cake is sure to be a hit with everyone who tries it. If you're looking for a unique and flavorful Christmas cake, give this recipe a try. You won't be disappointed!
Are you curently on diet or you just want to control your food's nutritions, ingredients? We will help you find recipes by cooking method, nutrition, ingredients...
Check it out »
You'll also love