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!
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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
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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).
- 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!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe 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
Browning sauce is a blend of caramel color, seasonings, caramelized sugar, and vegetable concentrates. It is a staple in many Caribbean recipes, like this Jamaican black cake! You can find it either in the stock/soup aisle, the spices/seasonings aisle, and most commonly in the condiments aisle near the BBQ sauces, A-1, and Worcestershire sauce!
Port wine, which is used to soak the fruits and cake for this recipe, is a sweet fortified red wine from Portugal. Fortified means that a neutral alcohol is added during the wine-making process. It is a dessert wine, which makes it perfect for the Jamaican black cake! You can also use any sweet, red wine or dessert wine if you can’t find port.
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📖 Recipe Card
Jamaican Black Cake (Rum Soaked Christmas Cake Recipe)
Ingredients
Fruit Blend
- 9 oz dried prunes (pitted - about 1 ½ cups)
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup golden raisins (sultanas)
- 1 cup dried cherries
- ½ cup currants
- 1½ cup port wine (or sweet, red dessert wine + more for soaking the cake)
- 1½ cup dark rum
Black Cake
- 1 cup butter (softened, at room temperature - 2 sticks)
- 1¼ cups dark brown sugar
- 5 large eggs (at room temperature)
- 1 medium lime (zest and 1 tablespoon juice)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon orange extract (or almond extract)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon orange peel (dried)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon browning sauce
- 2 tablespoon molasses
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
Fruit Blend
- Combine the fruit (9 oz dried prunes, 1 cup raisins, 1 cup golden raisins (sultanas), 1 cup dried cherries, and ½ cup currants) with the 1½ cup port wine and 1½ cup dark rum in a bowl or container until they are submerged. You may need a bit more of your wine/rum to cover the fruit completely.
- Cover and allow the fruit to soak for 7 days, and up to several months. Add more wine and rum as needed when soaking.For a quick version, heat the blend with port and rum over medium heat to a low boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool before blending.
Black Cake
- Preheat your oven to 250°F (121°C) and blend the fruit mixture until smooth. Set the blended fruit aside until the cake ingredients are combined. Line the bottom of a 10-inch Springform pan or cake pan and butter the bottom and sides.
- Cream together the softened 1 cup butter and 1¼ cups dark brown sugar until smooth and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the 5 large eggs one at a time and combine between adding the additional eggs. You can add a tablespoon of flour to prevent the mixture from curdling.
- Add the zest from 1 medium lime then the lime juice, along with the 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon orange extract then mix to combine. Mix in the 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ½ teaspoon allspice, 1 tablespoon orange peel, and ¼ teaspoon salt then add the 2 cups all-purpose flour and combine until your batter is smooth.
- Add the 2 tablespoon browning sauce, 2 tablespoon molasses, and blended fruit then fold into the batter until fully combined. Transfer into your prepared Springform pan and smooth the top.
Bake & Cool
- Bake at 250°F (121°C) for 2 hours, then start testing the cake with a toothpick or cake tester. Once an 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.
- Allow your 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 rum/wine combo) overnight.
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 until it is full, then use the back of a knife or spatula to level off the top. This will ensure that there is no packed flour in the cup—so you get the perfect amount!
- Store your cake at room temperature for up to 4 days (you can re-feed the cake with port wine and/or rum the night before serving if desired).
- Refrigerate your black cake for up to a week, or freeze for up to 6 months.
KellyW says
Is there any other kind of rum? 😒😁 Looking forward to trying out your recipe!
Karma Kitaj says
What is browning sauce, please? Making for book group as well.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Browning sauce is available in your condiments aisle at the grocery store. The commercially available browning sauces like Kitchen Bouquet, Gravy Master, Savoie's, Sarsons, and Grace are typically made with vegetable concentrate, seasoning, and more to get that dark color and caramelized flavor. Homemade browning sauce is typically made with brown sugar, water, and salt that is cooked until deep and rich in both color and flavor.
Allie says
I am excited to make this recipe! Question - I am currently soaking my fruit, should I be adding additional alcohol as the fruit absorbs it? I originally had it all submerged, but now the top is not. I am shaking daily but unsure if I should add more liquid to keep it all covered. Thank you!
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Hi Allie! If you turn your soaking fruit and are finding that some of the fruit is not submerged (even when you press on it with the flat side of your spatula) you can certainly add more liquid. Use the same ratio of your port and rum to add to the fruit as needed. Thanks for asking and enjoy the cake!
Chabor says
I'm so excited to get this into the oven in a few minutes. My only question is, can this be baked in a tube pan? My springform pan is only 9 in. And my 10-in aluminum pan might not produce the right crumb.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
I have not baked this cake in a tube pan, however, I have baked similar fruitcakes in a tube pan with amazing results. Check your cake earlier by about 30 minutes. Good luck and let us know how it turns out!
LaDonna says
How do you soak the finished baked cake with the rest of the rum?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Hi LaDonna, I open the parchment paper that I wrap the cake with and brush more of the rum over the entire cake top (you can use a skewer to poke holes in the cake if desired). Soak your cake once every two weeks to feed it until you're ready to serve. Enjoy!
Susan T says
I am soaking the fruit now and looking forward to serving this to my book club! I have a question about buttering the pan...do I line the pan with parchment then use butter on the top of the parchment and the sides? Or is the option to not use parchment and just rub the bottom of the cake pan and sides with butter? Sorry if this is a bad question! Thank you!
