Jamaican Black Cake

Rich Jamaican black cake is a decadent Caribbean twist on the classic holiday fruit cake that you’ll love serving this Christmas! Dried fruit is soaked in sweet port wine and fragrant dark rum, then blended and folded into a spice cake like you’ve never had before! It's a festive, richly-flavored holiday cake that you won't regret baking this holiday season!

Jump to:

• A Tropical Spin On Fruitcake
• 🌎 Origin
• ❤️ Why I Love This Recipe
• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🔪 Instructions
• 💭 Tips & Notes
• 🥡 Storing
• ❓ Recipe FAQs
• 📖 Recipe Card
• 💬 Reviews

Spiced, boozy, and blended with delicious dried fruit - this Jamaican black cake is an incredibly delightful centerpiece!

If baking gets you in the Christmas spirit, check out my holiday baking recipes! There are cookies, my fantastic Christmas cake, fruitcake and more cake ideas, pies, fudge, candy, and so much more to try!

A Tropical Spin On Fruitcake

Are you a fan of fruitcake but want to switch it up a little? Try a delightful change with this amazingly decadent Jamaican black cake! It's sure to be a new favorite!

It’s similar to fruit cake in that it’s a boozy spice cake mixed with dried fruit, but it’s scented with orange peel, baking spices, lime zest, and juice! The lime is really what makes this cake so unique!

The fruit in black cake is blended until smooth instead of left whole, which makes it incredibly moist. You’ll never have to worry about a dry cake!

🌎 Origin

This lovely, moist cake is an essential dessert in the Caribbean. It’s not only served during the holidays but also at nearly every celebration!

Most households have their version of the cake, but the recipe you see here is pretty standard. It’s a unique cake that you are going to love!

❤️ Why I Love This Recipe

Amazing Flavor! The flavor of this boozy, fruity cake is out of this world delicious! The sweet port wine and rum paired with the lime and spices is so special!

Super Moist! This cake is MOIST. It’s like nothing you’ve ever tried before! The texture is almost custard-like, which is so unique and delicious.

The Perfect Christmas Cake! Spiced, rich, fruity, and boozy, this show-stopping cake is going to wow on a holiday table!

🥘 Ingredients

There are a lot of ingredients here, but don’t worry—most of them are pantry staples. The fruit mixture can also be soaked ahead of time, so you can make it even up to 6 months ahead of time to save on prep!

Fruit Blend

• 9 ounces Dried Prunes – 9 ounces is about 1 ½ cups! You’ll want these to be pitted before soaking.
• 1 cup Raisins – Raisins are a great base fruit for the fruit blend. They add a gentle sweetness and lots of moistness.
• 1 cup Golden Raisins – Also known as sultanas, golden raisins are also another great base fruit.
• 1 cup Dried Cherries – Cherries add a tart bite to the fruit blend, which helps to balance the flavors!
• ½ cup Dried Currants – Currants are similar to raisins, but have a tangier, fruitier flavor that works perfectly in dish recipe!
• 1 ½ cup Port Wine – You can use any sweet, red dessert wine here. Save extra for soaking the cake!
• 1 ½ cup Dark Rum – Dark rum pairs perfectly with the fruit and spices! You can use your favorite brand of rum here—but bonus points if you get Jamaican rum!

What You'll Need For The Cake

• 1 cup Butter – This is equivalent to 2 sticks of butter! The butter needs to be softened to room temperature for this recipe.
• 1 ¼ cup Dark Brown Sugar – Brown sugar gives a deep, molasses-like flavor to the cake. I highly recommend dark brown sugar over light brown sugar for its richness.
• 5 large Eggs – The eggs should be brought to room temperature to blend well with the other ingredients and bake evenly.
• 1 medium Lime – Lime gives the cake an amazing, unique flavor! You’ll zest the lime and use 1 tablespoon of juice (Depending on how juicy your lime is, you might use ½ a lime or the whole lime).
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract – Vanilla extract balances out the flavors of the cake! Use 100% pure vanilla extract here if you can.
• 1 teaspoon Orange Extract – You can also use almond extract if you don’t prefer the flavor of orange extract. This adds extra flavor to the cake!
• 1 tablespoon Baking Powder – You’ll need this much baking powder to help give this super moist cake some lift!
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon – I love the sweet, spicy flavor that cinnamon lends to the cake! I recommend Vietnamese or Saigon cinnamon for its robust flavor.
• ½ teaspoon Ground Nutmeg – Nutmeg adds a sweet, distinct taste to the cake. It pairs exceptionally with the other spices!
• ½ teaspoon Ground Allspice – Allspice, or pimento, is a staple spice in Caribbean kitchens! The flavor is sweet and tastes like a combination of cinnamon and cloves.
• ¼ teaspoon Salt – Salt is needed in almost every dessert to help balance out the sweetness!
• 1 tablespoon Dried Orange Peel – Dried orange peel has a sweet, fragrant aroma and flavor. You can also use fresh here, but the flavor will be more pronounced.
• 2 cups All-Purpose Flour – Use AP flour, not cake or self-rising flour.
• 2 tablespoons Browning Sauce – Browning Sauce gives a deep color to many Caribbean dishes, including this cake! The browning sauce will not affect the flavor of the cake.
• 2 tablespoons Molasses – Molasses adds even deeper color and richness to the cake! The combination of the browning sauce and the molasses is what gives the cake the dark, black color it’s named after!

