Trinidad Black Cake

⏱ 300 mins 🍽 1 cake, 20 serving(s) 🏷 Dessert

This is the classic Caribbean Christmas cake, a rich and rum-laden fruit cake. The process involves soaking a mix of dried fruits and almonds in rum for at least a day, then combining them with a spiced batter. The cake is baked slowly in a water bath, resulting in a deeply flavoured, moist dessert that is traditionally served in thin slices. It benefits from ageing before being enjoyed.

Trinidad Black Cake

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb currants
  • 1/2 lb raisins
  • 1/2 lb prune
  • 1/2 lb dried fig
  • 1 (8 ounce) jar maraschino cherries, drained
  • 1/4 lb mixed peel
  • 2 ounces almonds, finely chopped
  • 1 1/4 cups dark rum
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 6 ounces brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup boiling water
  • 1 teaspoon lime peel, grated
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 lb butter
  • 1 1/8 cups sugar
  • 5 eggs

Method

  1. Finely chop the currants, raisins, prunes, figs and maraschino cherries.
  2. Place the chopped fruit into a large bowl with the mixed peel and chopped almonds.
  3. Combine the vanilla and ground cloves with the dark rum, then pour this over the fruit mixture.
  4. Stir everything together until well mixed.
  5. Cover the bowl securely and allow the fruit to soak for at least 24 hours, or for up to one month.
  6. Make the caramelised sugar on the day you plan to bake the cake.
  7. Place the brown sugar into a heavy-based pot.
  8. Cook the sugar over a low heat, stirring continuously, until it melts and darkens in colour.
  9. Take care not to let it burn.
  10. Once the sugar is dark, take the pot off the heat and slowly stir in the boiling water.
  11. Mix it thoroughly.
  12. Allow this caramel mixture to cool completely.
  13. For the final assembly, preheat your oven to 120 C.
  14. Line a round cake tin with parchment paper that has been buttered.
  15. Stir the grated lime peel and the cooled caramelised sugar into the soaked fruit mixture.
  16. Set this aside for now.
  17. Sift the flour and baking powder together into a bowl.
  18. Set the flour mixture aside.
  19. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
  20. Add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition.
  21. Stir in the sifted flour mixture until just combined.
  22. Fold the prepared fruit mixture into the batter.
  23. Transfer the batter to the prepared tin and place this tin inside a larger, shallow pan filled with hot water.
  24. Bake in the preheated oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
  25. The cake should pull away slightly from the tin's sides.
  26. Leave the cake to cool completely in its tin for 24 hours before turning it out.
  27. Allow the cake to mature for a period before serving for optimal flavour.
  28. To store for an extended time, you can occasionally brush the cake with extra rum to keep it moist.

Nutrition (per serving)

Sodium136600 mg

Recipe details

CategoryDessert
Authorstormylee