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
It's a great question! Yes, place the trimmed parchment paper in your pan and then coat the pan and paper with butter. Enjoy!
Anonymous says
Thank you!
Caroljo says
I’m so excited about trying this recipe and will be making 2 cakes, one for each of my 2 book club gatherings. This may be a dumb question, but I’d like to bake 2 cakes at once and freeze them. Have you had a good experience baking 2 at a time? Thanks!
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
As long as you can fit two on the same rack with some space for air to circulate between them, you should be just fine. Like baking two 8 or 9-inch rounds together. 🙂 Thanks for asking!!
Kari says
I found the cake a bit too boozy, for me. Would it be ok to soak with milk or something else to maintain moisture? I might add a cup of chopped walnuts, as well. Thoughts? I tried it with whipped cream, which made it more enjoyable, for me, to cut the booziness. I do like it and plan to bake it for my book club gathering in October 2024, when we discuss Black Cake, by Charmaine Wilkerson. Thank you!
Tracy says
I am making this for book club next month. I'll let you know how it goes!
Amanda says
I am making this tonight for book club. My fruit has been soaking for two months. Here is my main question...I hope you see this in time! When I blend the fruit mixture is that with all of the alcohol as well as the fruit? Or is it just the soaked fruit minus the extra liquid?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Wow! I missed that note...add fruit and alcohol mixture to a food processor or blender and pulse until it reaches your desired consistency. Use the blended fruit and alcohol in your black cake. Thanks for asking and have fun with your book club!
Lisa says
Question - when soaking the fruit - is it at room temperature or in the fridge?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
I soak my fruit in the fridge for any fruitcake, simply because I usually soak it for long periods of time. Thanks for asking!!
Janelle says
You can soak them at room temperature. The alcohol acts as a preservative. I'm Jamaican and that's how my family has done it for years because back in the day not everyone had access to a refrigerator so room temperature is just fine 🙂
Stacy says
I am making this cake tomorrow - very excited - but worried about my browning sauce, the only thing I found was Bouquet Browning Sauce - will that work??? There are some recipes where you make it at home but I will not have the time to do that!!! Looking forward to trying it!
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Yes, that will work. That's exactly what you'd grab 🙂 Enjoy the cake!!
Diana C says
My first black cake with this delicious recipe! Perfect and easy way to show the ingredients and steps.
Gracias 🍰
Shelia Turner says
Made this lush cake twice now very nice
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
It's definitely a family favorite! So glad you enjoy it too!
Modena says
I haven’t tried the recipe as yet. But I
Love the Jamaican Black Cake. My husband is Jamaican but I’m American. So I’m going to give it a try. I will let you know how it turn out.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Awesome! We'd love to hear what you both think of the cake when done. Enjoy!
C. Ivory says
Hi im dying to try your recipe I was just wondering if you use the bitters that you have in your picture? I didn't see it listed in the ingredients so I was wondering if It's the bitters you use or the browing sauce?
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
I definitely used the bitters, just a dash! But I did use them in combination with the port wine and dark rum for soaking the fruit. Thanks for asking!!
Carol McIntosh says
My goodness gracious, wow, it's been a long time since tasting this delicacy. Do you sell these cakes? How much. One love mi dear.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
I'm glad you found our black cake 🙂 and I'm sorry to say that we do not sell anything on the site. I do hope that you get a chance to give it a try! Enjoy!
Rose's Angels says
One of the best and easiest recipes I have tried. The cake was super moist. Love it!
Ali G says
I'm a Jamaican and this recipe was excellent, very straightforward! I've seen it baked for 1.5 hours at 325° as well.
Not sure if you're one of our Jamaicaucasians....but you did a great job! Nuff respect! 🇯🇲
Gayle Schmidt says
This is more 5 stars
It is fabulous. Everyone raved about it.
Tim says
Hi Angela.
I just want to check that's 121 degrees c in a fan oven? Is that right?
All the best,
Tim
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Hello Tim, you need to reduce the temperature when using a convection fan option. Use 107°C instead of the 121°C. Thanks for asking!
Tim says
Thanks. Just checking because the temperature seems quite low for a conventional oven. I've made 2 batches of the fruit mix so I'll try it as per your recipe and I'll have a back up if I need to tweek it.
I'm making it for a birthday party next Friday. The birthday girl likes rum, so this should go down well.
Ela says
Hello,
I am looking forward to making my first ever Christmas Fruit cake.
My Mom has Jamaican heritage and made fruit cakes every Christmas for as long as I can remember. Mom is experiencing dementia now and… we do not have the recipe.
Your recipe comes very close to what I can remember.
All that said, to my question: I want to make 3 cakes (3 times what you have here), should I just triplicate the ingredients?
I am not worried about the fruits, which by the way are already soaking, Mom used to soak hers just after Christmas for the following year. Basically I want to know if I should triple the other cake ingredients to make 3 normal size cake.
Thanks for sharing this recipe, looking forward yo your reply. Ela
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Above the ingredients list (in the recipe card only, there is a box with 1x, 2x, 3x. You can select 3x to triple the recipe. Mix the batter and divide out for your three cakes. So the answer is yes, just triplicate the other ingredients. 🙂 Enjoy!
A says
EXCELLENTES EXPLICATIONS POUR REUSSIR CE GATEAU SAVOUREUX...
EXCELLENT EXPLANATIONS TO SUCCEED THIS TASTY CAKE ...
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
Merci beaucoup!