*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*

🔪 Instructions

I recommend soaking this cake overnight to absorb all the delicious port wine! Then, it will be perfect for serving!

Soak The Fruit Blend

1. Mix the fruit and liquor. Using a container with a lid, start by combining the dried fruit mixture: 9 ounces of dried prunes, 1 cup of raisins, 1 cup of golden raisins (sultanas), 1 cup of dried cherries, and ½ cup of currants. Next, add 1 ½ cup of port wine and 1 ½ cup of dark rum or until all the fruit is submerged. You might need a bit more wine/rum to cover the fruit completely.
2. Soak fruit. When the fruit is submerged, cover the bowl with a lid and allow the fruit to soak for at least 7 days and up to 6 months. Add more wine and rum as needed (See Tips & Recipe Notes for how to do a quick soak!)

Mix The Cake Batter

1. Prep. Preheat your oven to 250°F (121°C). Next, blend the alcohol-soaked fruits in a blender or food processor until smooth. Set aside until the cake ingredients are combined. Then, line the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan or cake pan with a circle of parchment paper. Butter the bottom and the sides of the pan then set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugar. Cream together 1 cup of softened butter and 1 ¼ cups of dark brown sugar until smooth and fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Then, add 5 room temperature eggs, one at a time. Mix in between additions. If needed, you can add 1 tablespoon of flour to prevent the mixture from curdling.
3. Add flavorings. Add the zest of 1 medium lime and 1 tablespoon of juice, along with 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and 1 teaspoon of orange extract, then mix to combine. Next, mix in 1 tablespoon of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, ½ teaspoon of ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon of ground allspice, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and 1 tablespoon of dried orange peel. Finally, add 2 cups of AP flour and combine until your batter is smooth.
4. Finish the batter. To the batter, add 2 tablespoons of browning sauce, 2 tablespoons of molasses, and the blended fruit. Fold in the ingredients gently, just until fully combined. Then, transfer the mixture to the prepared Springform pan and smooth the top.

Bake & Cool

1. Bake the black cake. Place your cake pan into the middle of your center rack and bake at 250°F (121°C) for 2 hours. Then, start testing the cake with a toothpick or cake tester. Once the inserted toothpick or cake tester comes out clean and the top of the cake doesn’t imprint when touched, remove the cake from the oven (the cake can take up to 2 ½ hours, depending on your pan size).
2. Finish and serve. Allow the finished black cake to cool on a wire cooling rack for 15 minutes in the pan, then remove from the pan and soak with ¼ cup of port wine (or a port/rum combo) overnight before serving.

Rich, decadent, moist Jamaican black cake can be garnished with maraschino cherries and then served at room temperature. Serve with tea, coffee, or even whipped cream or ice cream! Enjoy!

💭 Tips & Notes

• To soak the fruit quickly, simmer the fruit and alcohol until the fruit is plump! Heat the blend of dried fruits with the port and rum in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a low boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool before blending.
• Refeed leftover cake with port wine and/or rum to keep it moist! If storing the cake ahead of time, soak the cake with a little of the port or rum the night before serving to keep the cake delightfully moist and boozy.
• Measure the flour correctly to ensure the cake doesn’t get dry! You’ll want to spoon flour into your cup measure until full, then use the back of a knife or spatula to level off the top. This will make sure that there is no packed flour in the cup—so you get the perfect amount!

🥡 Storing

To store the cake, you can keep it on a cake stand with a lid or cake storage container at room temperature for up to 4 days. You can also refrigerate the cake for up to a week!

Cover the cake with a layer of plastic cling film or in a cake storage container. After these periods, however, the cake will start to lessen in quality.

Freezing

You can also freeze a black cake for up to 6 months! Cover the cooled cake with a layer of plastic cling film and a layer of foil or place it in a cake storage container.

When ready to eat, place the cake on your counter and let it thaw at room temperature.

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❓ Recipe FAQs

📖 Recipe Card