The Cake I Make Every Single Christmas

My grandmother is the eldest of 12 siblings and the uncontested pioneer of the family. When she moved to the US from Jamaica in 1969, she paved the way for others to join her and ensured our recipes weren’t left behind. So while I was born and raised in the northeast United States, Jamaican dishes have always taken center stage—especially during the holidays. 

For Christmas in particular, there are some absolute must-haves. At the top of the list: rice and peas as a side dish, sorrel as a drink, and black cake for dessert. This dessert is not one you can decide to make at the last minute. In fact, many families begin months in advance. Fortunately, my recipe can be done in two to four days and isn’t difficult to make. 

What Is Black Cake?

Black cake (also known as Christmas cake or rum cake) is essentially a fruit cake made with dried fruit soaked in spirits, but it’s nothing like the firm, bread-like loaves you may be familiar with. 

Because the rehydrated fruit is puréed before stirring into the batter, the result is a rich, incredibly moist cake. The cake itself is also soaked in rum after baking, giving it a fragrant and strong rum flavor. When white royal icing is applied, this holiday treat becomes Jamaican wedding cake, a requisite for any couple celebrating their nuptials.  

The name comes from the cake’s dark color, which is due to the puréed fruit as well as the addition of browning, a burnt sugar syrup. This ingredient, which can be purchased bottled or prepared homemade, is used to color and flavor a variety of Caribbean stews, gravies, and desserts and is a non-negotiable for black cake. 

Black cake is enjoyed in several countries in the Caribbean, each with its own style. Even within Jamaica, there’s a range of preparations and preferences. My family’s version, featured in this recipe, is smooth and pudding-like and has a dark brown color in the end. The great thing about this recipe, as with many holiday traditions, is that it can be modified and adjusted to your liking. 

Soaking the Fruit

This recipe uses dried cherries, raisins, currants, and prunes. Some incorporate candied citrus peel and other dried fruits, but this is the combination our family enjoys. Feel free to adjust the ratios and dried fruit selections based on your preference and what’s available to you. 

Now for the exciting (and time-consuming!) part. The fruit is soaked in a combination of dark Jamaican rum and Red Label wine, though any sweet red wine will do. As the fruit macerates, it softens and soaks up flavor; you need two days minimum for this to happen sufficiently. 

In a container with a tight-fitting lid, this can sit on the counter (out of direct sunlight) for weeks and even months! Note that if you soak the fruit for longer than a couple of days, you’ll need to top it off with additional rum and wine as they’re absorbed. 

Rum, Rum, and More Rum

Black cake is rich and unabashedly boozy. Not only is rum used in the fruit-soaking liquid, it’s also added directly to the batter and finally poured on top of the freshly baked cake right out of the oven. This adds flavor and also adds to the cake’s shelf-life. 

We usually add 1/4 cup in this last step, but you can add anywhere from 0 to 4 tablespoons. If you do add rum post-baking, the cake will need to rest for at least 2 days for the sharpness of the alcohol to mellow out. 

This cake truly gets better with time. Because of its intense flavor, black cake is usually enjoyed in small slices and is often baked in smaller pans to give away.

Soak the fruit:

Combine the dried fruit, rum, and red wine in a container with an airtight lid. Add enough of the rum and wine to just barely cover the fruit, and soak at room temperature for at least 2 days. If soaking for longer, add additional rum and wine, as necessary, to cover.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Prepare a 9-inch round cake pan by buttering it generously and lining the bottom with a ring of parchment paper.

Purée the soaked fruit:

Strain the fruit and reserve the liquid. Add the fruit to the base of a food processor (or high-powered blender) and purée, adding enough of the reserved liquid to achieve a rough paste, 3 to 4 tablespoons. You will have about 2 cups of fruit paste.

Make the batter:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and raw sugar together until light and fluffy, scraping the sides down halfway through. Add the lime zest and juice, vanilla, and bitters, and beat to combine. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.

Add the dry ingredients and the rum and wine:

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Separately, combine 1/2 cup of the rum and the sweet wine. 

Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat to combine, then half of the wine mixture beating to combine. Repeat with the remaining flour and wine mixture. 

Stir in the prepared 2 cups of pureed fruit and the browning until fully combined.

Bake and sprinkle rum:

Pour into the prepared baking pan and bake until deep in color around the edges but not burnt and a toothpick or sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs (not wet batter), 1 to 1 1/2 hours. 

Remove from the oven and, while still hot, optionally sprinkle 1 to 4 tablespoons of rum evenly over the cake. Let the cake cool completely. If you sprinkled with rum, let rest for at least 2 days before serving. 

When ready to serve, run a blunt knife around the inside rim of the cake pan to loosen the cake from the sides, then invert the pan to remove the cake to a platter. Cover any leftover cake tightly in plastic or store in an airtight container. It will last 1 week at room temperature or months in the freezer.

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