Jamaican Black Cake (Christmas Fruit Cake)

Black Cake / Christmas Fruit Cake / Jamaican Christmas Pudding (Courtesy @jehancancook | Instagram)

Jamaican Black Cake, or Christmas Pudding, is a spiced cake made with a combination of raisins, cherries, prunes, and other fruits. While traditionally it’s a cake for Christmas, it is also paired with a white fondant for traditional wedding cakes as well. This classic holiday dessert has endless variations, and surely no two households make it exactly the same way. Most recipes call for soaking the dried fruits in wine and / or rum for up to a year before baking.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups Flour
• 8 oz. Butter
• 8 oz. Sugar
• 4 Eggs
• 1 lb. Raisins
• 1 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. Mixed Spice (or equal parts ground allspice and nutmeg)
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 4 oz. Mixed Peel
• 4 oz. Cherries
• 1/2 lb. Prunes, chopped
• 1 cup Port Wine or Brandy
• 1 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1 tsp. Vanilla
• Finely grated rind of 1 Lime or Lemon
• 2 tbsp. Browning

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees F and grease a 9″ round cake pan.
2. Use a mixer to cream the butter, sugar, vanilla, and browning until soft and fluffy.
3. Sift the flour, cinnamon, mixed spice, salt and baking powder together.
4. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and the wine or brandy together. (Add a splash of white rum if you feel adventurous too)
5. Add the egg mixture to the creamed butter and sugar.
6. Stir in the raisins, mixed peel, cherries, prunes, and the lime or lemon rind. (You have the option to puree this mixture of dried fruits in a blender before adding for a more moist cake.)
7. Gently fold in the flour mixture just until mixed.
8. Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
9. Allow to cool, serve.

Adapted from Jamaicans